Based loosely on last year's Ben Stiller/Vince Vaughn summer comedy of the same name, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story forgoes the goofy physical humor of the film and cuts straight to dodging balls. It does take some liberties with the "sport," and the pacing of the game can at times outstrip the responsiveness of your 12-key number pad, but it's still fun in short bursts.
Played from an overhead perspective, DodgeBall puts you into a five-on-five match, giving you direct control over one of your players. You pick up loose balls by simply walking over them, and the 5 key is used to throw the ball, as well as catch any balls thrown at you. If you walk over another ball while you already have one in your possession, an active teammate will automatically run up to your side and throw the ball in unison with you, which is the most invaluable move in the game. Your teammates are pretty much just cannon fodder when they're not lined up for a team throw, and in general, the artificial intelligence in the game isn't particularly sharp.
Catching a thrown ball will let you bring back one of your players that has been knocked out already, and it also adds to your special throw meter, which, as it fills, grants you access to increasingly powerful, uncatchable throws. Though the maxed-out special throw will knock out a player as soon as he or she is hit, all other throws simply chip away at the player's life bar. Many of the teams you'll play as and against are pulled from the movie, though their abilities have been blown out to a cartoony extreme, and the brightly colored visuals match that feel. The sound is pretty minimal on the LG VX7000, but the simple blips and beeps work well enough.
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is mildly amusing for a while, but once you learn how to make good use of the team throw maneuver, the challenge and the appeal are diminished quickly. Still, this game is good for a few hours of entertainment, and it's certainly a departure from your run-of-the-mill mobile fare.
