Summer Heat Beach Volleyball

"Best Volleyball Game I've Ever Played"

There's something funny about this game to me. When it was made, it was obviously meant to be the PS2's answer to games such as Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. You know, lots of buxom girls in bikinis bouncing and jiggling all over the beach. This game fails miserably in that department. So why have I still rated it 8 out of 10? Because while it fails to be a "sexy" game, it succeeds beautifully when it comes to the most important parts: Actual volleyball gameplay, and fun factor.

Graphics
This game's graphics are sort of a mixed bag. On the one hand, many things seem rather rushed and generic. But on the other hand, this game really has some exceptionally beautiful graphical touches that surprised me quite a bit. The best of this game's graphics capabilities definitely went into two aspects: the beaches and the girls. One of the beaches in particular has one of the best sunsets I've ever seen in a video game. The sand actually looks and behaves like real sand. And, of course, the girls, while nowhere near the caliber of Rumble Roses, are still quite pretty. Even better, their animations while playing volleyball are surprisingly smooth and fluid. Like I said, this isn't a "sexy" game. These girls actually look more like they're having fun playing the sport, as opposed to just being eye candy. In fact, "fun" is the word that perfectly sums up the feeling that this game's visuals give.

Sound & Music
There really isn't much in the way of sound effects in this game, but what's there is pretty good. Waves, the sound of hitting the volleyball, characters' feet shuffling in the sand, the cheers of the crowd. The voice-acting for the players is pretty good, and I like how they managed to convey distinct personalities through this feature. Nicole sounds like an intense competitor, Tia's gentle and easygoing, Hayley's just out there to have some fun, and so on. They can be cheesy at times, but for the most part they're cute and entertaining. The only voice in this game I truly hate is that ridiculous announcer.

As far as music goes, most of this game's soundtrack is actually pretty good and very fitting. Unfortunately, though, there seems to be a glitch in the game's playlist which causes it to get "stuck" on certain songs, especially "Love At First Sight" by Kylie Minogue. I like this song, but I can understand how it can get too repetitive.

Gameplay
This is where Summer Heat shines. Everything else about this game is a mixed bag, ranging from mediocre to excellent. But its gameplay is unmatched by any other volleyball title I've ever seen. It has a system that is so simple that any casual player could easily pick it up and learn it. But it's also deep enough that even after several years of owning the game, I'm still learning new tricks. It has a smooth, intuitive quality that easily surpasses DOA and Beach Spikers.

The AI of your CPU-controlled partner is also surprisingly good. In most games, they're a liability, but in this game, they are quite competent players, and their teamwork with you is instinctive and nearly flawless. In fact, at times, they will pull off some real lifesaving moves! Of course, your AI is not so overpowered that she can simply carry the match for you. But on the other hand, you don't have to worry about her making stupid mistakes that will cost you the game. The balance seems just about perfect, and in many cases it seems that your partner will match your own skill level.

Speaking of AI, though, there is a problem with the difficulty levels in this game. Easy, Medium, and Hard are all fine. But the Expert mode goes beyond challenge and just becomes flat-out bad programming. This mode creates handicaps that make it virtually impossible to win legitimately, even to the point where CPU opponents will blatantly cheat (I've seen them actually spike the ball right off the referee's FACE and not get called out of bounds) and even exploit glitches in order to beat you. When you can beat Easy mode, Medium mode, and even squash the computer 15-0 in Hard mode, then in Expert you can barely score a single point, there is definitely something wrong with the scaling of the difficulty levels.

The insane cheapness of Expert mode is really the only gameplay flaw I've seen here, though. The minigames are nothing spectacular, but Beach Bowl and Nerd Smash can be pretty fun. The other game is just... weird. And slightly disturbing.

Replay Value
There's plenty of it. That's what makes this game great. It's certainly not "epic," like an RPG or anything. But the bottom line is that it's a game you can easily pick up and play again and again, and still have fun with it each time. That, to me, is what replay value really means.

Buy or Rent?
Buy it. I rented this game first, and I wound up regretting that I didn't just buy it outright. And by now, I'm sure it's incredibly cheap.

Conclusion
Summer Heat Beach Volleyball is not the game for you if you're looking for titillation, but if you're looking for a truly fun volleyball game, I would highly recommend it. This game was overshadowed by the popularity of DOAX and Beach Spikers, but it's easily superior to both of those games in my opinion.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/15/07