Ballblazer

Ballblazer/Ballblaster is a landmark game!
Split screen with speed and smoothness.
This game should be highly rated. Thus my 8 score.

However, it is a shame that C64 version is inferior to the Atari 400 version. Yes, droid 1/ computer is easier to beat in the Atari. Why is it so frickin hard in the Commodore version?

Also, Peter Langsdon in the Atari version, created an algorithm that plays 32 note melody fragments that plays over a repeated riff. It sounds amazing! The Commodore version is close but not the same.

And finally, the 400 has an opening animated intro.

So.......just saying that if you're able, test out the 400 version.

However, the Commodore version is a damn fine game.Even if it's tougher to beat the computer.
Cheers.

This was AWESOME back in '85. It felt as close to VR as you could get back then.
The immersive future sport feel to it was superbly achieved.
Playing the computer wasn't as enjoyable an experience (but then it rarely is) as the two player but as the two player gameplay was so good with evenly matched players who cares.
I know not everyone agrees but its a deserved classic in my book.
A strong (nearly 9) 8 out of 10.

Zzap 64 were seriously deluded giving this a 98% rating. Technology was great back then but the gameplay was nothing more complex than Pong.

Jaw dropping in '85

Jamie Phillips; the tune on this game is 1 minute and 20 seconds long, then it repeats. The listen to button on this game page plays a bugged version. Download the actual . SID file instead.

At first I hated that game 'cause I found it to bustling. But after a short time it makes really fun. I think the Zzap Review a bit to euphoric but it's still an nice game.
7/10 points.

Racing game? I know it's weird, but it's not that confusing surely?

The review is misleading - this isn't a racing game, it's a sports game! You have to hit the ball through your opponents goal before he gets it through yours. 2 player mode was great fun, some very tight matches had in the past. No wonder you gave 3/10 if you thought it was a racing game, silly

Honestly (read my review), I am still angry over buying this game, it is a complete joke and one of the worst games ever made for the C-64!

Impressive but perplexing game. Looks like it would rock when played with a mate.

When it came out it was just amazing. Problem was that most guys wouldn't get it, and so you had some trouble to find a opponent.

Pontless in one player mode, fun with a living opponent. Anyway, the soundtrack is as psychedelic as the Commie can get.

One of those classic games you'll always keep in memories.

I first played this game on a buddy's Atari 130XE and loved it. The 64 version was equally as good. Awesome 2 player game!

Great concept, but sheesh, I could never beat the computer.

Single player vs CPU: dead boring.
Two player... AWESOME.

I didn't like this one very much. It was alright two player but that's it. It was too linear, not much to it except to shoot one another. No detail no different types of gameplay. Boring...

I had a great time playing this against a friend back in the 80's, but I've played it recently on an Atari XE and I didn't get the same thrill from it. Not sure that it really holds up over time, with very simple graphics and gameplay but nonetheless a decent diversion if you're looking for a fun, easy to play two-player game for a few minutes.

This game is pretty good, I think that this is most remembered for the amazing soundtrack that has been remixed on several occasions

I think the folks at ZZAP! Were drunk when writing the review on this! 98%??? The 3D effect was OK but gameplay was very dull in my view, knocking a ball about a check board did nothing for me.

Looks pretty but ultimately theres not a lot of substance to the game. Gets dull very quickly

Hmmm, I remember the first time I saw this it was on my brother's Atari 800XL, and I was blown away. The speed and fluidity of the graphics was amazing, and nothing like it had been seen at the time. The C64 version was a bit of a disappointment in comparison because the graphics were nowhere near as good. Slow, jerky and flickery in comparison to the stunning Atari version, but the gameplay was pretty much the same. Well, to be honest there wasn't much that could be changed without making into a different game altogether. A simple idea, perfectly executed on Atari, not so perfectly executed on the C64. But despite the technical merits of each version it suffered one fatal flaw - it was fun to play for a while but personally I got bored pretty quick, which was all down to a lack of variety. A bit like 'air hockey' I suppose - fun for 10 minutes, but repetitive, and ultimately dull. Sorry :-(
10 out of 10 for originality and execution (Atari version - sorry to keep going on about it), but 4 out of 10 for playability, purely down to it's lack of substance and variety.

Galway's title music for Parallax is easily longer than 10 minutes

I've been listening to the tune for 10 minutes now and the breaks are still going on without any repeats! This is a cracker of a long tune - can't believe how good it is. How in the hell did they manage to cram such a long tune as well as the game into 64K??? Freaks me out.

Ha! I'd forgotton about this. I had both the Atari and C64 versions and yeah the Atari one was much better. Unbeliveable 3D movement for the time; really smooth. And the gameplay was fantastic; hours of fun playing against your mates. But you listen to that music - it has to be the greatest all time SID tune! You listen to that and tell me it's not great. Sends shivers down my spine. You can tell this tune was a labour of love for the author...

My all time favourite video game. Amazingly deep gameplay. You wouldn't think it, with only 5 playfield objects. But a friend and I played it about 4 hours a day for an entire summer, and always found new tricks and ways to execute tactics better. We even video taped a few of our games...

This game was a blast to play against my little brother. One of my favourites

The Atari 8-bit version is simply incredible, showcasing all of that platform's strengths. Comparatively the 64 version is lame but I don't know that it could have been any better. The colour palette, graphics flexibility and speed just aren't there. Try the Atari version if you ever have a chance, it is amazing to think that 25 year old computer technology could do such a thing.

I tell you, this was a stunner - only on the Atari 800 version! (there it was developed)
no flickering, great colours and fast gameplay! Check out the anti-aliasing playfield and the auto-improvising music!
Along with rescue on fractalus in my opinion this was the best piece of software of its time

Some have commented how this game is rather a letdown. Come on, folks, give Lucasfilm Games (later LucasArts) a break. This IS their first game, after all.

I think this was overrated, I couldn't what it was about this game, Zzap! Raved over it, but I didn't think it was all that, bought it and took it back.

Very addictive to play in the 2 player mode. When playing against the computer though I always thought there was a ridiculous step up in difficulty between level 2 and level 3, then virtually no step up in difficulty in the levels after that. Level 9 wasn't all that much harder than level 3.

This game was VERY simple and highly addictive. The split screen and fluid frame rates used to astound me and the music is by far one of the greated every created with the sid. Do yourself a favor and listen to the entire sid. Very expressive. This game is great!

I thought the games of Lucasfilm arts always were a bit overrated. Good graphics, but shallow gameplay.

A great game whether you play with a human opponent or the computer. Good music too.

One of the best two-player games available in its day. It's like a one-on-one soccer game. Great fun.

In my eyes, a classic - a bit rough around the edges in hindsight, but still very playable...