Beach Spikers: Virtua Beach Volleyball

"A Regretable Purchase - But Not Without Some Redeeming Qualities"

Volleyball is a surprisingly well represented genera in video game land. But most tend to be a little under produced, and rushed to store shelves. Beach Spikers is no different. I was under the impression that Beach Spikers was outstanding after reading reviews here and elsewhere. That's why I felt compelled to write this review.

Gameplay - 5/10
My biggest problem with Beach Spikers is its overly simple gameplay. I especially don't like having my volleyball girl jump automatically. Volleyball is simple enough as it is without having the computer do things for me. Only 2 buttons are used along with the analog stick. The 2 button scheme works well in games like Mario Tennis, but here is simply doesn't. The A button is overused. It bumps, sets, and spikes! The B button volleys it over the net only - a rare play in volleyball indeed. The spike power is controlled by a power meter. It's similar to the power meter you’d find in football or golf games, except that it’s on the fly. Blocking a spike is more difficult than reacting to one. It is always better to stand away from the net and react rather than try to block the spike. The result is a game where you'll never want to block. It's a significant part of volleyball that you'll wish was better represented. Of course this makes the game even simpler. On the positive side, multi player is still fun – especially with 3 friends over. It’s hard not to enjoy a game when real people control every person on the screen.

Graphics - 6/10
Screenshots flatter Beach Spikers graphics because the animation is its weak point. The movement is often unnatural and repetitive. Also sometimes two animations don’t flow naturally into one another. Clearly AM2 didn’t spend much time in the motion capture studio. Somehow the girl’s faces look lifeless. They don’t show expression, or emotion. The graphics certainly aren’t good enough to enjoy ogling the bikinied womenfolk.

Sound - 4/10
Repetitive… that’s the best word to describe the sound here. While not overly offensive, it would be better suited to the arcade. The announcer says “fantastic” and “great” over and over during gameplay. Insightful, it is not. The music is typical arcade fare. There are only a couple tracks, but they aren’t so bad.

Replay Value - 7/10
While it could use some more extensive single player modes, the multi player is excellent for replay value. There’s arcade mode and world tour for single player. In world tour you’ll earn points to upgrade your computer controlled partner. They start out completely useless but gain levels with experience (not wins). Having 3 friends around is where Beach Spikers becomes fun.

Overall - 5/10
Beach Spikers is an average game that I wouldn’t recommend to friends. Its simplistic controls, average graphics, and poor sound are not at all what I expected. It’s more suited to the arcade, or people that are less critical of video games in general.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 09/13/03