Ballblazer (1985) is a futuristic one-on-one sports game developed by Lucasfilm Games and published by Epyx. Set in the year 3037, the game imagines a high-speed competition played across the galaxy, with Earth’s contender vying for the title of Masterblazer. Each player pilots a hovercraft called a “rotofoil” on a 1,155-square playing field known as the Grid, with the goal of launching a floating ball (the Plasmorb) into the opponent’s moving goalposts (Goalbeams). Gameplay unfolds from a first-person perspective, and the controls are deceptively simple: players maneuver toward the Plasmorb, which is automatically pulled into the rotofoil’s forcefield when nearby. Once captured, the player can fire the ball toward the goal, attempt a daring Over The Horizon shot, or rush past the opponent to score directly. The game ends when the clock runs out, or a player reaches 10 points—though the scoring system cleverly allows opponents to steal points, adding a tug-of-war dynamic. Innovative for its time, Ballblazer featured split-screen visuals, tight 3D controls, and AI opponents across multiple difficulty levels. The result was a fast-paced, tactical experience that blended arcade action with sports strategy—memorable both for its polish and for pushing the limits of early home computer graphics.

Epyx released four titles under license from Lucasfilm, including Ballblazer, Koronis Rift, Rescue on Fractalus, and The Eidolon. All of the rights for the Lucasfilm titles are still held by Lucasfilm, which is now part of Disney.  They have licensed some titles out (like Monkey Island), but when we inquired, they weren’t yet ready to relicense any of the Epyx titles.