Game Info
GAME NAME: Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure DELUXE
DEVELOPER(S): Game Swing
PUBLISHER(S): Nintendo
PLATFORM(S): Nintendo Switch
GENRE(S): co-op, sports game
RELEASE DATE(S): January 4th, 2018
Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure DELUXE Edition is definitely a unique and satisfyingly fun take on the sports genre. When it comes to sports games I personally think more along the lines of FIFA, Madden, or even NBA Jam, so obviously this title from developer Game Swing was quite intriguing to me. And honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. I really did’t know what I was in for. 
The game play is pretty simple and straight forward with a top down view . You move around the game area (which reminds me of a sumo ring of sorts) trying to knock the opposing team’s players out and be the first to 3 points. Through the single player part of the game you’ll progress through various stages, each with different teams to face off against which you must defeat in order to progress the narrative and unlock characters with their own quirks. Each stage also has it’s own set of unique, albeit odd challenges. Some of which you might expect from any game, such as completing a task in a set time. Then again there’s also challenges that are just flat out comical. With it’s delightful retro design, (I’m talking 70’s here’) from the sweat bands and tennis shoes down to the pretty awesome array of tunes in the soundtrack. I found myself jamming pretty good to the old school tracks, which are in my opinion selected very well in relation to their respective stages in regards to the general feel of the track and the actual setting of the stage. Providing some pretty comical moments in the form of era relevant pop culture references, I found myself laughing at Bjorn and Jerome’s shenanigans more often than not. It definitely stands out a little, yet it’s colorful, block-headed cartooniness fits right in on Nintendo’s latest offering to the video game world. With a variety of game modes, including “The Wheel of Rumpus”, Stikbold! is fantastic fun once you get used to the controls, which like I said previously, aren’t overly complicated, and that helps to boost the fun factor for me! It makes it a whole bunch easier to get everybody involved in the local coop mode where the game really shines since nobody has to learn any overly complicated button combinations or memorize plays like in other more typical sports games.
Overall Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure DELUXE Edition on the Nintendo Switch is great fun whether alone or with friends and family. With it’s unique style, fantastic soundtrack, interesting twist on the sports genre and addicting fun gameplay, I can’t NOT recommend this game! Honestly, whether you’re a sports fan or not, (which really, this isn’t your typical sports game so that’s largely irrelevant) I think this is a solid game to have. ESPECIALLY if you’re a fan of good old fashioned cooperative fun on the couch with a buddy or few. And for the price, there’s no reason not to grab it from the eShop and get some friends together for some six player cooperative chaos!
