The year is 2022. Professional football has evolved to the point where human players are no longer cost-effective, so the league decides to use robots. That's not the only change made to the sport, however. To make things more exciting, the ball was replaced with a 350-pound bomb, an invisible force field was activated to protect the crowd from flying parts, and penalties were completely abolished!

Based on the Atari arcade game of the same name, Cyberball for the Genesis lets you choose between 28 futuristic teams (divided into two conferences) as you embark on a 16-game season. Your seven-robot offense consists of a quarterback, tight end, wide receiver and three offensive linemen. Select one of 103 plays on offense and try to move the ball down the vertical field before the ball explodes.

That's right -- the ball is ticking every time your offense handles it; if you don't cross the 50-yard line or score a touchdown within four downs, the ball will explode causing any robot touching it to blow apart! The other team then takes control and play resumes until the game ends (a game consists of six periods spanning three minutes each). Defense involves choosing between twelve formations and trying to stop the offense with two defensive linemen, two cornerbacks, two safeties and one linebacker.

Each touchdown, ball defuse, interception or fumble recovery will earn you money to purchase more expensive robots. These may come in handy if your players are receiving too much contact: robots will start smoking and move one step closer to exploding! Cyberball offers password support to resume your season, four difficulty levels, and a Versus mode for head-to-head play against a friend. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide