Beach Spikers Review

Developer	Sega-AM2
Publisher	Sega-AM2
Genre	Sports

Sega’s arcade games tend to be easy to pick up and play, but can take weeks to fully master. AM2’s Beach Spikers is no exception; it may seem shallow at first, but there is quite a bit of strategy to be found under the surface. Like Virtua Tennis before it, Beach Spikers is sure to become one of the year’s biggest sleeper hits.

The basic gameplay is straightforward. Two teams of bikini-clad girls whack some balls around. Awful sexual puns aside; Beach Spikers is essentially just volleyball. It follows the basic bump-set-spike formula, with little variation. There are a variety of different bumps, sets and spikes, as well as a few defensive maneuvers. Things are kept simple, but that is what makes it so addictive.

Despite the high number available moves, only two buttons are actually used during gameplay. The buttons are context sensitive; no matter the situation, one of the two buttons will get the job done. If receiving a serve, the A button will bump the ball. However, when blocking a spike, the A button will then cause the player to jump up and block. As a result, players can focus on having fun instead of on which buttons to hit.

The camera system in Beach Spikers is fairly unique. Instead of a stationary camera, this one swings around in order to give each player the best possible view. When on offensive, the camera swings around behind the player. This allows the player to get a good view of the defense, but also allows the defending team to get in position. When going up for a spike, the camera swoops in directly behind the spiker, giving both teams a great view of the action. It also eliminates the far-court handicap present in many other sports titles.

Despite the excellent gameplay, Beach Spikers begins to falter a bit in the single player mode. In what can be described as almost a volleyball RPG, the player creates a team and takes it to the top. The team creation is fairly limited; it only allows the player to customize the face, sunglasses, hats, hair, and uniform. Once the team is created, the player must assign ability points to the teammate. Points can be placed in several different stats, such as serving, blocking, power, hitting, etc. The first match or two will surely be lost, as the AI-controlled partner is dumb as a rock without a bit of experience. During each match, the player can converse with the AI teammate. By praising it, encouraging it, or reprimanding it, the teamwork percentage will increase. Obviously, if the players are working together and communicating properly, they’ll perform better. In the end, the World Tour mode boils down to a series of ranked matches. The AI partner makes things interesting, but the mode is decidedly limted.

Visually, Beach Spikers is a treat. The arenas look great, as do the crowds. The frame rate manages to stay smooth, only skipping every once in a while. Of course, the girls are nicely rendered. However, they are not the focus of Beach Spikers. This isn’t Dead or Alive, folks. There isn’t any jiggling whatsoever, and the bikinis are all very tasteful. There are no thongs or anything like that in this one. The girls do hug occasionally, though. I’m really not sure what that is all about.

Overall Value - Beach Spikers is an excellent game, but falls a little short of expectations due to the lackluster single player mode. Still, the gameplay is top-notch; 2 on 2 multiplayer matches are a blast. This is certainly the best sports game on the Cube, and will likely continue to be for some time. It is highly recommended, especially for multiplayer fun.

Review by Joe Mackie