Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball

"No longer must americans be deprived of such a risque genre."

To elaborate on the synopsis, this is not really a volleyball game. Actually, Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball (DOAX from herein) is a relationship sim. Popular amongst the Japanese but very taboo and scarce in the US. In order to play one of these games you would have to import or download a amateur title from the Internet. DOAX is the first title I have seen to hit western shores that fits this genre.

So it goes without saying that this title will not be for everyone. The enjoyment factor stems from collecting items and increasing your emotional connection with other characters through gifts. Specifically in DOAX the ultimate goal of the game is to get a character to wear the skimpiest swimsuit possible. The name of that swimsuit is the Venus which basically only covers the ''bare essentials''. Accomplishing this is no easy task and requires work in several categories.

Beach volleyball is what you will be spending the most time playing. Winning volleyball games is crucial to maintaining a strong relationship between you and your partner and thankfully it's quite fun to play. And simplistic to. It starts with a serve which requires a couple of taps of the A button. Press the B button to keep the ball in play and the A button to spike it. The difficulty of these games is determined by the mood of your opponents. Certain factors change their moods from unwilling to confident. What these factors are is a mystery to me and brings me to this game's first of two flaws. The mood system really isn't explained anywhere in the game or in the manual. I didn't even know that were moods in the game until I looked up some FAQs. This can turn off many gamers new to the genre. An in game tutorial would have really benefited in this department.

You also will be sending a lot of time gift giving. Giving gifts is key to obtaining volleyball partners and getting them to love you enough in order for them to wear skimpier swimsuits. Also it is required in order to obtain every characters special ''Love and Like'' items and swimsuits. Which brings me to the twist on gift giving. Characters may or may not keep your gift depending on their level of affection towards you and what type of item you give them. Each character has their own specific tastes. For example, Hitomi is real fond of cooking so she is eager to accept items such as recipes and cookware, but will immediately trash items like machine guns and feather fans. Also each characters swimsuits have themed names like LeiFang's are all named after birds. The object is to find each characters taste and exploit that to your advantage.

There is other stuff to do then coercing your partner into the Venus outfit. The poolside is perfect for testing out new swimsuits. While in ''Gravure'' mode you can zoom in on different sections of your character to find the perfect swimsuit. You can also play the hopping game. Basically your character jumps on floating blocks in the pool from one end of the pool to the other and gets ''Zacks'' for doing well. Also at the hotel you can browse your collection and gamble at the casino. Games consist of Roulette, Blackjack, Poker, and Slots.

I'm not going lie to you about 80% of my rationale behind buying this game was to oogle at exceptionally large breasts. And I'm also not lying when I say if that's what your into DOAX does a great job of delivering. It's eye candy at its finest. All character models are smooth and gorgeous. I just have one complaint: facial expressions are very unemotional. Its like there made of plastic. The only exception is Hitomi when she occasionally winks at you. I would have liked to see more smiles, kisses blown, lips licked, etc...

The soundtrack is great! I've heard many people knock it, but I disagree with them. The music they play sounds very ''beach like'' for lack of a better word. And there is lots of variety like reggae, pop, ska, and soft rock. You can also rip your own tracks into the game for a more personal listening experience or if you just don't like the music provided.

Although I am giving this game a 9/10 I cannot recommend that you rush to the store and pick up a copy. Rent this game first. I mean it when I say this genre has a limited fan base. Many people just do not have the patience for all the collecting and trial and error. But if your looking for a game with hours on end of replay value you should definitely rent.

Grade: A (9/10)
+Simple but fun gameplay
+Replay value is through the roof
+LeiFang's measurements are B35'' W23'' H33''
-In need of an in-game tutorial
-Lack of facial expressions on the women

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/25/03, Updated 02/25/03