Play Basketbrawl Online

Summary

Basketbrawl blends street‑ball chaos with a brawler’s punch, letting you slam dunk and swing a pipe in the same six‑minute match. The court is a graffiti‑splashed city arena, and power‑ups—milk, lightning bolts, fists, hearts, sneakers—stick around for the whole game, boosting health, speed or shooting power. Weapons litter the floor, even the basketball itself can be tossed at opponents, and once a player’s health is gone they become a permanent obstacle. Up to two players can team up, each controlling a single character with just the A and B buttons, turning every match into a free‑for‑all where the only strategy is to outscore the rival gang. Critics were split: some slammed the awkward mix of weak sports and combat, while others praised its quirky fun and called it the best sports title on the Atari 7800. The game sits alongside Ninja Golf as one of Atari’s final eleven releases for the console.

Storyline

Vinne and Slash are shown bleeding from knife wounds while the referee lies unconscious, a chaotic opening that earned the Atari 7800 title Basketbrawl its street‑fight nickname. The game pits up to two players against rival gangs in a gritty tournament where the goal is simply to become the baddest crew in town. You must defeat each of the five city gangs by playing three matches per gang, and every step up introduces larger teams armed with increasingly dangerous weapons.

Each match runs for six minutes, and points are earned by sinking baskets—each worth two points. If the clock expires with the score tied, the first team to score a basket claims victory. The relentless pace and violent backdrop turn what looks like a basketball game into a full‑blown brawl.