Ballz 3D

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Ballz 3D

System(s): Sega Mega Drive

Publisher: Accolade

Developer: Accolade, PF Magic

Sound driver: GEMS

Genre: Action

Number of players: 1-2

Release	Date	Code
US	1994-10^[3]	T-119126
EU	1994-09^[1]	T-119126-50
PT	1994	MD119126
AU	199x
BR	1994	046650

VRC

ELSPA

OFLC

Tectoy

Ballz 3D, or just Ballz is a fighting game developed and published by Accolade for the Sega Mega Drive. The characters are made up of spheres of various sizes, which change to attempt to simulate 3D characters with smooth animations, similar to Vectorman.

Gameplay

is for punches, is for kicks and is for jumping, the height of the jump depends on the time the button is held down. Pushing or moves the character in the 3D space. All characters have a wide array of special moves, including the ability to morph into other characters.

After each few fights, unplaybale boss characters await, which are exceptionally tough to take down, e.g. an ostrich or a dinosaur.

While coming out after Street Fighter II, the game's simple controls and mechanics are more akin to early fighting games such as Power Athlete.

Due to many sprites being drawn at once, the game suffers from sprite flickering.

Versions

Ballz 3D was released simultaneously on the Mega Drive and Super NES, and while the two share similar gameplay, the visuals differ significantly.

In addition to making use of the wider colour palette, the Super NES version of Ballz 3D utilises the DSP-1B maths co-processor, allowing for more advanced "mode 7" scaling and rotation than many other SNES titles. This subsequently means the floor in the SNES version of Ballz 3D is textured, while backgrounds are able to make use of alpha transparency, neither of which are supported by standard Mega Drive hardware. The Mega Drive version instead uses an untextured surface for its floor, comprised of a single gradient of colour (though interestingly, the later 3DO "Directors Cut" version also opts for a similar style).

The Mega Drive version runs with a higher screen resolution and at a higher frame rate than its Super NES counterpart.

Magazine articles

Main article: Ballz 3D/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #62: "September 1994" (1994-xx-xx)

Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #21: "October/November 1994" (1994-xx-xx)
also published in:

GamePro (US) #64: "November 1994" (1994-xx-xx)^[4]

Print advert in EGM² (US) #5: "November 1994" (1994-1x-xx)
also published in:

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #65: "December 1994" (1994-xx-xx)^[5]

Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #22: "December/January 1994/1995" (1994-xx-xx)
also published in:

GamePro (US) #66: "January 1995" (199x-xx-xx)^[6]

Print advert in Hobby Consolas (ES) #37: "Octubre 1994" (1994-xx-xx)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average

Publication

Version

Score

1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)

60

^[8]

Consoles + (FR)

87

^[9]

Computer & Video Games (UK)

87

^[2]

Electronic Games (1992-1995) (US)

NTSC-U

58

^[10]

Electronic Gaming Monthly (US)

NTSC-U

62

^[11]

Game Players (US)

NTSC-U

73

^[12]

GamePro (US)

NTSC-U

90

^[13]

Gamer (GR)

83

^[14]

GamesMaster (UK)

PAL

79

^[15]

GamesMaster (UK)

PAL

80

^[16]

Games World: The Magazine (UK)

PAL

77

^[17]

LeveL (CZ)

60

^[18]

Mega (UK)

PAL

80

^[19]

Mega Force (FR)

PAL

84

^[20]

Mega Fun (DE)

PAL

63

^[21]

Mean Machines Sega (UK)

PAL

91

^[1]

Player One (FR)

74

^[22]

Play Time (DE)

75

^[23]

Power Up! (UK)

76

^[24]

Sega Magazine (UK)

PAL

71

^[25]

Sega Power (UK)

PAL

80

^[26]

Sega Pro (UK)

PAL

90

^[27]

Sonic the Comic (UK)

PAL

86

^[28]

Todo Sega (ES)

83

^[29]

Tricks 16 bit (RU)

90

^[30]

Video Games (DE)

PAL

81

^[31]

VideoGames (US)

80

^[7]

	78
Based on 27 reviews

Ballz 3D

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart

Technical information

ROM dump status

System

Hash

Size

Build Date

Source

Comments

✔

CRC32	b362b705
MD5	339a8c9a96fcdedb2922b04bcc34f0d2
SHA-1	4825cb9245a701cc59900c57a7a5fa70edc160f0

2MB

1994-07

Cartridge (US/EU)

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 File:MeanMachinesSega24UK.pdf, page 80 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega24UK.pdf_p80" defined multiple times with different content
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 File:CVG UK 155.pdf, page 91 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 155.pdf_p91" defined multiple times with different content
↑ File:EGM US 062.pdf, page 99
↑ GamePro, "November 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 190
↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 136
↑ GamePro, "January 1995" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 19
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 File:VideoGames US 72.pdf, page 62 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:VideoGames US 72.pdf_p62" defined multiple times with different content
↑ 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 24
↑ Consoles +, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 100
↑ Electronic Games (1992-1995), "September 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 72
↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly, "October 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 38
↑ Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 9 September 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 80
↑ GamePro, "September 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 58
↑ Gamer, "Dekémvrios 1994" (GR; 1994-xx-xx), page 1
↑ GamesMaster, "September 1994" (UK; 1994-08-25), page 46
↑ GamesMaster (UK) "Series 4, episode 1" (1994-09-20, 24:00) (+8:25)
↑ Games World: The Magazine, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-08-25), page 12
↑ LeveL, "Leden 1995" (CZ; 1995-01-24), page 41
↑ Mega, "September 1994" (UK; 1994-08-18), page 44
↑ Mega Force, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 110
↑ Mega Fun, "11/94" (DE; 1994-10-19), page 77
↑ Player One, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 100
↑ Play Time, "11/94" (DE; 1994-10-05), page 106
↑ Power Up!, "Saturday, October 01, 1994" (UK; 1994-10-01), page 1
↑ Sega Magazine, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-15), page 88
↑ Sega Power, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-01), page 54
↑ Sega Pro, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-08), page 50
↑ Sonic the Comic, "November 25th 1994" (UK; 1994-11-12), page 10
↑ Todo Sega, "Octubre 1994" (ES; 1994-xx-xx), page 60
↑ Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 18
↑ Video Games, "10/94" (DE; 1994-09-28), page 98

[:File:MeanMachinesSega24UK.pdf_p80-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 File:MeanMachinesSega24UK.pdf, page 80 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MeanMachinesSega24UK.pdf_p80" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:CVG_UK_155.pdf_p91-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 File:CVG UK 155.pdf, page 91 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:CVG UK 155.pdf_p91" defined multiple times with different content

[:File:EGM_US_062.pdf_p99-3] File:EGM US 062.pdf, page 99

[:File:GamePro_US_064.pdf_p190-4] GamePro, "November 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 190

[:File:EGM_US_065.pdf_p136-5] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "December 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 136

[:File:GamePro_US_066.pdf_p19-6] GamePro, "January 1995" (US; 199x-xx-xx), page 19

[:File:VideoGames_US_72.pdf_p62-7] 7.0 ^7.1 File:VideoGames US 72.pdf, page 62 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:VideoGames US 72.pdf_p62" defined multiple times with different content

[8] 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 24

[:File:ConsolesPlus_FR_035.pdf_p100-9] Consoles +, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 100

[:File:ElectronicGames2_US_24.pdf_p72-10] Electronic Games (1992-1995), "September 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 72

[:File:EGM_US_063.pdf_p38-11] Electronic Gaming Monthly, "October 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 38

[:File:GamePlayers_US_0709.pdf_p80-12] Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 9 September 1994" (US; 1994-0x-xx), page 80

[:File:GamePro_US_062.pdf_p58-13] GamePro, "September 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 58

[14] Gamer, "Dekémvrios 1994" (GR; 1994-xx-xx), page 1

[:File:GamesMaster_UK_021.pdf_p46-15] GamesMaster, "September 1994" (UK; 1994-08-25), page 46

[gamesmastertv4x01825-16] GamesMaster (UK) "Series 4, episode 1" (1994-09-20, 24:00) (+8:25)

[:File:Games_World_The_Magazine_UK_04.pdf_p12-17] Games World: The Magazine, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-08-25), page 12

[:File:Level_CZ_01.pdf_p41-18] LeveL, "Leden 1995" (CZ; 1995-01-24), page 41

[:File:Mega_UK_24.pdf_p44-19] Mega, "September 1994" (UK; 1994-08-18), page 44

[:File:MegaForce_FR_31.pdf_p110-20] Mega Force, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 110

[:File:MegaFun_DE_1994-11.pdf_p77-21] Mega Fun, "11/94" (DE; 1994-10-19), page 77

[:File:PlayerOne_FR_045.pdf_p100-22] Player One, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 100

[:File:PlayTime_DE_1994-11.pdf_p106-23] Play Time, "11/94" (DE; 1994-10-05), page 106

[24] Power Up!, "Saturday, October 01, 1994" (UK; 1994-10-01), page 1

[:File:SegaMagazine_UK_10.pdf_p88-25] Sega Magazine, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-15), page 88

[:File:SegaPower_UK_59.pdf_p54-26] Sega Power, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-01), page 54

[:File:SegaPro_UK_37.pdf_p50-27] Sega Pro, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-08), page 50

[28] Sonic the Comic, "November 25th 1994" (UK; 1994-11-12), page 10

[:File:TodoSega_ES_19.pdf_p60-29] Todo Sega, "Octubre 1994" (ES; 1994-xx-xx), page 60

[30] Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 18

[:File:VideoGames_DE_1994-10.pdf_p98-31] Video Games, "10/94" (DE; 1994-09-28), page 98

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Ballz 3D

From Sega Retro

Contents

Gameplay

Versions

Magazine articles

Promotional material

Physical scans

Technical information

ROM dump status

References