My plastic surgeon doesn’t want me doing any activity where balls fly at my nose
After more than a decade of ignoring fighting games (Super Smash Bros.notwithstanding),Divekick!did a lot to reignite my interest in the genre. By kicking out conventions and reimagining what a fighting game can be, it became a weird distillation of fighting games while existing as its own completely unique thing. After watching the trailer above,Lethal Leaguelooks like it might have that same power.
Fighters inLethal Leaguehave a baseball bat or some other blunt object, but the twist is that they do not use the items to attack opponents directly. Instead, players may only take damage from a neutral ball that is hit by an opponent, and it can really go flying at times. If timed correctly, a fighter can counter with his own hit; if the swing connects, the ball ricochets back at the original attacker. It almost looks like a cross betweenArkanoidand dodgeball.
It reminds me of some of the coolest moments inSmash Bros., like when Samus has a shot charged up, she unleashes it, but Mario flips it right back at her with a well-timed cape swish.Lethal Leaguelooks like any entire game built around that interaction. Radical?
Lethal Leagueis set to release for PC this fall. A Flash prototype can be playedhere.
