Video Whizball

Video Whizball

Channel F - USA - 1st edition.

Developer Fairchild Camera and Instrument Publisher Fairchild Camera and Instrument, Adman Grandstand, SABA Published 1978-??-?? Platforms Channel F Genres Action, Shooter, Single-screen Multiplayer Simultaneous versus Distribution Commercial

Video Whizball is an action video game developed and published by Fairchild Camera and Instrument for the Channel F in 1978.

The game takes place on a rectangular field with goals on each far end. Players control a moving turret in front of each goal which they use to shoot at boulders in the playing field. Hitting a boulder causes it to gain momentum and move toward your opponent's goal, while they try to shoot them toward your goal. Your turret can be knocked out briefly either by being shot by an opponent or being crushed by a boulder. The game has a few minor variations like boulders of different values and homing missiles.

Personal

Own?	No.
Won?	Yes. Beat games 1-6, each with 4 boulders and max score of 11.
Finished	2024-10-22.

Wanting to learn more about the games released on the Channel F, I started playing various titles. This game was typically at the top of the list of best games for the system, and, when I finally started playing it, I understood why. It took me a few minutes to understand what was going on, but, once I did, I really started enjoying myself, and, since the game had a competent AI, I was eager to try and beat it.

Review

5	4	2	1	5

Best Version: Channel F

Good

• The game is well-designed. The concept of shooting small balls to knock larger balls into the other player's goal is very easy to understand, but, because you never have direct control of the larger balls, difficult to master.
• Adding more balls as time goes on is a great way to make the game more hectic and avoid stalemates.
• This game is a lot of fun, better than most other versus games of the time.
• The AI is surprisingly good, even to the point of taking advantage of homing missiles by curving them around boulders.

Bad

• The audio is effective, but a bit annoying. A victory jingle would have been nice.
• The physics of the boulders colliding isn't very realistic and often results in them gaining speed or ricocheting in the wrong direction.
• Even though the game is quite fun, there isn't all that much to it.

Ugly

• The game is very media challenged.

Media

Box Art

• 

  USA.

• 

  Germany.

Documentation

• 

  Manual - USA.

Screenshots

• 

  Setting up a new game.

• 

  Games 1 and 2 have regular boulders.

• 

  In games 3 and 4, the boulders have point values.

• 

  The boulders in games 5 and 6 increase in value the longer they're out.

• 

  A decisive victory.

Videos

Longplay - All modes.

Representation

Strong female character?	Fail	This game doesn't have characters.
Bechdel test?	Fail	This game doesn't have characters.
Strong person of color character?	Fail	This game doesn't have characters.
Queer character?	Fail	This game doesn't have characters.

Credits

Role	Staff
Entire Game	Brad Reid-Selth

Titles

Language	Native	Transliteration	Translation
English	Video Whizball
English (SABA)	Kickball

Links

     

• channelf.se/veswiki/index.php?title=Disassembly:Videocart_20 - Disassembly.