 Edge referred to Deathrow as a substance @-@ less and " contrived clone " of the 1990 Speedball 2 , which used a ball instead of a disc . David Hodgson of EGM similarly praised the 1990 title in comparison . William Racer of OXM did not mind the two games ' similarities and added that " you might as well copy from the best " . While Kasavin of GameSpot thought the theme was tired , The Atlanta Journal @-@ Constitution 's Oxford wrote that the game felt " fresh " . Reflecting on the release year , IGN director Peer Schneider said that games like Deathrow showed the games industry 's ability to make new , high @-@ caliber franchises . Two IGN staffers predicted the game to be a sleeper hit : one noted the sparse press compared to the game 's quality , and the other explained that Ubisoft was busy promoting bigger titles such as Tom Clancy 's Splinter Cell , Dragon 's Lair 3D , and Rayman . 
