[[quoteright:238:[[Manga/SpaceAdventureCobra http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deathball_769.PNG]]]]
[[caption-width-right:238:'''It's Deathball!!''' [[WebVideo/{{Retsupurae}} ...Deathball, what are you doing here?!]]]]

A variation of SpikesOfDoom: Take a sphere and cover it with spikes and you got yourself a very typical obstacle. Common in video games but also occasionally present in other media. They come in many forms:

* They can be located on surfaces and fill the role of SpikesOfDoom.
* They can hang mid-air and even move independently. Sometimes they're even [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spinning]].
* In some cases, they are alive.
* In other cases, they're on chains, but not as a wieldable weapon since it's [[EpicFlail another trope]].
** When on chains, they will often swing back and forth or even in a 360 degree motion, [[PerpetualMotionMachine perpetually]].

In video games, those objects started making more widespread appearance from third generation consoles afterward and can sometimes be still present in seventh generation platform games.

Not to be confused with the SeaMine.
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!!Examples:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Films ]]

* Pinhead from ''{{Hellraiser}}'' uses flying spiked balls at one point (according to an ad for one of the films).
* ''WesternAnimation/TheThiefAndTheCobbler'' includes these in a chain reaction.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Toclafane become spiky balls when they have decided to kill you..

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Toys ]]

* Thornax fruits from ''{{Bionicle}}''. They can be used as projectile weapons, and are highly explosive. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking They also taste terrible]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video games ]]

* ''SonicTheHedgehog'' series uses spikeballs extensively. They are a rather common attack of many of the bosses in the series. Some of the spikeballs can be seen in environment spinning or mid-air. Also, some enemies, like Orbinaut, have spikeballs.
** ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' introduces Pink wisps that allows Sonic to turn into one of these that can climb walls and ceilings.
** On a more Meta level, Sonic himself is one of these most the time, being a hedgehog and all. He's covered in spikes, and all his attacks require him to roll into a ball, often causing the doom of Dr Eggman/Robotnik's machinery.
* Bubble Man's stage in ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' has a lot of them. In ''9'', one type of spikeball is even an enemy.
* The ''{{Kirby}}'' series has Gordo which is a living and [[InvincibleMinorMinion invincible]] version of a spikeball.
* The ''LocoRoco'' series has Togeh which is a black ball of spikes commonly found on surfaces. There is also an alive version of it.
* The ''SuperMarioBros'' series has a few of them. For an example, in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', there are spikeballs spinning around in a few stages. In ''NewSuperMarioBros'' and ''NewSuperMarioBrosWii'', there are spike balls that act like enemies and destroy anything they touch.
** There's also [[TheSpiny Spiny eggs]], which are thrown by [[MookMaker Lakitus]], and will either turn in Spinies (red), bounce on the ground (green), or explode (yellow); as well as light green enemies called Spikes, which puke up spiked balls and throw them at the player.
** In the spinoffs there are various types of these. ''YoshisIsland'' has blue spike balls called Thorns that kill Yoshi in one hit and can be destroyed by eggs, and ''WarioLand 4'' and ''Shake Dimension'' have spiky mines and mine like stationary enemies which look and act like this trope as well.
* Spiky balls (called pike balls) are one of the buyable items in ''{{Shantae}}''.
* Spiky balls are present in underwater sections of ''VideoGame/AdventureIsland IV''.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}'', these are located in many stages like 4 and 6, and mean instant death for the 'toads. Unlike other spikeballs, they are in a slightly irregular shape.
** The Stage 6 boss of ''Battletoads and VideoGame/DoubleDragon'' can turn into an invulnerable spikeball.
* Sometimes these cover floors and skies in ''CJ's Elephant Antics''
* ''VideoGame/{{Trine}}'' loves spiked balls. Rolling, hanging from chains, falling out of trap doors, floating like naval mines, I don't think there was a single level that didn't have one.
* Don Paulo uses some on his flying machine to [[spoiler:wreck the tower]] in ''ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage''.
** The sliding puzzle before confronting the future professor in ''ProfessorLaytonAndTheUnwoundFuture'' has one.
* The first boss of ''{{Vectorman}}'' has spikes attached to its wings. Level 3 also features spikeballs, although they may be {{sea mine}}s.
* These are one of the (many) weapons for tanks in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestHeroesRocketSlime''
* ''SeriousSam II'' has a spikeball vehicle you can ride in. One of the enemies is also a spikeball.
* ''BrutalLegend''
* In ''Gremlins 2'', there are two types of spiky balls. One goes round and the other one goes from wall to wall.
* ''Gokujyo VideoGame/{{Parodius}}'' has a giant powerup boss which shoots powerups and spiky balls out in higher difficulties.
* ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' has these as one of variant [[http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/Trap_component trap components]].
* ''{{Abuse}}'' combines this trope with AsteroidsMonster -- huge spiky balls are inclined to drop on the player without warning, and when destroyed they split into smaller spiky balls.
* The Grass/Steel Franchise/{{Pokemon}} [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/597-598_6982.png Ferroseed and its evolution Ferrothorn]] from ''[[VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite Black and White]]''. Both are spiky ''metal plants'', and Ferrothorn pretty much fits ''all'' the criteria at the top of the page (alive, hanging, spins, on [[strike: chains]]vines). Obviously, using a contact move on either of them will result in the attacker taking damage.
* A common trap in ''VideoGame/{{Jumper}}'' series.
* Occasionally, there are spikeballs found in ''LastAlert''.
* In ''VideoGame/JackieChansActionKungFu'', some green spiked balls can be seen moving back and forth.
* In ''Batman - Return of the Joker'', spiked balls hanging from the chains is one of the first hazards you encounter.
* ''VideoGame/{{Liero}}'' features spike balls as a weapon - a very tricky, but also potentially very destructive weapon. Players who use them are known as spikeballers (duh).
* Some songs on ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' MAX, MAX2, and EXTREME prominently features these in their background videos, especially up-tempo songs. SubvertedTrope in that you don't have to dodge them.
* ''VideoGame/KabukiQuantumFighter'' has those kinds of obstacles and these move around too.
* These appear as enemies in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'''s Water Temple.
* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' has these as a throwable weapon. Cool.
** As well as perpetually rotating ball-n-chain's spawning in dungeons.
* ''VideoGame/HammerinHarry'' has at-the-end-of-chain variations of these.
* The ''Blues Brothers'' NES game has stationary versions, mobile versions and larger spikeballs on chains.
* In ''VideoGame/KickleCubicle'', one enemy is an invincible spinning spike ball that likes to hug walls.
* The Drill Sye and Cera Terror dream eaters in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3D'' can transform into one and roll into their foes. They're also completely immune to most physical attacks in this state, even unblockable ones.
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' features a puzzle involving a bunch of giant [[IncendiaryExponent flaming]] spike balls rolling around.
* ''Bonze Adventure'' has blue spike balls that sway back and forth and are (of course) indestructible.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' -- the Castle inventory [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090720 includes]] "The HappyFunBall of death" -- large, self-propelled and on a [[BigLabyrinthineBuilding week-long]] [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20090724 patrol route through the Castle's corridors]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

* ''{{Neopets}}'' has a flash game called Darigan Dodgeball. Yes, [[EndlessGame dodgeball, but with spiked balls]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* [[WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes Wile E. Coyote]] sets up a cluster of spike balls tethered to a pole, set spinning like a top, in the road - they break loose and fly up a short distance and land right where he's hiding.
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