Ballz 3D (1994). Play online

Summary

Ballz 3D rolls onto the SNES as a novelty fighting game that builds its whole roster from pure spheres, giving every move a quirky pseudo‑3D flair. The concept stemmed from lead programmer Keith Kirby, who pitched “balls only” as a way to save processing power while ensuring characters looked the same from any camera angle. The cast is anything but traditional – a fart‑emitting monkey, a trampoline‑hopping clown, a graceful ballerina, a hulking bodybuilder, even a sumo‑wrestling dinosaur – each rendered as a collection of balls that bounce, roll and spin across the arena.

Nintendo forced a rewrite of the tongue‑in‑cheek intro, swapping the suggestive line “you gotta have *Ballz*” for a milder “you gotta play *Ballz*,” while the Sega version kept the original. A director’s‑cut 3DO release added a zombie opponent, expanding the bizarre roster.

The game offers three difficulty levels across 21 matches, and it originally aimed to use the now‑canceled Edge 16 modem for online play. Critics applauded the visual novelty and humor, though they noted occasional slowdown on the SNES and a mixed soundtrack.

Storyline

Ballz 3D opens with the bold proclamation, “To be the champion, you gotta play Ballz!”—a tweak from the original arcade line. The story revolves around a chaotic tournament set up by the mischievous Jester, who summons fighters to duel for glory. Each victory against a rival grants the player a colored belt, marking progress through the ranks. As the belts accumulate, the competition intensifies, leading toward the Jester’s throne.
When the Jester is finally beaten the first time, he magically reassembles and returns for a rematch, keeping the stakes high. Defeating him a second time triggers his final concession: he grants the champion’s wish to step into the shoes of the very bosses they just toppled. This reward caps the narrative, turning the victor into the new master of the arena. The arc closes with the fighter crowned champion, having earned the right to “play Ballz” like the masters themselves.