Dodgeball Academia

If you are learning a language (especially the devs native language: Portuguese- shoutout Pão de queijo, coxinha, guarana), there is a feature that allows you to switch between them as you play. This works just by pressing a button at any time during the game! Dodgeball Academia is really fun! The story is engaging, and the characters are a riot. The developer has said that he takes a lot of inspiration from the Pokémon games and it shows. I highly recommend it. If you like the art that you can see on this page, give it a shot!

¿Have you ever thought that there could be a game that, heavily inspired by shonen anime narrative, handles simple humor, looks with a super-hyper-mega cartoon style—too similar to a 2010s CN series—and above all, has gameplay that is fun and in some parts challenging? Well, this is Dodgeball Academia, and this definition fits it like a glove! Developed by the Brazilian studio Pocket Trap (who are responsible for giving the game that very characteristic aesthetic and cartoonish art direction), we follow the story of Otto, who, during his time at a dodgeball school, must make his presence known to win a tournament organized by the school itself. At the same time, he dreams of being the best player that ever existed; however, on his journey, he will run into different problems and high-risk situations that will put him to the test, but that, together with the friends he makes throughout the story, he will be able to confront no matter how strong his opponents are. Yes, it is a short story (just like the game) but that is compensated by the incredibly fun gameplay and the narrative—every character is memorable, screams personality with their presence, and plus, they add much more life to the plot!! Although a point to emphasize here is that the game is completely linear; after finishing it, there is almost no replay value, unless of course, you want to get all its achievements... A point that plays quite in favor of my favoritism is the gameplay: easy to understand, difficult to master. Even though the game seems simple to understand, there is science (sometimes literally *wink, wink*) behind how each character is handled and how we can beat certain rivals that we will frequently run into during the course of the game: • Every character is not played the same way; some can catch the ball, but others will kick it back/spike it, others can dodge by jumping, but some will dash in another direction to avoid it. Even if it doesn't seem like it, the synergy in your team is important! • In certain parts of the game we will run into the same rivals, each bringing different strategies with them, and each of those, although difficult to confront at first, will remain the same; what would mostly change are the teams our rivals form throughout the story, so... stay super alert to each of their moves! As you probably have already noticed, its art direction is what draws the most attention here; extremely exaggerated character designs—some being too funny (in a good way, by the way), others carry quite peculiar characteristics—but all share one thing in common: they explain each one's personality and role to us even without dialogue, and that is what gives the magic to the story itself; that each character brings both part of their story and their moments. Believe me when I tell you that this gives a special touch to the game's humor! (Oh yes, its OST is also too cool!!) Dodgeball Academia is a super incredible game that maintains a very well-defined balance between gameplay and story; easy to understand, entertaining story, satisfying gameplay, easy to complete (this message goes out to the achievement hunters) and above all, a well-defined identity which is probably what made many people get hooked on the game!! Definitely, this game IS quite an experience!

Decided to give this game a go because it reminds me of a game I played for the GBA back in the day, and its from the same guys that made Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, which I also really liked. It is a very silly game, but in a good way, took me 10h to 100% the game and it was a really good 10h, it does not overstay its welcome! It is also wholesome, which I did not expect, Kinda of reminded me of the Yakuza game, but instead of funny mafia and middle age man jokes, is about dodgeball and being yourself.

ESSE JOGO ME VICIOU DE UMA FORMA INCRIVEL, JOGUEM A CAMPANHA E SE DIVIRTAM!!!!! Platinei e fiz de tudo no jogo, maravilhoso! O que mais me surpreendeu foi o modo de batalha, não pensei que jogar com amigos seria tão legal, MAS É! Zerou? Chama seu amigo e ensina ele, vale muito a pena. (mas que recebi de graça pq foi minha gatinha q me deu)

OK, K.O. Presents: KO Plays Dodgeball, The Game. Current impressions are fine, minus some minor complaints. I'll write a longer review whenever I get around to playing more of it.

A charming, over-the-top sports RPG that absolutely nails the vibe Dodgeball Academia is one of those games that grabs you with its style and keeps you hooked with its heart. The world is bright, the characters are wonderfully expressive, and the whole thing feels like a Saturday-morning cartoon brought to life. Combat is fast, punchy, and surprisingly strategic, and every new ability or teammate adds a fresh twist that keeps battles exciting. What really sold me is the personality packed into every corner of the game. The writing is playful, the animations are full of energy, and the soundtrack ties it all together with a perfect “schoolyard adventure” feel. It’s the kind of game that just makes you smile while you play. If you’re into sports RPGs, quirky stories, or anything with a big dose of charm, this one’s an easy recommendation. A total delight from start to finish

I love Dodgeball ! I was in school the last time I played, but the idea of a video game adaptation only brought back good memories. In Dodgeball Academia, I thought I'd get to create a team, customize the style and stats of my players, all while managing campus life on the side (relationships, training, side activities, mini-games...). Well, not quite. Dodgeball is still awesome though, and so is the visual style of the game. Colorful, with funny-looking characters and a clear interface : the presentation is top notch. As one of the new students and through the course of 8 chapters (between 10 and 12 hours of gameplay), your goal is simple : Win the championship, as you engage in school activities and hone your newfound ability to... Throw a ball really hard. I guess "engage in school activities" is a bit of a stretch, as both the main and the few side quests that exist are all solved the exact same way : by battling everyone in dodgeball matches. You can roam around (roll around, actually) the campus all you want, but not only is it not very fun, it's also quite pointless as there's nothing to do expect a handful of additional battles per chapter, and a few pieces of equipment to find... That's why my initial enthusiasm quickly whittled down, as the game was already showing its limitations. One of the most exciting aspects of this kind of game is recruiting new characters, but it takes way too long in Dodgeball Academia. You'll spend the first few hours on your own, and once you do finally get new characters, they're kind of a let-down. Some of them kick back or dodge the ball instead of catching it, their super moves are different... But there's no real point in changing team members, since there's no synergy between them... They simply gain a few fixed stats points as they level up, and can carry up to two pieces of equipment that have very little effect. Meh. The game is also way too chatty. Whether it's the main characters or the lunch lady, they all go on and on forever, providing pointless chatter that slows down the pace of the whole game. It's not even particularly funny ! The story is fine, but the dialogues and the humor just didn't do it for me. Deeper, or at least evolving gameplay could have made up for this, but Dodgeball Academia feels a little light in this department too. After a few hours, it's clear that no matter the settings, there's just one thing to do : throw the ball, and catch it when it comes back. Sure, sometimes the ball is faster, lobbed, or has a weird trajectory, sometimes grass makes it harder to see, or maybe it's a 10 on 3 match... But at the end of the day, you're just catching and throwing a ball, using one or two buttons. This is not necessarily the game's fault, maybe this is the best that could be done with dodgeball, and it's just not enough to make an interesting game out of it. It's okay, but not very exciting. I'll give Dodgeball Academia a [b] 5[/b] for its great presentation and charm, and I'll go play dodgeball myself instead. Juuuuust gotta find people to play with...

Just a ton of fun. Has a very arcadey feeling: easy to learn and fun to master. Story is engaging, I really enjoy the animations and little touch-ups too. It's a game with a lot of heart. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

I had fun with this game. It features a sport not really explored in video games, it is fun and entertaining. Maybe a little too grindy, and the story kind of average, but with good characters, and good gameplay. As a final point, it has a lot of room for improvement if a sequel is released.

DAR BOLADA NOS OUTROS, GOSTOSO DEMAIS