Cyberball
Cyberball — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Cyberball on?
- Cyberball was released on Arcade, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Atari ST/STE, DOS, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Nintendo Entertainment System.
- When did Cyberball release?
- Cyberball was first released on September 1, 1988.
About Cyberball
Cyberball is an Atari Games arcade game of 7-man American football, using robotic avatars of different speeds, sizes, and skill sets. The game replaced the standard downs system with an explosive ball that progresses from "cool" to "warm", "hot", and "critical" status as it is used. Players can only defuse the ball, resetting it from its current state back to "cool" by crossing the 50 yard line or by change of possession, whether through touchdown, interception or fumble. A robot holding a critical ball while being tackled is destroyed along with the ball. The robots also possess finite durability. As offensive units are tackled, they wear down, finally issuing smoke and then flames after a number of hits. A flaming robot will explode when hit, thereby fumbling the ball. Players can upgrade robots with faster and more durable units using money bonuses they earn during play.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Arcade, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Atari ST/STE, DOS, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Nintendo Entertainment System
- Developer
- Atari Games
- Publisher
- Jaleco
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1990 | $6 | $18 | $104 | 3 reviews | Low |
Also released on: Arcade · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Atari ST/STE · DOS · Amiga · Amstrad CPC · Nintendo Entertainment System. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $8 | $22 | $34 |
| Japanese release (CyberBall) | $7 | $19 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $0.73 in Oct 2007, $8.49 five years ago, and $6.07 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $2.00 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $1.88 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $0.88 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $1.30 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $2.95 | $5.97 |
| Jan 2015 | $3.88 | $7.89 |
| Jan 2016 | $2.49 | $8.86 |
| Jan 2017 | $4.02 | $7.65 |
| Jan 2018 | $4.96 | $9.49 |
| Jan 2019 | $4.95 | $9.72 |
| Jan 2020 | $5.28 | $11.99 |
| Jan 2021 | $6.33 | $11.47 |
| Jan 2022 | $9.72 | $18.66 |
| Jan 2023 | $8.06 | $16.40 |
| Jan 2024 | $4.47 | $14.04 |
| Jan 2025 | $6.85 | $13.57 |
| Jan 2026 | $7.50 | $17.60 |
| Oct 2026 | $6.07 | $18.34 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Barcode | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | August 1990 | 010086011098 | 171-5703 · MPR-13201-H |
| Europe / PAL | 1990 | — | 171-5703 · MPR-13201-H |
| Japan | 28 July 1990 | — | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1990
- Authenticity
- Low
A fast, odd robot-football conversion of the Atari Games arcade game, cheap among US carts and available in several regions.
This is the Genesis / Mega Drive version of Atari Games' arcade game Cyberball, a seven-man football variation played by robots in the year 2022. Sega made the Genesis cartridge. It came out in Japan on 28 July 1990, in North America in August 1990 and in Europe in 1990.
Mean Machines Sega called it a decent conversion with neat graphics, though overshadowed by John Madden's Football. Megatech also praised it as a decent conversion with good graphics.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | 80% |
| MegaTech Issue 17 | May 1993 | 69% |
| MegaTech Issue 18 | June 1993 | MT RATING: 69% |
“A decent conversion of the multi-player American football coin-op which features robots instead of humans, Cyberball sports neat graphics but has been overshadowed by John Madden's Football. It's I not bad, but check out Wladden's first. I”
“A Decent graphics and excellent speech effects. Quite good fun too. If you want American football the John Madden games have got more plays and more realistic action.”
“Decent graphics and excellent speech effects. Quite good fun too. … If you want American football the John Madden games have got more plays and more realistic action.”
“Why bother with Montana at the same price, and Madden for a few pounds more to go for? A perfect proof of the argument that arcade games and home-console games should be designed with two COMPLETELY different”
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits below the middle. The European cart usually costs more than the US one, and the Japanese loose cart usually costs a bit more, while a complete Japanese copy costs about the same. Japanese carts are a different shape from Western ones. Sega Retro lists the game as supporting the Mega Modem.
Cyberball screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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