Gaming Target - GameCube: Beach Spikers

Written by Adam Woolcott on April 02, 2003

First Impressions: Almost as good as being there.

You know, there just aren't enough niche sports titles out there. I kid you not. Amidst all of the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NCAA games that are out there, the less mainstream, and often times more enjoyable, sports get ignored. I have to give props to EA for releasing their Rugby title last year. The game was put together with all of the EA polish and really captured the feel of the game. Personally, I'd love to see a water polo title or maybe a soccer title that has an indoor play mode. It all comes down to variety, and I want more of it.

Thankfully, Sega is indulging my taste for the quirky with a fantastic looking volleyball title. Beach Spikers is all lined up to close this summer out with a bang by taking us out to the beach for some of the hottest action around. OK, I can't promise on the action yet, but those players are the next best thing to actually being on the beach. Take a look at those screens. Go on. Now tell me that you don't want to at least try this game. I'll give Sega this; They sure knew how to package this title.

The ladies and their little bikinis aren't the only parts of the game that look nice though. All of the background characters, landscapes, and volleyball arenas are all looking fantastic. However, I must admit that the early particle effects I saw when sand was kicked up could stand to be refined. I do have faith in that minor details like that will have been combed over before the game ships.

As far as gameplay goes, Sega has been a little bit tightlipped. Details are scarce, but you can expect that most of the game is going to involve character placement and timing of your button presses. The Gamecube's four controller ports, and the fact that four players are on the sand at once, just about guarantees simultaneous four player action, much like Power Spike Volleyball on the old 8-bit NES. Hopefully the finished Sega product will be full of enough gameplay modes and mini-games to have the same kind of lasting appeal as the NES classic did.