Dodgeball Academia Is A Great Saturday Morning Cartoon
We’re nearing the end of the year near which has us all nostalgic. It’s been an undoubtedly incredible time for indie games, and there are a bunch of games that came out this year that stand out. One of our favourites has to be Dodgeball Academia. This is a game that wouldn’t feel out of place on Cartoon Network, and we mean that in the most flattering way possible because of the way this game feels.
It stars a kid called Otto, who has managed to run away to a school that’s all about dodgeball. It’s so devoted to dodgeball, in fact, that a single spinning dodgeball powers the entire thing. The story is the best kind of nonsense, and features characters with balloons instead of heads, one who is probably a vampire, and someone who just has a block for a head. It’s absurd, and the gameplay reflects that by taking dodgeball and effectively turning it into an anime.
That means that each battle in this RPG isn’t turn-based, but played out in real-time with a set of dodgeball rules that evolve almost constantly throughout the game. What begins with you just being able to throw and catch the ball eventually becomes a battle of tactics, passing, and super moves. It is a genuine joy to play at nearly all times, and we defy anyone who tries to play it without ending up with a big old smile on their face. Ultimately, that’s why it’s one of our favourite games from this year.