והתרשמויות GAMEPLAY! אכן GAMEPLAY!World's First Play Impressions of Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball!
Posted on Wednesday, November 13, 2002 by Justin
I just spent the last three hours at Tecmo playing the near-final version of Dead or Alive: Extreme Beach Volleyball.
Dead or Alive, the fighting game is dead. Long live the king -- DOA Extreme Beach Volleyball. This game is grade 1, digital narcotic bliss. It's an absolute joyous blast of a game. Surprised? I was.
Let me start by saying that I find the DOA fighting games pretty average. Hit, counter, hit, counter, jiggle, counter, panty flash, hit... zzz.
But DOAX is nothing less than a surgical reinvention of the series. It's the yin to the fighting game's yang. From the moment the title screen boots up, with a rotating lush tropical island and the bouncy strains of 'How Crazy Are You?' -- you're entering a place of utopian happiness. Relax, the game says. Slow down. There's no hardship in this place.
Let's deal with the hoohaa surround the game's theme first. Yes, this is largely about the girls. There are lots of gratuitous, camera-controllable shots of bikini clad manga babes stretching suggestively in various environments. You'll find that here. Moving on.
The central point here is that there's no way to 'win' in DOAX. You have two weeks on this island to develop friendships, win over enemies, buy stuff, swim a bit, get a tan, and play some volleyball. Probably, no two games should be played the same.
Let's rewind a bit. At the title screen, you're given the option to choose certain options (English/JP will be in all versions). The game is widescreen. You can add custom soundtracks. You can choose your age... though the effect of this hasn't been revealed.
You start off by choosing a girl. I chose Hitomi. The game then pans straight to Hitomi lying by the pool, doing stretches on a sun bed -- poses suggestive enough to almost make me cough and stare at the ceiling. You can watch this endlessly with your choice of soundtrack. (The potential is there to get very creative in this respect).
Interestingly enough, the structure of the game is turn based. You have three 'plays' per day, and two weeks in total to play your course through the holiday island. One play might be a game of volleyball. Another play might be buying items at the two stores (Sportswear/bikinis, and Accessories) and presenting them as gifts to other girls on the island. Another might be playing the pool hopping mini-game (an analogue showcase that's a total blast!). This adds a certain amount of strategy as you have a limited plays/days to gain the maximum number of costumes, or friends/play partners, or money... or whatever your chosen goal (the game doesn't set one).
I first chose to go to the shop, and picked out a lime green bikini for Hitomi, along with a red one -- I had it wrapped, a present for Kasumi. You see, if you gain the friendship of other girls on the island, they're more likely to be your volleyball partner. Certain girls don't like each other, so more presents are necessary. Of course, the touchiest girls also tend to be the best volleyball players, so investing in befriending them can yield monetary results later, because they help you win more games, and thus buy more stuff. Which a) helps you give better gifts, and b) looks great.
During your 'night' time play, you can also choose to chance the casino with a number of different games. Blackjack, roulette, the usual suspects. The other girls will giggle and drink and play with you, and their gambling style (risk taker/timid etc) will vary according to their island personality. Lastly, you can retire to your hotel room, from which a complimentary TV allows you to watch unlocked trailers and game CG... amongst other things.
The heart of the game is, nonetheless, the volleyball. I'm pleased to say that this, frankly, plays like digital crack. One button 'sets up' a play, in other words, dives and/or pushes up the ball high for your partner to smash (second attack button). Control is analogue, and the nuances are excellently realized -- little button feathers will fake smash and tip the ball slightly over, and a well timed button snap at precisely the right height has you smashing the ball into an opposing girl's face, sending her literally flying back onto her ass. Very satisfying.
Best of all, there's a 'rhythm and flow' to the volleyball that just feels very satisfying, and stylish. Couple this with the emotional element of choosing/buying different play partners, and you have an oddly compelling, strategic game of volleyball.
You even have to pay attention to the feelings of your partner and opposing players, as how well you play affects their mood after the game and propensity to split from your partnership. The little conversations that appear between the girls, as you try to temp them into a partnership, are mini-masterpieces of cheesy, double-entendre laden dialogue.
Special mention should really go to the soundtrack, which is pure bouncy pop-schlock and perfectly sets the tone. Tecmo has licensed a huge selection of tunes, from such masters of cheesy pop including B*witched (think 'ooh Jesse'), Baha Men, even the Spice Girls. A few beach classics are in there too from Bob Marley and The Beach Boys. You might cringe to read it, but you have no idea how well it works in the general camp environment of the game. Of course, you can also substitute the soundtrack for some progressive trance if you prefer to take off the camp, and add a ting of seedy German porness to the proceedings. Or a classical syphony for an ironic touch.
In short, DOAX is a compelling experience. Worryingly compelling infact -- and this coming from a DOAX skeptic. Who else but Itagaki could have turned the Xbox's top fighting game, into a strategic turn based RPG-friendship-hentai-gambling sports sim?.
Top stuff.
-Justin
justin@tokyopia.com
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