Genre: Futuristic Sports
Developer: LucasFilm Games
Publisher: Atari

Right from the opening "LucasFilm" splash screen, it's almost impossible to believe that Ballblazer is running on an Atari 7800, with newcomers looking for hidden curtains that could conceal a Sega Genesis! Not only does the stage, the ball, and the hovercraft look brilliant aesthetically, but the smoothness of the scrolling truly beggars belief-- and if that weren't enough, the viewport visuals are anti-aliased.

As one of only two 7800 games that had the embedded "Pokey" sound chip, Ballblazer opens with a completely "bad ass" theme song-- a repeating riff, accompanied by a scale-dancing synth solo! The game sound effects are just as impressive; a fully-dynamic drum line changes with ball possession, and the analog "magnet" sound of the hovercraft jostling for the ball is downright scary and intense!

Ballblazer plays like a sort of one-on-one football, with goals on opposing ends of the green, checkerboard playing field. The hovercraft automatically turn at 90 degree increments so that they are always facing the ball-- and idea which was a stroke of brilliance in terms of keeping the game simple! The 7800's joystick works like a dream for this type of game, and there is plenty of tactical nuance on offer as well.

There isn't a whole lot to criticize in this package, and everything to praise; Ballblazer is fun to play, looks amazing, and sounds fantastic. It's one of those games that 7800 owners can hang over the heads of their Nintendo Entertainment System-owning friends. Technically, aesthetically, and mechanically, Ballblazer has everything that someone could look for in a video game!