Cyberball

Cyberball
North American Genesis box art
DeveloperAtari Games
Publishers
Atari Games
DesignersJohn Salwitz
Dave Ralston
ProgrammersJohn Salwitz
Paul Kwinn
ArtistsDave Ralston
Mark West
Will Noble
Deborah Short
ComposersBrad Fuller
Hal Canon
Don Diekneite
Byron Sheppard
PlatformsArcade, Atari ST, Amiga, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Genesis/Mega Drive, Atari Lynx, NES
Release
September 1988
  • Arcade
    • NA: September 1988
    Home computers
    • EU: January 1990
    Genesis/Mega Drive
    • JP: July 28, 1990
    • NA: August 1990
    • EU: 1990
    Lynx
    • NA: May 1991
    NES
    • NA: January 1992
GenreSports
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Cyberball (サイバーボール, Saibābōru) is a 1988 sports video game developed and published by Atari Games for arcades. Set in the year 2022, the game is a 7-man variation of American football using robotic avatars of different speeds, sizes, and skill sets. Cyberball was ported to several home consoles and computers, including the Sega Genesis, Atari Lynx, and Nintendo Entertainment System.

The original Cyberball arcade game was released as a large cabinet with two monitors, each with two sets of controls for one or two players. Players on each side could play against computer opponents or head-to-head on opposing monitors for a maximum of four players. In 1989, Atari Games released a sequel to the original Cyberball in both the same large dual-monitor cabinet, titled Tournament Cyberball 2072, as well as a standalone two-player cabinet titled Cyberball 2072. The sequel included improved gameplay, which included refined player movements and more offensive plays and defensive formations, and changed its setting to 2072. Also shipped in 1989 were several conversion kits to modify existing cabinets to Tournament Cyberball 2072 or the two-player-only Cyberball 2072.