When my brother told me to buy Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball so that we could play it together, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but now I know that he pointed me to a hidden gem. Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball is an indie dodgeball FPS game developed single-handedly by the impressive Erik Asmussen, who continues to update the game and fix bugs. Along with the wonderful, upbeat soundtrack and colorful and clean visuals in the game, there are eight more features of the game that this article will highlight. The game is available for purchase at $7.99 in the steam store, and hopefully you will see why you should add it to your steam library immediately.
1. Multiplayer.
The biggest reason why my brother wanted me to purchase this game, in the first place, was so that we would be able to use the multiplayer to play together from across the country, and there was definitely a reason why he picked this game. Anyone can create and host a multiplayer room and set it to their preferences. Anyone in the room can start a vote to propose a game mode or modifier that they think would be fun, and anyone else in the room can vote for whether or not they want that to be in the next round, too.
Whoever has the fastest internet is the one who is the host so that they game runs at the best possible quality, and because my college dorm happens to have fantastic connection, I frequently have that pleasure. Although there is typically a good mix of novice and elite players in the multiplayer team games, which the game itself tries to keep balanced, one of the most recent updates to the game made it so that you can create rooms that you can only enter if you are less than level twenty and rooms that you can only enter if you are over level twenty in order to even out the competition. Also, if you are interested in creating a multiplayer experience exclusive to your friends and not just anyone online, you could make the room private and then just tell your friends the specific name of your room to search, making LAN parties a breeze.
2. Various game modes.
With most sports games that I’ve played, it eventually gets repetitive because you are playing the same sport over and over, but this is certainly not true of Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball. There are many different game modes to choose from and if none of those satisfy you, there is even the option to go and create your own custom game mode that you can host for others in multiplayer to join. Within the pre-made game modes, there are some modes such as Elimination and Deathmatch that play more closely to normal dodgeball, while others stray dramatically from the beaten path. Grand Prix combines dodgeball and racing games and Hoops combines dodgeball and basketball for an exciting sports crossovers. My personal favorite mode is Superball, which is where you compete for possession of the golden ball, trying to be the team or player to reach the target time first, so when you have the ball, you have to run before you’re destroyed. All game modes are available to be played in both “team” and “free-for-all,” so whether you want to take on the challenge of the mode yourself or indulge in some co-op goodness, you most certainly can.
3. Map designs
One of the most important aspects of an arena-style FPS is that the maps have to be varied and interesting while still being easy to navigate and fun to play on. This can be a tricky balance, but Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball gets this down perfectly with a mix of small, relatively flat arenas perfect for all out chaos, large and tall arenas that are fantastic for trick shots and stealthy gameplay and all the arenas in between. Each arena is so unique that the maps are instantly recognizable and you will quickly find a favorite one, though they will all be in close competition. They all exude a funky, futuristic charm that you would assume a game with the name of Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball would have, while still remaining simplistic so that you never have to worry about a busy background taking away from gameplay.
4. Community
While the community for this game may be relatively small at the moment, it is growing and includes people from around the world, with some players from Norway, Canada, and Greece as well as from coast to coast of the United States. I’ve played alongside some of the best players and some of the newest, and most people are quite friendly and fun to play (Erik Asmussen is a major proponent of good sportsmanship) and chat with using the text feature for everyone in the multiplayer room. Throughout a match, expert players will teach novice players tricks and tips, answering all their questions about the game, and everyone can send each other kudos when someone eliminates them with a trick shot or an amazing catch. Also, every game ends with all the players telling each other “gg” or “good game,” and if the teams felt unbalanced in the last round, the more experienced players will try to switch teams in order to foster fair fights in each round. Sometimes the chat conversation will have very little to do with the game on hand, with recommendations for other games, discussions about favorite bands, and even more bizarre topics, like art history and mythological gods and goddesses. These chats are always enjoyable.
5. Customizations
In a game where every character starts with the same base model of a generic robot, you wouldn’t assume there to be much customization, but there are actually many ways to make your robot have your personal touch. Everything from the basic color of your robot to the expressions they make when you win or lose can be changed. You can also change facial features, decals, and the headwear of your robot, some of which you unlock as you level up and others that you can find randomly dropped as you play or can craft. If you didn’t get enough options with just the robots, you can even customize the dodge balls themselves with special tail effects and the way that they glow when you are “on fire.”
6. Crafting and trading
Although you might find a super cool pair of antlers randomly dropped as you were playing the game, you may really desire a classy top hat as the final accessory for your robot. There is no reason to fear, even if you are impatient, because you can combine the springs, screws, and other odds and ends that drop frequently as you play to create new customizations. This crafting process is also random though, but if your heart is still set on having that top hat, there is another option. If you go to the steam page, you can trade with fellow players, giving up those antlers you got by chance that someone else has been searching for in return for the top hat that you’ve been craving. If you are still unable to find anyone to trade for your top hat, or any other customization, there is always the option to simply purchase it from the steam store, but as long as you are patient, you will be able to get whatever customization you want for free.
7. Achievements
I’ll be the first to admit that I can tend to be a bit of an achievement hunter, and so when I saw that there were 66 achievements to unlock, I got quite excited at the prospect of the challenge. While some of the achievements are pretty basic, they get you as the player to explore all the different game modes. Most of the achievements add an extra level of difficulty to some of the simple game mode so that it never gets boring and encourages you to improve your skills and preform crazy trick shots. Even people who usually don’t care about achievements have given into the allure of these achievements, as they can be a great source of pride among fellow gamers. To give some more specific examples, while my brother continues to strive for “President of the Galaxy” which is unlocked by beating the single player arcade mode, I’m impressed that I unlocked “Super Saver” for knocking out the Superball carrier with less than three seconds left and then going on to win the match.
8. Introduction to the FPS genre of games
The “first person shooter” genre has been one of the most prominent in the video game community with the popularity of games such as Call of Duty and Halo. As someone who has limited experience in the FPS genre, Robot Roller-Derby Disco Dodgeball has been an excellent introduction to the genre that was easy to pick up and addictive to play. With tight, responsive and intuitive controls, I was able to play this game with the track pad of my laptop effortlessly, despite the recommended play method being a mouse or controller. Although, it is a great entry game for players new to the FPS genre, it is still just as fun for veterans, who will feel at home with the action-packed gameplay and give the high-level players some competition.
