Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe

Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe is a 1990 video game based on a violent futuristic sport that draws on elements of handball and ice hockey, and rewards violent play as well as goals. The concept of the game is reminiscent of the 1975 film Rollerball. The original game was developed by Bitmap Brothers, with various remakes for many platforms since being published. It is a sequel to the 1988 game Speedball.

The game was released for multiple platforms: the Acorn Archimedes, Atari Jaguar, Atari ST, Amiga, Amiga CD32, IBM PC compatibles, Commodore 64, Mega Drive, Master System, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. The first version was simultaneously developed and released for the Amiga and the Atari ST in 1990.

Plot
According to the game's story, the first Speedball league (founded in 2095) fails due to violence and corruption. As the organisation gives rise to anarchy, the game is forced underground, but five years later, in an attempt to regain public interest, Speedball 2 is born. The game starts in 2105 with the emergence of a new team, Brutal Deluxe.

Gameplay
Speedball 2 makes several changes over the original Speedball. Each team has nine players on court rather than five, and targets on the floor and walls can be hit for bonus points. The number of points that a team receives for scoring a goal is normally 10, but can be increased to 15 or 20 via the use of score multiplier ramps located on the walls of the pitch. The same number of points for scoring a goal is given for injuring a player from the opposing team. When a player is injured, he is replaced by one of the three substitutes. If all three substitutes are injured, the injured player will be forced to return to the game and play on in spite of his injuries. There are five game modes: knockout, cup, league, practice and multiplayer. Each game lasts for 180 seconds, divided into two halves.

Reception
Speedball 2 is one of Bitmap Brothers' most successful titles. Zzap, CU Amiga and Computer and Video Games scored the game highly. The music, written by Simon Rogers and remixed and coded by Richard Joseph, won the 1991 Golden Joystick Award for Best Soundtrack. The voices, including the 'Ice Cream' salesman, were voiced by sometime Richard Joseph collaborator Michael Burdett working under the pseudonym Jams O'Donnell. The game was voted the 3rd best game of all time in Amiga Power.

In 1994, PC Gamer US named Speedball 2 the 24th best computer game ever. That same year, PC Gamer UK named it the 30th best computer game of all time, calling it "totally convincing and very stylish".

In 1998, PC Gamer declared it the 40th-best computer game ever released, and the editors called it "still one of the funnest sports games out there".

Speedball 2 has sold over two million copies.

Remakes
Various remakes of Speedball 2 have been released.

Speedball 2100
Speedball 2100, released only for the PlayStation, is a 3D version of Speedball 2 with more options such as choosing and renaming any team, instead of having to play with Brutal Deluxe. This version, released in September 2000, failed to win over gamers and press because it lacked the speed and gameplay of the originals. Speedball 2100 was released on Evercade as part of the Bitmap Brothers Collection 1 in 2021.

Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe (2007)
Empire Interactive released Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe onto Xbox Live Arcade in October 2007. The game features a 3D graphics mode in addition to the "classic" visuals, as well as additional teams and online play. According to statements by the Bitmap Brothers, this version of the game takes place in the 24th century. It was eventually delisted from Xbox Live Arcade, but people who have already downloaded it are still able to play it.

Speedball 2 Tournament
Frogster Interactive Pictures released a remake developed by Kylotonn, Speedball 2 Tournament onto Steam in November 2007.

Speedball 2: Evolution
In February 2011, Tower Studios released another updated version called Speedball 2: Evolution, developed by Vivid Games for iOS and MacOS. The game features multiplayer support and achievements via Game Center. It was also released for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3.

Speedball 2 HD
A remake for the PC titled Speedball 2 HD was released in December 2013 on Steam. It was developed by Vivid Games and directed by Jon Hare.