Powerball
Powerball — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Powerball on?
- Powerball was released on Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.
- When did Powerball release?
- Powerball was first released on February 1, 1991.
About Powerball
In this game you take on the role of 1 out of 8 teams who represent various nations vying to become the Powerball champions. Powerball is a game consisting of a hybrid of sports such as American football, soccer and rugby. You play on an 100 yard field trying to score on the opposing team. Scoring consists of either running into your opponent's end zone holding the powerball for a touchdown or kicking the ball into your opponent's net to score a goal. Goals are worth 1 point, and touchdowns are worth 3 points. The game modes are 1 or 2 player exhibition play, and 1 or 2 player league play. League play allows you to use bonus points, and distribute them to your teammates to improve their statistics.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
- Developer
- Namco
- Publisher
- Namco
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action
Details via IGDB.
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1991 | $9 | $38 | $105 | 4 reviews | Low |
Also released on: Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese release (Wrestleball) | $9 | $24 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a month
- 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 $2.34 in Apr 2009, $10.52 five years ago, and $8.71 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $1.99 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $3.95 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $3.00 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $2.99 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $3.99 | $9.95 |
| Jan 2015 | $5.99 | $18.77 |
| Jan 2016 | $7.94 | $10.99 |
| Jan 2017 | $11.99 | $15.75 |
| Jan 2018 | $7.75 | $18.95 |
| Jan 2019 | $10.29 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2020 | $8.30 | $25 |
| Jan 2021 | $10.89 | $19.35 |
| Jan 2022 | $12.64 | $42 |
| Jan 2023 | $17.75 | $35 |
| Jan 2024 | $8.75 | $39 |
| Jan 2025 | $11.29 | $33 |
| Jan 2026 | $10.00 | $32 |
| Oct 2026 | $8.71 | $38 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | April 1991 | — | 722674020046 |
| Japan | 8 February 1991 | T-14043 | — |
- Region
- JP+NA
- Released
- 1991
- Authenticity
- Low
A top-down futuristic sports brawler that split the press, and a cheap cart to try.
Powerball is a top-down sports game from Namco that mixes martial arts, wrestling and football, with hand-to-hand combat and goal scoring. It came out in Japan as Wrestleball on 8 February 1991 and in North America in April 1991. You choose from twelve national teams, from Brazil's Amazons to the Soviet Union's Cossacks.
Video Games & Computer Entertainment called it a bizarre composite of football and the American Gladiators and a pretty fair game. Sega Force was harsher: reviewer Will found the gameplay slow and repetitive and the scrolling awful, and said it was hard to tell the players apart.
What the press said at the time
| IGN | 6/10 | |
| Zzap!64 | 94% | |
| Beep! Mega Drive | 8/10 | |
| Sega-16 | 6/10 |
Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Genesis version.
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits below the middle. The Japanese cart (Wrestleball) usually costs about the same loose and less complete. It has a different cartridge shape and fits a Western console only with an adapter or after removing two plastic tabs in its slot.
Powerball screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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