Game Review: Jam City Rollergirls
I can’t remember the last time I was so excited for a game to come out. I had heard for a while that a roller derby video game was in the works, but hadn’t heard much more than just recently when I found out that Jam City Rollergirls was actually going to be released on January 24th. Naturally, I hijacked my dad’s Wii and downloaded it. (Side note: Dear Wii, please make it easier to buy points – it took me twenty minutes to enter my damn credit card information so I could get the measly 1000 points to download this game. Love, Me.)
Overall, I enjoyed the game. It was easy to play and only requires the regular control and nun chuck tether. (Another side note: stick to the inside of the track and you’ll get lead jammer status almost every time, it’s also the best place to pass your opponents and you’ll rack up tons of points.) I didn’t do much to change my character, though you do get options in the locker room to do so. As you progress through the game and finish your bouts, you earn money that you can spend on extras to really trick your character out. There are plenty of options to let you be the rollergirl you always wanted to be.
One part where I was very disappointed was that there weren’t very many teams to choose from. WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) has more than a hundred leagues, but only five were represented. I can understand that there are constraints in development to where it would be quite difficult to include all of the leagues. But no Rose City? No Angel City? Really? I chose to play as Gotham because let’s face it, those girls are badass. But, to their credit, Frozen Codebase did quite well with the teams that it did choose to include. Best example? The Texecutioners’ Derringer. I’ve seen her play in real life on many occasion and she’s one of the best blockers I’ve ever seen on the flat track. This is also quite true in the game. She is tough to get by on the track.
The game itself is almost as entertaining as the sport. Each team has its own track with a little bit of local flavor. Some tracks have ramps and little areas to skate over to gain speed boosts and it makes the game a little more interesting. I didn’t like that the skaters could throw stuff and there are no referees to cry foul. You do go through a period with two-minute jams and you do pick up points as if you would in a real game. A big however, though, once a lead jammer is declared, that person stays lead jammer…I hated that.
I think Jam City is a good place to start for a roller derby video game. I would like to see something that is more like an actual bout. I want to see the skaters get down and beat the crap out of each other like they do at real bouts. I want to see a skater get ejected from a game and throw that single fingered derby salute. Jam City was worth the money, but don’t run out and get a Wii just to play it.
See more about Jam City Rollergirls at www.JamCityRollergirls.com.
Michele is an indie author and publisher from Austin, Texas. She loves roller derby, tattoos and science fiction. She is the founder of Cowgirlie Publishing and is currently working on a three-book sci-fi series due out in 2011.
website: www.michelejhale.com
twitter: www.twitter.com/michelejhale