How to play Basketbrawl online
- Move your player: arrow keys
- Jump (without the ball) or shoot (with the ball): Z (left button)
- Punch (without the ball): X (right button)
- Pass to your teammate in a 2-on-2 game: quickly tap X while you have the ball
- Back to the options screen: F2 (Select)
- Back to the character selection screen: F3 (Reset)
- Pause: F4
You can play one-on-one or two-on-two, alone against the computer, or with a friend as your teammate against the computer. Both the USA (NTSC) and Europe (PAL) releases are on the site; use the switch above the emulator to change between them.
Gameplay
The aim is simple: outscore the other side. What makes Basketbrawl different is that hitting people is part of the game. Every character has three ratings, Health, Speed and Power. Each punch you land costs your opponent health, and a player whose health runs out is knocked cold. There are no substitutes, so a knocked-out player stays out for the rest of that game. Meanwhile the referee, Scott “The Blade” Savage, walks the sideline and throws knives at the players.
Items appear on the court to boost your character: a glass of milk adds a point of Health (up to a limit of 9), a lightning bolt raises Speed and a fist raises Power. Each time you win, a new challenger steps up. Lose a game or get knocked out yourself, and it is over.
The six characters each have their own strengths. Jerome “Slash” Gordon is the best shooter, Bruce “Bruiser” Johnson the most powerful, and Vinnie Beatiacilli the fastest, though he shoots poorly. Eric “Buster” Williams is quick but not strong, Tommy “Biff” Torrance is slow but hits hard, and Simon Smartguy shoots well but moves slowly. Shooting skill is fixed; only Health, Speed and Power can be raised.
A basket counts two points on the scoreboard. Your running score works differently: a basket earns 50 points, a punch that lands 10, picking up milk, a bolt or a fist 20, and winning a game 250.
Tips
- Pick a character for your style. A good shooter like Slash wins with baskets; a bruiser wins by wearing the other side down.
- Grab the milk. Health decides how many punches you can take, and it is the only thing that keeps you in the game.
- Behind on points? Start punching. The manual itself suggests it. Knock out an opponent and the other side is a player short for the rest of the game.
- Keep an eye on the sideline. The referee’s knives can ruin a good attack.
The story behind Basketbrawl
Basketbrawl was one of the late games Atari released for the 7800. It was published in 1990, and a version for Atari’s Lynx handheld followed in 1992. AtariAge records “Hoop Wars” as an earlier working title. Opinions have always been split: one reviewer felt that the mix of weak basketball and weak fighting wasted a good idea, while 7800 fans often name it the best sports game on the console.
