Parents' Guide to

Pirates Vs. Ninjas Dodgeball

By Harold Goldberg, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Agressive, knockout dodgeball with zany characters falters.

Game Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii 2009
Pirates Vs. Ninjas Dodgeball Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this game.

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What’s It About?

Zombies have always been popular in horror-based games. Recently, you've seen them in more casual games like Plants vs. Zombies. Now, they appear in a dodgeball game called PIRATES VS. NINJAS DODGEBALL. It's a game which pits the yo-ho-ho-ers against zombies (as well as ninjas, mushroom men, and vampires) in a story, that's, well, confusing. Essentially, the ninjas, zombies, and mushroom men are threatening the pirates' existence. As to why they all end up playing dodgeball is never explained.

When playing dodgeball, the controls are fairly straightforward. You move in the direction of your opponent. Once a blue halo surrounds them, you flick your Wii remote to throw the ball at a zombie, ninja, or robot. You sometimes can approach your enemy and whack at them with your sword via a flick of the Wiimote as well. And you can catch a ball aimed at you or dive out of the way. If you dare, you can play via multiplayer, with up to four friends. There is no online capability, though. You can go at it in two ways: traditional dodgeball or 'dodgebrawl' which allows you to move anywhere on the court, as well as punch, slash, and use powerups.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1):

All of this sounds pretty cool -- in theory. In practice, the game will frustrate many because the controls and camera angles need work. The script tries to be funny, but isn't. It also has grammatical and punctuation errors and needs editing. While the game appears in 3D, you have no sense of depth due to the birdseye view you're given of the game.

Additionally, the controls need some serious work. Sometimes, you press 'A' to catch a ball and it doesn't work. The alacrity with which you throw a ball doesn't seem to matter, either. In the Wii version, if you flick the remote slowly or quickly, you get the same result as far as velocity goes. And sometimes, your console-controlled teammate will throw a ball at you! With six more months of effort this could have been a compelling game: it has the beginnings of fairly unique characterization, story, and game design. As it stands now, however, it's maddening, frustrating, and disappointing.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about which of the characters you like
    best. Which ones move more quickly and which is slowest? If you had the chance to
    play dodgeball with pirates, ninjas, mushroom men, vampires, or zombies, which
    would it be and why?

Game Details

  • Platforms: Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Southpeak Interactive
  • Release date: May 13, 2009
  • Genre: Sports
  • ESRB rating: E10+ for Animated Blood, Cartoon Violence, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Use of Tobacco
  • Last updated: November 5, 2015

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