Basketbrawl (Game)

Basketbrawl

GAME » on 1990

Atari 7800 (Platform)Atari Lynx (Platform)

Atari's take on the 1989 arcade game Arch Rivals, Basketbrawl is street basketball with attitude.

Overview

Basketbrawl is a belt-scrolling street basketball game published by Atari (Company) for the Atari 7800 (Platform) in 1990.

Similar to the 1989 arcade game Arch Rivals (Game), Basketbrawl is a more free-form adaptation of the sport of basketball, played either one-on-one or two-on-two, without most of sport's rules and regulations. The game is known for its health system, as consistently beating up opponents with punches can knock them out for the remainder of the match.

It later received a handheld port for the Atari Lynx (Platform) in 1992, with some changes to the overall formula (including neutral combatants, usable melee weapons, the ability to throw the ball as a weapon, a recovery system for being knocked out, new characters and stats, the ability to play one-on-two and one-on-three matches, and a new single-player campaign).

Both versions of the game were later included in the 2022 compilation Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection.

Characters

7800 Version

Each playable character starts with various stats and full health, which can be upgraded by collecting power-ups ("Milk" icons for health, "Lightning Bolt" icons for speed and "Fist" icons for power). Beating up other characters can lower not only their health, but their speed.

Vinnie Beatiacilli (average speed, average power)
Eric "Buster" Williams (average speed, low power)
Jerome "Slash" Gordon (low speed, average power)
Bruce "Bruiser" Johnson (low speed, very high power)
Tommy "Biff" Torrance (average speed, high power)
Simon Smartguy (average speed, average power)

Lynx Version

In addition to health, speed, and power, this version has two new stats: shooting skill and damage resistance. "Lightning Bolt" icons now power-up skill, "Sneaker" icons power-up speed, and "Heart" icons power-up life. Power-up effect now only last until the end of the match, rather than throughout the campaign.

Simon - High speed, low power.
Slash - High life, low speed.
Biff - High skill, low power.
Slam - High power, low speed.
Vinnie - High skill, low life.
Buster - High skill, low speed.
Dude - All-rounder.
Butch - High power and skill, low speed and life.
Lee - High speed and skill, low power and life.
Bubba - High power and life, low speed and skill.

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