Rollerball is a
pinball simulator released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in
1988. It is not a video game adaptation of the 1975 film
Rollerball directed by Norman Jewison. Had it been, Rollerball
(1988) might have been better off—indeed, the game is a fairly
bland virtual rendition of pinball, divorced from the smells and
bells of the arcade that made pinball salvageable. Moreover,
Rollerball the film would have translated deliciously to the
video game format, as it depicts a futuristic sport for which the
rules are indeterminate, if even existent. Irregardless, Rollerball
manages to incorporate roller-skates, metal balls, and motorbikes,
all on an ovular track. While the rules are unclear, the bloodshed is
plainly obvious. Ultimately, the toll of the game is death to the
opposition. The movie inspired numerous game designers, and several
companies attempted to put forward similar futuristic imaginings of
sport; among these titles are Speedball, Powerball,
Rageball, and Deathrow. And while some of these games
are great, no single one succeeded in capturing the sheer brutality
and insanity of the movie that inspired them. It's still not too late
for a virtual adaptation of Rollerball the movie—even a
semi-competent rendering would far surpass a new and improved version
of Rollerball, the pinball game for NES.