Beach Spikers is an enjoyable video game available for the Nintendo Gamecube. Made by AM2, it features beautiful gameplay, graphics, and ladies. This is the single best beach volleyball game made for the Gamecube.
This game has some of the best gameplay I have ever seen. The control scheme is incredibly simple, consisting of three buttons and a control stick. The important thing is that it works incredibly well, leading to great playability.
The most surprising thing about this game is that it is done surprisingly tastefully. The bikinis are still present, but the game still stops itself from becoming outright lewd. The only part about this game that sticks out in my mind as being a little rude would be all the post-match hugging. It's quite refreshing to see.
This game features a really well put-together World Tour, Arcade, and Vs. mode. The Arcade mode is neat, the Vs. Mode is great, but the center of this game is the World Tour. You get to create a team (You and a computer-controlled partner). Pick a country, pick a name, and then customise your characters to excruciating detail. There are literally thousands of choices that you could possibly make regarding the look of your character. All you can change are the faces, the hairstyles, and the outfits. You can't change the body itself, but why would you need to?. Not to mention the sheer number of unlockables here. One other drawback to this game is that you cannot edit existing teams. This, although a annoyance, I find as a boon because you have to replay over and over, adding to the overall experience of the game. Once you max out your current character, it really isn't all that fun anymore.
In overall, I would highly recommend this game to anyone. Addictive, fun, and yet still manages to walk that fine line between beautiful and outright sexual.
0.00089 stars out of 0.001 stars.
Tips and tricks:
When starting off a World Tour, check the Tutorial first. Also, you should lose constantly until about halfway through with the tour.
When it comes to points to give your character, keep it well balanced. However, I'd reccomend you give a extra point to Response, Toss, and Receive.
Evaluating your partner is a bit tricky. If your partner is kicking the proverbial ass, then Praise. If your partner is doing well, then in all other situations you shouldn't do anything. If your partner is doing a bit worse than you, then you should Encourage. However, if your partner is biting the big one and you are losing very badly, Reprimand.
Enter these as the name in World Tour to unlock outfit choices. Please note these are not all of the hidden costumes, you must play to get them all. My personal favorite play-to-use outfit piece are the sunglasses number 93.
- JUSTICE
- Gets you sassy cop uniforms (105 & 106) and also snags you some nice eye protectors (Glasses 94). Based on Virtua Cop.
- DAYTONA
- Hornets costumes (107 & 108), modeled after what appears to be modeled after real life.
- FVIPERS
- Fighting Viper costumes, really nice looking (109 & 110). Also comes with a nice brown-eyed red-lipped face (51), and a tiara'd blond pigtailed scalp (75)
- ARAKATA
- The Complete Ulala. 'Nuff said. (Uniforms 111-113, Hair 76, Face 52) (Comes from one of Ulala's sayings, "arakata yattsukemashita".)
- PHANTA2
- Elf ears (Hair 77), Red-eyed (Face 53), and a nice purple and blue singlet (Outfits 114 & 115). Supposedly from Phantasy Star.
- OHTORII
- Bikinis with Sega emblazoned on them. (116 & 117) (Comes from final train stop near Sega's HQ)
To play the unlocked stages in Arcade mode, hold down R while selecting arcade mode.
To get the 'performance meter', which displays how skilled either you or your partner is, hold L + R while they are announcing the countries. Do not evaluate your partner using this, use only as a quick reference.
Misc. crap:
This game was released originially as an arcade game in Japan. It was ported and released in Japan for the Gamecube on July 19, 2002. It was released in the US on August 14, 2002. It was also released for Europe on September 27, 2002.
The pakage has a shot focused on a beach volleyball player in the American suit performing a spike. The text 'Beach Spikers' can be found in yellow at the top.