Blitzball (minigame)



Blitzball is a sport played in Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2. It is heavily based on the Captain Tsubasa video game series. It is an underwater game, played in a large sphere of water. In the interest of sportsman-like conduct, even races of Spira who might normally not get along with each other are allowed to compete. It is Spira's favorite sport, allowing fans to take their minds off the ever present threat of Sin, and the only mainstream form of entertainment. Two of the game's main characters, Tidus and Wakka, are skilled blitzball players.

Teams are made up of six players a side, of whom one is the goalkeeper. The players swim around, throwing a dimpled ball called the blitzball to each other in order to throw it into the opponent's goal area, thus scoring a goal. The team with the most goals after two five-minute halves is declared the winner. Also, if a team leads the game by seven goals at any point, they automatically win. As your players advance through the ranks they learn many new tricks to improve both their offensive and defensive skills.

How exactly the teams manage to hold their breath for such long periods of time is a source of either amusement or confusion among players. Though never stated in the game, it is probable that this ability is the result of serious training on the part of the players, much in the same way that marathon runners train their bodies to be able to run for long distances. In Another Story, a short film set two years after the conclusion of Final Fantasy X, Yuna notes that after much practice and training from Wakka, she is able to hold her breath for over two minutes.

Game mechanics
In FFX and FFX-2, blitzball runs on several stats and RPG-based game mechanics to decide the success of passes, shots and tackles. It is also RPG-like in that players gain experience from playing, levelling up their stats and becoming better players in the process.

HP
HP, or hit points, shows how much stamina the player has left. HP dwindles as the player swims with the ball, and can also be diminished and drained by various blitzball techniques.

SP
SP, or speed, varies how fast the player swims through the water. Speed is very important for escaping the tackles of opposing players and getting closer to the opponent's goal.

EN
EN, or endurance, calculates how much damage from tackles a player can take before fumbling the ball to their attacker. The higher a player's EN, the less likely they'll lose the ball.

AT
AT, or attack, is the player's strength in tackling the ball carrier. The higher the player's AT, the more likely they'll steal the ball from their opponent.

PA
PA, or passing, varies how well, far and accurately the player passes the blitzball. When making a pass, the player's PA is lowered by blocks and travelling through the water. If PA reaches 0 by the time it gets to the intended target, the ball is fumbled, leaving it open for retrieval by the opposing team.

BL
BL, or blocking, is based on the player's ability to block passes and shots. The higher a player's BL, the more of their opponent's PA will diminish on its way to the goal or passee; and, if the BL/PA ratio is lopsided enough, the ball will be intercepted.

SH
SH, or shooting, decides how well the player can shoot the ball at the opposing team's goal. Like PA, SH is lowered by the defenders' BL, and is also calculated against the goaltender's CA.

CA
CA, or catching, is the statistic used exclusively by goalkeepers, used to determine whether or not they will catch the ball as it's kicked toward the goal.