At nine matches per season, SDB doesn’t have a long single-player campaign. There are three difficulties, but even hard is only marginally difficult for a well-built team. You’ll have to take the game to your friends after a day or two if you want a real challenge, or you could just beat them senseless in Brawl mode. It’s you against everyone in a weapon-filled courtyard with one rule – the last man standing wins. It’s not Super Smash Bros. by any means, but there’s no better way to settle bitter rivalries than an old-fashioned rumble.

The action in SDB is slower than I would have expected from a sequel over a decade in the making. Still, the expansive character creation, crazy Supershots, and the nods to River City Ransom make all the flaws seem like the needless nitpicking of an obsessed fanboy. Even if you have never played a Nekketsu game before, Super Dodgeball Brawlers deserves a place on your shelf. Considering the history of the series, this might be your last chance to live out those fantasies of dodgeball stardom.

Questions or comments? We'd love to hear from you .