An NBA Jam with robots doing dunks?
30 years ago, arcade games were arguably the most popular in the video game world. Titles like NBA Jam delighted players who were not looking for the simulation component found in the vast majority of titles of the time. 30 years later, RoboDunk also dares to differentiate itself by recovering a nostalgic type game, adding a modern touch.
RoboDunk is a mix of robot combat, the aforementioned NBA Jam basketball game, and roguelike. which, on paper, looks like something from an AI that creates random games. In practice, the mix of genres blends into a pretty fun party game that should interest anyone looking for sports-related two-on-two combat.
In practice, RoboDunk is a 2-on-2 dunk festival on a basketball court. You can choose between different robot-like players with different attributes, including the ability to select specific perks for each, like longer jumps or damage reduction. You can pass, jump, there is a knockdown dash, a weapon (like a gun or a bomb) exclusive to each player and an alley-oop. Level hazards such as lasers and explosives also contribute to the chaos.. It's an interesting mechanic, but in practice some tracks are too chaotic for my taste.
The gameplay itself is much slower than NBA Jam, to the point of being repetitive. Plus, as the title suggests: robots can only dive.. For this reason, the central space becomes a free combat zone that resembles a war of attrition. It's still fun that way, but it would have been nice to be able to dive a longer distance, if only as a one-time power-up. This means that, if you are on the opposing team's side of the field at the end of a match in which you are losing, there is not even a glimmer of hope of winning. Because of this The games are slow, defense-focused, and low-scoring, with few opportunities to score before being knocked down, which can be frustrating.
Most of the content is in campaign mode. There doesn't appear to be an overarching story, but loading screens often include text with details and attributes about the different robot teams and the dunk world. Roguelike items are earned with currency earned from winning matches, which can be assigned permanent attributes and unlock new robotic characters.. An interesting detail is that each robot has a biography. The summary text is correct, as it shows each as a figurine with the names of the people who helped develop the design. It's nice to see people being recognized for their contributions.
Conclusions
RoboDunk's games are simple and fun, but the chaos that forms on some tracks can be overwhelming.. Its slow pace of play may not appeal to everyone, but if you're patient, you'll have a fun time.
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RoboDunk
$14.99
Benefits
- Fun world building through descriptions
- Rare old school arcade
- Solid and fun gameplay
Disadvantages
- The games are too chaotic
- Very slow pace of play
- It would have been nice if robots could do something other than dunk
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