Xbox Review
Dead Or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball

2 Reviews, 2 different opinions. You be the judge...

Before you read on, it needs to be let known that "I reviewed this one too early from the start." The first review is my initial first reaction toward DOA XBV, but if you want to know how I felt once I got some serious playing time, read the 2nd review instead. With minimal playing time you might agree with the first review, but this is the type of game that gets better as you keep playing so keep that in mind when makin' the decision on buying it. Renting this one won't justify anything.

Review #1:

The power of sex is Tecmo's selling point. Beach babes playing volleyball, nice concept. But when you mesh these busty babes with a sub-par gameplay engine, I could care less looking at these girls anymore. I went in to this game thinking the gameplay would match that of it's fighting counterparts, DOA2 and DOA3, but in the end, I wiped the angry tears from my eyes and turned the XBOX off. XTREME Volleyball? They should have titled this game, "We Can't Do Sports, But Check Out Our Girls In Bikinis".

Gameplay: The game offers 2 modes. Exhibition and Zack Island mode. Exhibition focuses strictly on playing the "lame" volleyball game without the stupid story mode on Zack Island. When you choose the island mode, it introduces you to the island. Before we get to the actual volleyball, lets get the gist of the Island mode. The new character "Lisa" shows you around the lush island and walks you through the "minimal" and repetitious things you can do. The Zack Island mode involves you sitting through a lame vacation where you can make money by playing volleyball. With all that money you can customize your girl with new accessories, including glasses, suntan lotion, food, hats, shoes, nail polish, etc. Most of the items are for visual splendor only, and do nothing for the volleyball game itself, and believe me, this is the main focus of the game. I can't grasp the though process Tecmo was going through when this was supposed to be a decent playing volleyball game. You can also purchase new bikinis with the money you earned in playing volleyball or gambling. Mind you, I enjoy fitting these lovely ladies in g-strings, but the novelty of this wears off in hurry, maybe a "nude" choice would have kept me playing for a little longer. Even worse, the vacation is so short "a week" in Tecmo time, you hardly have enough time to make enough money to get some of the better 2-piece bikinis unless you get lucky in the Casino as you'll read about later.

Also on the island you can customize your soundtrack and even use your own. This is one of my favorite features, I can copy music from my favorite CD I own, save it to the XBOX and it playing during the game. The music Tecmo offers is a bit older, you'll hear Spice Girls and some old stuff from Christina Aguilera like "Come on Over", not bad to my liking, but you're better off playing your own stuff. During your days you can take your girl to the pool and lay out in the sun. Boy, I'm excited. The pool side has a little mini-game where you can a "hopping" game. In all actuality, this was quite fun, but once again the novelty wears thin. You take your girl over the pool while hopping on floating platforms trying to get to the other side of the pool. For long jumps you press the button harder, for quick short jumps you lightly press the button. It looks awesome on-screen and is fun for awhile, but once again, grows old fast. At the end of your day the game automatically takes you into a hotel to either go to bed, gamble, check out your items or your best option, "End the Game". When you're in the hotel, that's all you see, you're looking at a bed without yourself on it, what's this crap? If you decide to gamble some of your dough, the Casino takes you into Zacks hub for gambling where you can play Blackjack, Poker or Roulette. It's a good place to either lose all your cash, or make big bucks. I actually had a reasonably fun time playing blackjack, only because I'm usually pretty good at it, but I did not buy this game to gamble, I wanted to play volleyball. The bad part about losing your money, once you lose it, it's gone, if you end up at Zero, you got to start all over and playing boring volleyball games to see your lady in new suits. Thanks, but no thanks. I ain't waitin.

The actual volleyball part of the game is what most people "should" and want to be playing in this game. When I hear the title "XTREME" Volleyball, I want solid gameplay, but you get none of that. The game relies on just hittin the ball over the net with 2 buttons and hoping you get points. I just felt the lack of interaction. Although the game claims otherwise, you can supposedly call your shots and where the ball will be targeted, but the camera view is so obscure and control is so lacking, there is no way to tell where you're ball is approaching or even where the hell you are aiming it. Most times the camera will be in such a location where your character is totally off the screen and you can't even see where your girl is at. Even when she is on screen, her movements are lethargic and unresponsive. Only A and B buttons are used. There are basically only 2 things you can do on offense, hit the ball up in the air for your partner, then spike it over the net. The computer basically decides the matches. The game doesn't reward you for anything, because the lack of control is so bad, you just want to move on and hope for something new to pop up. You're going to experience this game and wonder what went wrong? This is Tecmo? Anyway, then after a boring day playing volleyball, you have to go back to the lame Island mode and waste time going through useless and boring places on the island. I'm sorry, this game sucks. Is it the worst volleyball game ever? No. But when you pit it against the quality of Sega's game on the Cube, it's just further proof how bad the volleyball engine really is.

Graphics: Don't let the graphics sway your opinion on this terrible game. But nonetheless, for graphics alone, maybe this game would have been something special. The graphics are amazing. The ladies look better than ever and if they were real I'd, uh, lets not discuss that. It's actually the same engine Tecmo used in Dead Or Alive 3. You'll recognize one of the beaches being taken directly from the 3, and it looks amazing. Seagulls flying in the background, warm sand curdling your girls feet, and the ocean hitting the sand over the horizon. There are also new beaches, jungles and islands to play volleyball. Once again, lush scenery, fantastic animations and great graphics are nice, but when the gameplay sucks, who cares? For the guys that bought the game strictly for the babes, they might appreciate the "Gravure System" as Tecmo calls it. On days when you want to be alone with your girl, you can take her somewhere alone on the island and just look at her enjoying the sun. You're thoughts of being there with her might be fun for awhile. You can zoom in on her, change the camera view and take her to different locations. I still haven't found out what's with the mature rating yet, but maybe when I find a code. For added visuals, you can also give your girl a nice tan. You can buy tanning oil in the accessory shop and you can watch them over time get a lush golden tan from the sun. If you want to keep them healthy, you can also buy sun block. Sigh. This sucks. I'll say it once and I'll say it again, visual splendor alone, this game rocks, but the game sucks, it really does.

Sound: Clearly the best part of DOA Volleyball. You can copy CD's to the XBOX hard drive and use them during your stay on the island. Try burning "Barney's Greatest Hits" and take Hitomi to the jungle and watch her rub herself against a tree, the music of Barney and Hitomi mesh perfectly together. The voices of the ladies are all in Japanese. It's obnoxious as heck. On top of that there is no way to change it to English, only the Sub Titles tell you what they are saying. What country are we in Tecmo? Zack's voice is accomplished by Dennis Rodman. I guess he does the job, but so far I've only noticed him speaking during a few videos and the introduction.

Final Call: Ouch. What happened with this game? You think the amount of time Tecmo spent on this game that they could have made a decent "PLAYING" XBOX title. But aside from the cutting edge graphics and the busty babes from DOA, this is one of the biggest disappointments of the year for the system. You'll regret it buying this game. Stay away.



*Revised* 01/27/03

About a week ago I scolded this game and really jumped the gun too soon and ripped it pretty bad. But alas! I need to offer an utter retraction for basically every aspect I mentioned in my previous review. After a week of divulging myself into DOA Volleyball, I have to say, give it time and chance. It's not the best game in terms of the "GAMEPLAY department." but it's different, and the babes alone make it for the greatest looking video game around, and that alone should give you a reason to buy it. However, don't expect much in the gameplay department, because there still isn't much.

The power of sex might be Tecmo's selling point for this one. Beach babes playing volleyball, nice concept. I have to say in the beginning I though the Volleyball Engine was a cheap demo for graphics, but when I gave it some time, I noticed it's very deep even with the 2-button control scheme. It's not DEEP DEEP mind you, but it does take skill and it can be entertaining to boot.

Gameplay:

When you choose the island mode, it introduces you to Zack Island. Before we get to the actual volleyball, lets get the gist of the Island mode. The new character "Lisa" shows you around the lush island and walks you through island and shows you the places you can go and see. The focus is on customization and graphics are the highpoints of this game. The key is to make money and help your girl have a good relationship with her partner. You can buy and exchange gifts with each other, buy bathing suits, glasses, hats, food, shoes, socks, watches, jewelry and of course play volleyball to make more money. It's a bit of a silly premise, but after time, I was wanting to make more money to buy more exotic swim suits and bikinis for my 2 girls. One time I got so intrigued about getting my girl that $370,000 dollar bikini, I looked up at the clock and noticed I've been playing the dang game for 3 hours. My point of this, over time you would think doing similar tasks and things would get old, but the customization is so deep with so much to get, you won't want to stop. I would have liked a little more visual splendor. For example, when I buy the suntan lotion and it offers for you to "spread" it on your girl. I would have liked to see her physically do this task-on screen. There are many tasks that are just done buy answering questions on-screen but you don't actually get to see the interaction. Other like "going to bed." How bout actually seeing this girl "undress" then get tucked in? Sure my hormones are talkin, but as long as you put "mature" on the cover, they could have done these additions with a little more development time. So yes, most of the items are for visual splendor only, trying on new bikinis, watching your girl get a tan over the 2 weeks. Mind you, I enjoy fitting these lovely ladies in g-strings. I have to say the novelty of fitting them in new ones may seem like a repetitious chore over time, but I was actually wanting more and more to buy that high dollar 2-piece.

The game progresses over a two week span in Tecmo time. Your goal is to make money and make your girl and your partner happy. It goes from dusk till dawn each day. You can either play volleyball, go to the pool side and play a quite "entertaining pool side jumping game, shop at the accessories and sports shop, and even gamble at the end of the day to make some extra cash. You also need to keep your partner happy by buying her bikini's and items too. The buying of "gifts" is a bit annoying and you never really know how much or what to get your partner, but I learned myself that you're basically doing it to keep her as your partner, so if you're happy with her, spoiling her won't be a problem for you. When the 2 weeks is up, the vacation is over. You can either come back with the same girl and keep your inventory from the previous vacation or choose a new girl and start all over again and get her to the top. Sounds a bit simplistic, but if you read below there is more to than just playing volleyball. Read on.

The gambling part is quite uninteractive, you can't even see your girl at the tables, but if you like blackjack, poker, Roulette or slot machines.

Initially I thought the actual volleyball game was a bit to simplistic and unbalanced for me to enjoy it, but after time, I was learning the overall play mechanics. It's a bit tough at first and some may even just downright be unnerved by it, but listen, give it time and understand the concept here.

First let me say even with the two buttons only used: (A and B) amazingly, it's pretty deep once you get used to it. It's all about the timing my young padawans. Admittingly the instructions are very vague about giving you pointers and doesn't really mention the word "timing" in the vocabulary. That said, know from a guy that hated this game at first had to play some serious games in order to figure out the play mechanics. Now that I do have it down, I'm very pleased with the final outcome. The main thing to remember is to hit that button the "millisecond" before the ball hits your girls hand. If she's going up for a spike and you press to early, she'll throw down a dud, hit it too late and she'll smack the ball to the net. But the satisfaction of watching her fluid moves on screen and hitting the button at the precise time, you're gonna be scoring and making money.

The "B" button is for "passing". If you tap it, the ball will fly higher for your team mate which gives her a better look for a stronger spike. Reaction time is crucial when the spikes are coming at you too. If you press the "B" button the precise moment the ball is smacked back at you, you'll get a better set for your teammate. If you're late or early, you will get a bad set or miss the return all together. But the game praises you with good reaction time, and that's what this game is all about. The game does auto-help you at times. If your out of position and you press the button, she may dive or jump for a return. It's a bit too forgiving at times, but I did like the added help when the action is so fast and fierce.

You can also do, what I call, "a fake spike." When your girl is attempting to go for a spike, instead of pressing A, you press B. B makes the spike turn into a light hit over the net. It fakes the ladies out especially when you know they are going up for the power block. It's a good counter move.

The most appealing aspect of the volleyball game that I never knew the first few days playing it, that the buttons are pressure sensitive! I admit I'm dumb! I never knew! But once I found out, the volleyball itself became much more appealing to me. Ok, it's not EA Sports, but ladies in bikini's, it still has some appeal.

When you're not playing volleyball you can buy and customize items. You can of course use your hard earned volleyball money and spend them on new bikinis and items. Many people are only playing it for this reason, but it's for this reason you'll want to keep playing. I admit, I'm sick! A sick 30yo single man! I kept playing to see my girl in that playboy bunny outfit! Yes, that's not the main reason you might be playing this game, but it's mine. There are 100+ different bikini's for the different characters, each with different ones to choose from. The high dollar ones obviously are more revealing and more RISKAY in every facet. Haven't found that "nude" option yet, still waiting. The accessories are mostly for cosmetics, but they are still fun to give and wear and put on your girl. You can buy headbands, watches, tons of hats, shoes, socks, makeup, tanning lotion, sunblock, bracelets etc. You can also buy non-cosmetic items like volleyballs, guns, and other items from Zack of all trades, but for the most part, most will be earning the money to dress them in new swim suits and bikinis. We're all sick aren't we?

Graphics: There is no denying that sex sells, and maybe without the Volleyball game aspect of DOA Extreme Volleyball, it would probably still sell millions of copies.

First of all, hands down, this is the most visually stunning video game I have ever seen. Busty girls aside, from a technological standpoint, Tecmo knows how to use the XBOX's power, and no better way then putting near naked women in a video game and put them on-screen wearing skimpy bikini's that you earned by gambling and playing volleyball. Forget how amazed how you thought they looked in DOA 3, this is how these ladies were meant to be seen. And if these ladies were real, I'd, uh, lets not discuss that in detail. It's a sick thought, but there will probably be some that won't be using the XBOX controller with this one.

Anyway, DOA Volleyball uses the same engine Tecmo used in Dead Or Alive 3. You'll recognize one of the beaches being taken directly from the 3, and it looks amazing. Seagulls flying in the background, warm sand curdling your girls feet, and the ocean hitting the sand over the horizon. There are also new beaches, jungles and islands to play volleyball. For the guys that bought the game strictly for the babes, you're going to spend lonely days with the "Gravure System" as Tecmo calls it. This is where you can admire these lovely ladies and just watch them with the camera. You can zoom in, zoom out, change camera angles, and choose a location where they are. Some may have wanted a little more interaction, maybe being able to tell them how to position themselves, watch them tuck themselves into bed, etc. But the "Gravure System" really shows the stunning power of XBOX and if these ladies were any more realistic looking, one might mistakes this for a "playboy virtua calendar" video. The box claims there is some "sexual themes and nudity". Although I have not seen any "actual nudity" in the game, I'm wouldn't be surprised if Tecmo accidentally left in a code? Ahem?

For added visuals, you can also give your girl a nice tan. You can buy tanning oil in the accessory shop and you can watch them over time get a lush golden tan from the sun. If you want to keep them healthy, you can also buy sun block. Seeing them in new bikinis and tons of accessories including different hats, shoes, tanning oils, ear rings, jewelry, perfume, eye liner, head bands, what have you, it makes for some nice visuals as many of the items go directly on your girls body, so when your laying out, playing volleyball or turning in for the day, you can see how you doused your girl in your customization skills. Of course collecting every single skimpy bikini and putting it in Hitomi's closet is your ultimate goal and believe me, many of the bikini's you'll run into at the sports shop are worth a look on TV.

Sound: You can copy music CD's to the XBOX hard drive and use them during your stay on the island. I personally found some that seemed to go perfectly with the, uh, "sexual theme" to this game. I recommend these as "must haves". "Baby Got Back, Kokomo, Lets Talk About Sex, I'm Too Sexy, Dirty (Christina Aguleria), I'm A Slave (Britney Spears), Summertime (Will Smith), I Want Your Sex (George Michael), Cruel Summer (Ace of Base), and Rainbow Connection (Kermit The Frog). All will mesh well with every part of the game, trust me!

Final Call: Hot chicks in bikinis, a fairly decent playing volleyball game, and probably the best looking game since Halo. Well, in a way, it's better than Halo. Either way though, the male species will undoubtingly find out other reasons why this game looks better. Oh, don't forget that handy "zoom" in button, press it at your own risk.

The Good And The Bad:
+ The graphics are amazing. You know you want to see these ladies on your TV.
+ Sound. Copy your own CD music and burn it to the background music of the game.
+ Volleyball game can be somewhat fun, just keep your expectations on a generic level.

- More interaction with your babe would have been nice. I would have liked to see her get ready for bed.
- Japanese voice overs.

By: John