/-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Beach Spikers: Virtua Beach Volleyball-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=\
\----------------------------Strategy Guide / FAQ---------------------------/
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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I. Intro & Stuff
II. Version History
III. Game Modes
IV. Gameplay
V. In-depth World Tour Mode
VI. The Teams
VII. Codes/Cheats
- Credits
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I. INTRO & STUFF
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Hi... Er, this is a Beach Spikers FAQ. This FAQ is designed to help people
with this game. It's a great and under appreciated game that should be owned
not only by volleyball fans, but any fan of great sports games. If I've
missed anything, please email me at
[email protected] and I'll give
you all the glorious credit you so, so deserve. If you want to use this FAQ
on your site (yeah, sure) ask me and I'll think about it...
This FAQ was made 100% by me. It's really mean to steal. Just ask, really. I
have no problem letting people use this FAQ, that's what it's for.
This FAQ was made to be printer-friendly. It should fit perfectly (with 77
characters in length) on a default-bordered sheet of printer paper, see:
12345678911234567892123456789312345678941234567895123456789612345678971234567
This FAQ is only available at -gameFAQs.com
-
http://www.cheats.de
-
http://faqs.IGN.com
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II. VERSION HISTORY
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Version 0.01 (7-21-2003): This is the first version. It's all right here.
Version 0.02 (7-22-2003): Added V. through VII.
Version 1.00 (7-23-2003): Formatted page to fit printer paper.
Version 1.01 (7-23-2003): Added some CREDITS thanks.
Version 1.02 (7-24-2003): Fixed ALL CAPS problem.
Version 1.03 (7-31-2003): Added a host of the FAQ.
Version 1.04 (8-01-2003): Fixed some capitalization and asthetic stuff.
Version 1.05 (8-06-2003): Added another host.
Version 1.06 (2-21-2004): Changed e-mail and a few typos.
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III. GAME MODES
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{ARCADE MODE}
This is the direct port from arcade to GameCube, as many sports games have.
In this mode you face off in a tournament against the other teams. You can go
at it alone or have a friend join you (the only real way to play). Just have
Player Two press START when selecting a team. Once you beat this mode once,
you will be the champions and the last team you face next time. This makes
arcade mode progressively harder to beat :)
Under the default options, you start off with 10 points and play to 15,
which I find really weak. Just change Arcade Options (in "OPTIONS" from the
root menu) to start at 0 for the real deal.
{WORLD TOUR MODE}
This is the mode. This is the game. In world tour mode, you design your own
team and take them to the top. You play a series of tournaments (8 in total)
that get harder as you go. Along the way you earn points for your useless
partner and work on your teamwork %, vying for a level 100 and a nice 100% by
the end. And the best part--you can use your created team in any mode! The
thing is, though, that if you are playing by yourself your teammate will be
at the level you left her at in world tour mode. This means that the only way
to make a team and use them right away is if you have a friend to play as
your team-mate. Otherwise you'll have to go through World Tour to get her at
any kind of playing level.
{VERSUS MODE}
This is great multiplayer madness at it's finest. You can have 1-4 human
controlled players in a quick-match type game. You can change the options any
way you like, too. Also, this mode contains all the mini-games. Including:
}BEACH FLAGS{
In beach flags, the goal is to lay down in the sand, wait for the
whistle, then race and grab the flag before anyone else. It has
nothing to do with volleyball, but it's still hilarious. At the start
you hold the Control Stick down, wait for the announcer to say "GO!"
then you let go of the Control Stick and mash the A button until your
thumb blisters right the hell off. When you get to the "jump zone"
you press B to dive for the flag. The two fastest move on to the
finals and repeat this process so that one person will be the champ!
}BEACH COUNTDOWN{
In beach countdown, we replace the volleyball with a bomb that acts
much like a balloon that explodes. The camera angle stays off to the
side the whole time. You get two hits per side and each hit effects
the timer of the bomb. You can set if you want the random rule ON or
OFF in the options. If it's OFF, the bomb goes down and down only
according to the button pressed to hit it. A = 1 point, b = 2, A+B
or X/Y = 3. With the random rule ON, every now and then the rules
change, such as all hits counting for 1, or everything is x3, or that
all hits add to the counter instead of subtract from it. This game is
fun with 3 or 4 people, but gets really boring with only 1.
}BEACH PK{
This is a penalty "kick" (spike) situation game, in which you go
head to head with someone (Player or CPU) in a spike-and-block face
off. You can select the type of area that counts as a goal, or have
it randomly chosen for each ball. The game goes for 5 hit-or-miss
points, it you have a tie at the end of the 5, the game goes until
one person gets an advantage over the other.
{TUTORIAL MODE}
Start here, actually. This mode teaches you all the basics and some of the
more advanced stuff in the game. There are 5 areas of training that each have
5 drills plus an explanation. If you get an ok in everything (EVERYTHING...)
you unlock some outfits to use on your World Tour teams.
{OPTIONS}
Set various options here. Such options include the very important Arcade
Mode options and basic sound/rumble/gameplay stuff.
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IV. GAMEPLAY
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This is where we go into controls, strategies, and/or other crap. There are
3 basic buttons/button-combos that you will be using. A, B, and A+B (or X/Y).
X and Y work the exact same way as A+B and I'd suggest using them instead,
especially since pressing A+B does not always work. There have been plenty of
times when I went to Jump Serve and ended up with and Underhand because I hit
B slightly before A. So, the controls:
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SERVING THE BALL
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Underhand Serve (B): This is the weakest serve, and you can't make an error
using it, so it's great for first time serving. The "advantage" of using this
serve (supposedly) is that it has the best aim. You can place this serve
almost anywhere on the court.
Overhand Serve (A): This is the basic beach volleyball serve. It's stronger
than the underhand but you run the risk of missing if you hit it under 50%
power. This is good for intermediate players.
Jump Serve (A=B or X/Y): This is the strongest serve, this is the one you
want to use all the time. You will miss with this serve if you hit it under
80%, so be careful. At the beginning of Arcade and World Tour mode, however,
this serve will often result in an ace.
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RECEIVING THE BALL
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Of the usual 3 hits you get to a side, this is your first. Like most hits in
this game, you get 3 options.
Normal Receive (A): Also known as the High Receive. This is the one I use
all the time, as I don't see any real use for the...
Low Receive (B): This just ends up popping the ball a little lower that
using A. It can be a bad move if the ball is coming at you fast, as your hit
will probably go awry and not give your partner time to hit it. With A at
least you give them some time. I guess you can use this to surprise some of
your friends, but I don't recommend it.
Two Attack (A+B or X/Y): This eliminates the middle-man, so to say. This
move sets your partner up for an attack, skipping the toss, catching your
opponents off guard. The deal is, though, that you'll get a half-power spike
at best with this move.
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TOSSING THE BALL
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This is the second hit, and one of the most important hits to do well. In
order to allow your teammate to spike at full power, you have to be in the
very center of the circle and use the correct move.
Normal Toss (A): Also known as the High Toss. This will toss the ball up
high in the air, letting your partner run up to the net for a close and
powerful attack. Used most of the time, especially if they are not close.
Quick Toss (B): Also known as the Low Toss. This will set your partner up
for an immediate attack. No time to position, to run, or to really do any
thing at all. Use this only if your partner is already in position to take
your opponents off guard.
Two Return (A+B or X/Y): This will toss the ball back over the net giving
your opponents a free attack. Unless you are against some really bad/new-to-
the-game friends, do not use this move! This move is infamous for being used
by your World Tour partner and ruining many of your matches before you give
her some toss points.
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ATTACKING
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This is the 3rd and final hit you can have on your side, so make it good.
This is how you score your points. Just like in serving you will get a power
meter to decide how hard you hit the ball. Don't worry, your girl will
automatically jump for the spike, all you have to do is aim and let it rip.
It is very important that your partner gave you a good toss, because how
close she was to the center of the circle depends on how high your power
meter will allow you to hit. A "FANTASTIC" toss will let you hit it full
power, while a "GREAT" is usually around 60% or a little higher. Anything
worse than that is just sad...
Spike (A): This is the move that will give you the hardest hit. But it can
be viciously blocked by anyone with any talent at all. Going against the
weaker teams, however, will result in you knocking them flat on their backs
if they try to block you. However, if you position this spike well, it it by
far the best to use regularly.
Feint Shot (B): This (well performed) will place the ball right next to the
net. This works well if your opponents are about halfway back or farther, or
if they go up for a block and you catch them in time, because you can aim
this shot over her hands and hopefully where her partner isn't standing.
Hand Spike (A+B or X/Y): This will spike the ball directly at your blockers
hands, hoping that the ball will bounce off and go away from their partner.
This is a great move against harder teams, who block every fricken attack and
get to all your Feint Shots. The ball may bounce back to your side, but you
should have plenty of time to get it if you are paying attention.
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BLOCKING
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This is the most important move to master in the game. You can block with
any button, it makes no difference. Just line yourself up with the "prongs"
coming out from under the attacker and press a button when the time is right.
I'm afraid you cannot be told the correct timing, it comes with practice
alone. So do the Tutorial, fool.
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V. IN-DEPTH WORLD TOUR MODE
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This is the main game. You'll make your team, take them through the ranks,
and hope to come out somewhere near the top. You are given points based on
where you finish in each of the 8 stages, and ranked among the other teams.
so lets get to some of the basics.
Okay, when you first start off: YOU WILL LOSE. Your partner might as well be
controlled by NO ONE. She will ruin your life if you don't realize right now
that even if you are the master of all that is Beach Spikers, she will drag
you down. The only way to get any points is with an 80% to full-power jump
serve, but that almost never takes you to victory. It can be done, yes, but
it is much less frustrating to just let it be the way it has to be. Okay...
Making your team: It has been said that a good idea is to make your team
from Brazil to ensure that you do not have to take them on in any of the
stages (Brazil is the hardest team in the game). You will still have to take
on Cuba, but it isn't a bad strategy. Otherwise, just pick any country you
feel like, you know?
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ATTRIBUTES
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Your partner has several attributes that can be improved throughout your
tourney in world tour mode. Some are more important than others at first, so
I'll tell you which ones you don't really have to worry about until later on.
Serve: At first, she will always serve underhand. The higher she gets in
points, the more confident she will become. At around 7 or 8, she will do
jump serves, and at around 10 she will do full-power jump serves, so once you
get there, just leave it.
Receive: Without points here, your partner will most likely miss ALL the
serves at her. Build this one up right away, it will save you lots of points.
Attack: With no points here, your partner will almost always screw up the
attack. This is another on to really work on. At the highest levels, she will
almost always do a full power spike. This can be a bad thing, though, against
tough teams that can block well.
Block: I don't worry about this one until last. The reason is that unless
you build this one up very quickly when you are doing it (5 or so points at a
time) your partner will go for all the blocks and only make about 10% of
them. At 20, she will constantly save you.
Toss: This is an important one to get right away. At first, most of her
tosses will either hit her in the face and fall to the ground, or sail over
the net, destroying all chances of a good spike and any kind of victory.
Power: This improves all of the other attributes with each point. I'd
devote some points each time if you can spare it.
Response: Possibly the most important of all the attributes. This one
dictates how fast your partner will react to the ball. It improves her
hustle and accuracy.
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TEAMWORK
--------
During your games, after every 10 points you get to work on your Teamwork.
you will interact with your partner depending on her performance and if you
get it right, your Teamwork Percentage will go up. You get 4 different
interactions to choose from. The higher your Teamwork Percent, the better
your partner plays overall. The lower, the worse.
Praise: If you are winning by at least 3 and your partner is doing well
(not screwing too much up), this is the one to go with. A good Praise will
raise your teamwork the most out of all these.
Encourage: If your partner is doing well, not great, and the game is close,
this is your best bet. If you are not sure whether to Praise or Reprimand,
this is a safe move.
Reprimand: This is your best friend during the first matches. Your partner
sucks, so tell her. This one also raises your percent a lot.
Do Nothing: Use this when your teamwork is already 100% or if you don't
want to risk losing any percent points. This is a safe-out.
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VI. THE TEAMS
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There are a total of 16 original teams in the game. Each has a rating (SS
down through B) and a country to represent. For this game, SS is the best
(and Brazil is the only SS team in the game), S is really good, A is pretty
good, and B is the... well, the countries that have never seen a volleyball.
Team: USA Team: Canada
Players: Lisa Mayer Players: Jullia Quilico
Thelma Garnett Luca Olvis
Rating: S Rating: B
Team: Brazil Team: Mexico
Players: Veronyca Marques Players: Angela Sandi
Akasha Costa Jessica Salinas
Rating: SS Rating: B
Team: Australia Team: Thailand
Players: Mira Joyce Players: Pinjai Tankul
Nicole Fraser Ratee Salvana
Rating: S Rating: B
Team: Spain Team: Netherlands
Players: Gloria Sanchez Players: Nel Feilke
Elena Garcia Manon Renesse
Rating: B Rating: A
Team: Japan Team: China
Players: Naomi Wakui Players: Xiuhua Lee
Hikaru Sunaga Ling Cui
Rating: A Rating: A
Team: Italy Team: Germany
Players: Irene Fano Players: Anita Erhart
Loretta Gilardi Hilda Wolff
Rating: A Rating: A
Team: France Team: England
Players: Carine Lafont Players: Mary Clare
Sophie Rouch Susan Evans
Rating: A Rating: B
Team: Cuba Team: Jamaica
Players: Debra Gomez Players: Lynda Howell
Petra Fleta Irie Coxe
Rating: S Rating: B
Brazil and Cuba are the hardest teams in the game, while England and Jamaica
and Canada, etc. are the easiest. After playing for a while, you'll get to
know each team pretty well and you'll know by instinct how good you see them
to be.
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VII. CODES/CHEATS
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Basically, the cheats consist of unlocking outfits, hair styles, sunglasses,
faces and stuff for World Tour mode. You can get these either through beating
modes, or entering secret names when making your character.
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ARCADE MODE
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-Clear first time: Uniforms 87, 88
-Clear second time: Uniforms 90, 91
-Clear third time: Uniforms 93, 94
-Clear with Japan: Uniforms 103, 104
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WORLD TOUR MODE
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-Clear with any ranking: Uniforms 96-102, Sunglasses 88-93, Hair 71-74
-Clear with overall 1st place: Uniforms 89, 92, 95
-Clear with 100% team work: (beat Dural Team) Faces 54, 55
-Clear with 30% teamwork or less: (beat Black Dural Team) Face 56
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TUTORIAL MODE
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-Complete all training courses: (including Tips To Win) Uniforms 71-86
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PASSWORDS
---------
When you make your World Tour team, just enter on of these names in the
player name box. The password name will disappear and you are then free to
enter the other password names or just name your player.
-Virtua Cop: "JUSTICE" Uniforms 105, 106. Sunglasses 94
-Daytona USA: "DAYTONA" Uniforms 107, 108
-Fighting Vipers: "FVIPERS" Uniforms 109, 110. Hair 75. Face 51
-Space Channel 5: "ARAKATA" Uniforms 111-113. Hair 76. Face 52
-Phantasy Star 2: "PHANTA2" Uniforms 114, 115. Hair 77. Face 53
-Sega Outfits: "OHTORII" Uniforms 116, 117
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EXTRA STAGES IN ARCADE MODE
---------------------------
In order to use the extra stages you've unlocked in World Tour mode in
Arcade mode, hold R when selecting Arcade. This will make it so that you play
in the extra (unlocked) stages instead of the normal ones. (Unsure of this)
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RATING POINTS
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This one is pretty useful. In World Tour mode, when the tournament bracket
screen is up (not the versus screen), hold L and R until the match starts.
This will display numbers in the bottom left area of the screen that you can
use to determine what to say to your partner. It will look something like
this: 5 / 10=0.50% which means you have 5 out of 10 something, and that
your score is 0.50%, not good. It also shows your partner's rating. If you
are doing great (2.78%) and she is doing really bad (-0.24%) feel free to
Reprimand her. If it's even, Encourage or Praise her, and if hers is higher
than yours, Praise her. Of course, you still have to take into account the
score of the match... So be careful.
~~~~~~~
CREDITS
~~~~~~~
I'd like to thank Sega-AM2 and Nintendo for bringing this game to the masses
as it has, myself for spending all this time playing and writing and FAQ for
this great game, and you guys for reading it. Thanks to CVXFREAK, Z-Force,
and mao2. Their FAQs helped me fill in some of the blank spots :)
If I have screwed up, remember to email me:
[email protected]
Copyright 2003 KingQuark.
All other trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by
their respective trademark and copyright holders.
