The company was called Technos, and it was great indeed. Many scoffed at the oblong-headed kids on the playfield in the games released by Technos Japan and American Technos, but those people were wrong. Because inside those big heads was the minds focused on killer gameplay and quirky humor. Crash 'n The Boys may never be remembered as one of the great underrated games of the 8-bit generation (which it should -- where else can you fight underwater to try to drive your opponent unconscious?), but River City Ransom surely will, Free Smile and all. If you don't know, you're already lost.

If this company is remembered for one thing, it should be River City. No question. But if the company is remembered for two things (and they should), may the world remember them well for giving us all the ferociously fun Super Dodge Ball. Today, we are no closer to reliving the glory of River City Ransom, but at long last, there is a successor to Dodge Ball.

In the era of the sprites, there was a Dodgeball game on every system. Only the NES Super Dodge Ball actually made America via the much-venerated Technos Japan, but others appeared on the Turbo-Grafx 16 and Neo Geo. The Super Nintendo saw a super-deformed Dodgeball game that almost made a release here -- pictures of the game were shown in very, very early SNES promo materials and a Nintendo Power poster. Then... nothing. The sport disappeared, awaiting a sprite-spinning system that could throw a Dodgeball with a fury.

Enter the Game Boy Advance, and re-enter the sport of Dodgeball. Atlus has created a multi-player hurler for Nintendo's next handheld, psyching up gamers for the prospect of once again trapping the short kid in a run-down of flying balls. Supposedly this game is still huge in Japanese elementary school PE departments -- Americans have turned wussy with the PC lawsuit-a-day new generation. It's time to bean the cry-babies.

Aspiring to the Dodgeball Pro level, you play as the team captain of the local school Ryutaru Sakura, with the babe here (Ayane Nogihara) as your team manager. They'll be going up against the best of the schoolyard from all over the nation (hopefully including some of the throwers that made the original Super Dodge Ball such a gut-butster).

It's Survival Dodgeball rules, just like in the NES and other console versions, so it's a little different than back in the playground. Dodge Ball Advance is still a last-man-standing game, but here, players have strength indicators that diminish with hits. Too many bonks in the head, and you're side-lined with the rest of the team fights on (of course, in the game players still control every team member when the ball's in their hand). Half of your team will take the punishment of throws, but the other half will be the bringers of pain on the other side -- they can catch a pass and thwomp a player from behind on the sidelines, so don't drop a ball. Also, you can cross the line and pummel the other suckers if you're in the middle of a jump, but remember to skee-daddle after going over -- if he catches your hurl, you're be finding yourself in an ugly part of town really quickly... Really ugly.

The game features nine teams to play as and against, plus four "Dream Teams" of ultimate challengers. Each team has its own strengths and special tricks to pull off. The standard throw, pass, and jump moves from the NES classic return here. Controls also add a feint move to the mix to fake out throwers. Multi-player bouts (two player link play) will allow weaker players to stay in the game longer with Handicap controls. The Game Boy Advance version also adds team formation features to run plays and strategies. Hey, it's almost getting to be like a real sport -- I hope they don't expect sportsmanship.

Atlus USA immediately announced the game as a launch title this June -- the Japanese game was also a Japanese launch title, as it was released in March. We've already put the game through its paces in a hands-on impression of the game released in Japan. Don't expect much of a change when the English language version hits shelves next month.

-IGN.com