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"Call it a fad, a sport or just
plain hormone therapy; the beach volleyball genre is the
buzz on the wires. It's good to see that GameCube is
getting an alternative type game, and since it's put out
by Sega there was no doubt in my mind that this was
destined to become a success."
Intro
Right. Tell me the top three beach volleyball pro's on
today’s circuit. Don't know? Well, can you tell me the
difference between beach volleyball and regular
volleyball? No? At least tell me how the scoring
works in the dang game... This is what I'm talking
about, no one knows or really cares about the
volleyball circuit; especially those who huddle around
game consoles. Every game released tries to market one
aspect of their title. And when it comes to Beach
Spikers the real hook is simply hot babes, jumping
around hitting balls. What testosterone driven male
wouldn't want to "educate" themselves?
Well, bouncing babes can only take a game so far, and
those (like myself of course) want to experience
the deeper gameplay aspects of any given title...
-cough-
Follow the bouncing...
One thing that has always been a huge thumbs-up for
Nintendo fans is that most games always come with a
superb tutorial. Spikers is no different, and the
tutorial really puts you through the ringer. By the time
you've completed the tutorial, head on over to the World
Circuit and taste the sand...
Gameplay mechanics are well done, and the overall
physics seem to be quite realistic. If you can keep your
eyes on the action and not the girls; the general
gameplay is addictively fun. Starting off in a single
player game (preferably the World Circuit), you
choose your team, country, etc. Your team consists of
three players, and you must rely on the computer
opponent to sometimes decide the fate of the match. The
computer A.I. is a mixed blessing. At first, the
computer AI is so bad that you think you will
never win. But, what makes the experience rewarding, is
how your teammates progress in skill as you move on. I
was surprised to see how my computer teammates grew
dramatically after about ten games. Your skill, at
first, will seem hands down better than your teammates;
yet soon thereafter as your experience grows, so does
theirs. As matches progress, you can earn statistics
that can then be implemented and distributed to your
teammates. Again, this keeps you interested in the
entire "team" aspects; while still focusing on your
personal skill.
 What makes Beach Spikers so playable is the
over-simplified gameplay. The game could really be
played by only using two buttons and your analog stick.
Serving is simply a matter of timing the power-timing
meter, and diving/bumping/spiking/setting is easily done
with a combination of the three. Picking it up is Mickey
Mouse simple, and the tutorial shows you the more
"advanced" moves. With smooth control aspects,
responsive controls and beautiful physics (wink-wink),
the games playability is off the hook. The bottom line
here is that the game is just plain fun.
While the single player mode is enjoyable (yet
somewhat shallow) the real meat-and-potatoes of the
game is the multiplayer aspects. At first I was a bit
hesitant, wondering how Sega would pull it off, but I
have to admit multiplayer truly takes the cake. With a
handful of unique and enjoyable options, multiplayer is
highly addictive and the game modes are classic Sega. We
had hours of ballin' fun with the "Beach Countdown"
game, which is like a high-powered game of hot potato.
-writers note: I've said the word potato twice now in
the same review -
So, multiplayer is sure to become an instant hit for the
party crowd. Add in a few pizzas, and a nice lasting
beer-buzz and the game will rank right up there with
Madden. You have to give it to Sega, though, for making
yet another unique game that is simple; yet
indescribably fun. But, as good as the game is; it does
have a few minor flaws. The most noticeable is the
enigmatic AI at times. While the computer learning curve
is nice, at times your teammate will dive for a ball
that is heading straight for them. At other times, they
will set up what seems to be a perfect set to have the
other teammate lightly tap it over instead of
going for the big spike. Lastly, the ball cursor (as
it's in the air) sometimes "magically" disappears,
leaving you guessing where to position yourself. Even
with the minor gripes, the gameplay and longevity easily
overshadows the negative.
I'm hooked and I can't stop staring...
From screen shots, I thought this was easily going to
become a perfect "10", and I wasn't too far off. Sega
has pulled out all the stops, and makes every detail
highlight like a pink marker. The character models, as
well as the physics are simply breathtaking. Player
animations, although somewhat repetitive, are fluid and
amazing to see in action. Sega has always been known for
their color patterns and contrast, and Beach Spikers
just oozes with crisp, sharp colors.
The biggest blow to hormone-hungry, boob watchers; is
that this is still a Nintendo game and if you are
looking for realistic bouncing bosoms you are going to
have to wait for DOA's offering on the XBOX. To
me, it didn't detract from the game at all, but the buzz
around the community is another story. So, for all of
you adolescent gamers just take a cold shower and if you
want soft porn the internet is filled with it. Or, if
you just have to watch unrealistic boobs that you
will never claim your own; The girls of DOA and their
beach volleyball is filled with voluptuous chestiness...
 Since the game is basically modeled after the girls,
most will be impressed with the ability to create their
own player. The options are nearly limitless, and can
sport up to 100 different features (again.. no boobs
ok?). Many of these features are locked, and can be
unlocked by completing different events throughout the
game. Overall, a real winner when it comes down to
visuals and even the crowd doesn't seem to be
cookie-cut. For you huge video-philes, Spikers also
comes with a sweet progressive scan option and still
trucks along at a smooth 60 FPS.
Most games that are hyped, and too good to be true have
an Achilles heal. And the biggest hit to the game has to
be its miserable audio. While most would claim that the
game reeks of 80's arcade action, the audio is just
barely tolerable. The sound effects are standard, but
the soundtrack is just not worth the disk space. Sure,
the voice-overs are nice, but they can't save the game
from certain audio peril...
66 Says:
Beach Spikers is a classic arcade game that works
perfectly for your home console. While the single player
aspects were shallow and unrewarding; the multiplayer is
a huge success. Plan on spending countless hours duking
it out. Probably the biggest asset to the game is the
simple gameplay, solid physics and overall enjoyment.
It's a straight up fun game that should at least be
worthy of a weekend rental. A full purchase is still in
order, especially if you have more than one person
playing the game.
Overall, an excellent release from Sega (yes, I'm
still a fanboy) and yet another reason to be
optimistic for the GameCube.
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