Can anyone help review DoA: Xtreme Beach Volleyball for my magazine?

[ajmetz]

Hello people at XboxAddict! =) The name's Andrew, and I edit a games fanzine in the UK known as United Games. We haven't been around for a while, 'cos it's always been made in my spare time, but we're currently finishing off an issue we hope to have out soon, and would love to chuck in a review of Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, to make the magazine look mega fresh.

What's in it for you?
An article to be proud of, plus a free copy of the magazine, which comes with a free ( PAL ) VHS multi-format games video ( an hour long and footage of new games across all formats ) and a free interactive Retro CD in the form of a back issue of RetroCollector ( including four playable tracks from Chris Abbot's C64 soundtrack remixes ).
Plus you retain your copyright on the article, and can be sent a copy in PDF format by email to show all your friends!

I can't pay any of you, 'cos I actually LOOSE money on the magazine. We're hoping to print about 200 copies this time though, and in FULL COLOUR!

If anyone can help, I've done up a new version of our contributor's Review Pack, that explains our reviewing system, and it can be downloaded in PDF format from the following link:
http://www.melted.com/w15/revpack.pdf
It's about 1.86Mb, but it demonstrates the kind of quality layout your work will receive ( if anyone's up for it ).

Alternatively, I can copy and paste the text from the review guide and email it to ya' individuality as normal email text.

So...is anyone up for helping out!?! =P Hate to admit it, but I am kinda desperate.

If you are interested, please let me know by either replying to this post, or emailing me personally on Andrew@game-extra.co.uk
Thanks in advance! =P =)

http://www.melted.com/w15/rp_tnail.jpg

[Kraft]

Those are some nice shots of the magazine content you have there, hopefully you can find someone to help you write some reviews for it. I'd offer but I don't own the game. Good luck with your magazine, as a xbox fan magazine is a good magazine by my books!

[ajmetz]

Hey - thanks for your comments!
That was a shot of our review explanation guide thingie..heh..I just used shots of Xtreme Beach Volleyball 'cos I knew I'ld be targetting this forum in search of a review for it, and wanted to whet some appetites for what a contributor's article could end up looking like...cunning 'eh?

Anyway, I have recieved a response from one of the moderators going by the name of Tony Ingrassia ( hope he doesn't mind me naming him..but he can always moderate this message if he does. Arf-arf! ), so I'm hoping to adapt one of his reviews.

Thanks for the interest in the fan magazine. It's not gonna be just Xbox though - it's multiformat, so we've Gamecube, PC, PlayStation 2, PSOne, etc, coverage as well. Blimey..we've even got a few Dreamcast and Gameboy reviews...!

If you're interested I can post again when the issue is finally out, and let you know how to order a copy. I'll be sure to put a little tip-of-the-hat type credit to Xbox Addict, as you people have proved both very friendly and helpful!

Many thanks!

Yours,
Andrew Mehta,
Editor of United Games,
Andrew@game-extra.co.uk
Btw, I've made a lower resolution PDF of the review pack that should take less time to download, at only 500k: http://www.melted.com/w15/lowres_review_pack.pdf
As I said I seem to have got someone onboard now to help with the Xtreme Beach Volleyball review ( many thanks again Tony! ) but am still on the look out for a Metroid Prime Gamecube review....not sure an Xbox forum is the place to be asking though, so I'll leave it at this. Many thanks - cheers and ciao!

[ajmetz]

=P Tony - I NEED you to answer the extra points I sent to you via email ASAP.

I really need these points addressed....its been nearly a week, I still haven't heard back from you!!!

And I wish to have the issue 100% finished by Sunday, ultimately requiring your review to be done with by this Friday. I'm sorry I hadn't chased you up sooner, but have been incredibly busy.

So PLEASE Tony, get back to me to address the extra points that need to be made.

Alternatively, incase Tony has gone awol or something, if anyone else reading this thinks they may be able to provide the extra detail we need to run with this review, then please do get in contact.

Ultimately, we need the following:

- We don't rate games out of 5, 10 or even 100, but rather award games specific colour symbols, that are indicative of a kind of abstract feel factor. So a colour award needs to be chosen for this game.

- We split reviews into two components - a one page review, and two pages of "Take A Closer Look" - the Take A Closer Look explains what you do in the game, what the plot is, presents screenshots, talks of gameplay mechanics, etc, etc, whilst the single page review just answers the core questions of how good the game is and why. We have enough information from Tony to create two pages of Take A Closer look - he's guided us through the way DoA:XBV plays, but his single page Review is currently a little short, and we are looking for a few extra paragraphs to sit with the rest that he has written.

I will now copy and paste the feedback on his review that I emailed him at the end of last week.
I don't mean to embarrass him at all, I'm just quite desperate to either hear back from him on this, or else to have someone else try and chip in with their thoughts and comments, and thus author a second opinion box or something.....I'll try and plug XboxAddict loads btw, as you've been very helpful ( do the site owners want any copies to sell online? ).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The premise of Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball ( DOAXBV ) is really simple. Our favourite Dead Or Alive lovelies are scantily clad on a tropical beach, bending, stretching, and hopping around for our visual pleasure, all due to a volleyball tournament. What drives this game?? Well, I thought about it for some time, ( because it really isn't the volleyball ), and I think I have the answer...TESTOSTERONE! Not that that's a bad thing mind you...

>>I think we need more about what the game is like / how fun it is, and possible reasons stated here before we plunge into the paragraphs about graphics and sound that follow below. If it's addictive, where does the addiction lie? How long will it last you? Is it worth the money? What type of people would like it and who wouldn't(?), and does it depend on any key factor? Also, could you write about how enjoyable the mini-games are, how deep the volleyball gameplay is ( there were quite some contrasting opinions about this on the other XboxAddict reviews, some saying it was too simple, others saying it got deep and involving due to timing, etc - what's the real deal!? ), etc....

HDTV 480p enabled ( >>is the 480p bit correct? I'm not familiar with HDTV and have never seen the spec "480p" used before, is it correct to write it like this? ) and the DOA graphics we have come to expect make a really pleasing combination. The locations are colourful and well detailed, the water is fantastic, and sunsets have never looked better! Bottom line: if the graphics weren't this good you wouldn't spend all this time trying to buy those "Barely There" swim-suits for your babe of choice. The character movements during matches is fluid and accurate, and dives into the sand are depicted perfectly - sand being kicked up just so(!). I can't help but feel this game will prove a graphical show piece for gamers when they want to show off the XBOX's graphics, and unfortunately you can't help but feel like a stalker when you're just watching Christie stretch on a lounge chair poolside...is that wrong?

The game supports Dolby Digital, and features a soundtrack that we all probably know by heart now ( see the clip on the video ). Nonetheless, there's nothing overly fancy here. Thank goodness for the Custom Soundtrack option, then! Load up your favourite tune and watch Tina do a dance for you on the private beach!

DOAXBV is confusing because it does have some entertainment value, albeit a voyeuristic one. It certainly doesn't play as I thought it would, playing more like an RPG than a volleyball game. Some will find DOAXBV entertaining, whilst some will prefer not to admit they even own it! I think the developers should concentrate on the volleyball game more next time - they can keep the bathing suites.

SUMMARY:
DOAXBV is more of a guilty pleasure than an extreme volleyball game. Rent it, get your DOA girl of choice in that micro-bikini that costs a mint, gamble away thousands in the casino and judge for yourself.

>>What Colour Symbol would you give the game!?

COLOUR SYMBOLs:
Select the colour symbol that best describes the game:

DULL:

Average Grey - Ho hum average. Nothing really wrong with it, but nothing remarkably right with it either. Best avoided simply because there are better games of a similar ilk available, giving you more for ya' money.

Black Ash - Don't buy it. Trust us. These games are only fun if you never put 'em in your console, but instead use the game discs as Frisbees. And who wants to pay £40 for a dodgy Frisbee?

BRIGHT:

Mellow Yellow - You really can't go wrong buying a Mellow Yellow game. They're nice, pleasant and often good value for money. They might not prove to be the bee's knees, but they'll still sit happily in your games collection with no qualms.

Groovy Green - Not everyone's cup of tea, but there's something in it that makes it that little bit special. This could be a love it or hate it game, or one that appeals specifically to a niche fan base. Often highly addictive, or the hardcore gamer's choice.

Brilliant Blue - Brilliant fun - no doubt ( no diggidy ). Get it. This is usually our highest recommendation.

INTENSE:

Red Hot.
If you own the system this game runs on, you MUST own this game, and if you don't own the relevant system, you should consider buying it, just to experience this! It's the idyllic "Best Game Ever", or "Killer App". Only a select few have ever been declared Red Hots by the UG crew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rest of Tony's review, detailing what goes on in Exhibition mode, and Zack's Island mode, are being used in the Take A Closer Look section, which I have no need to prompt for further info on - Tony delivered more than enough for this section - hence I'll refrain from posting it here.

So to conclude, if you're reading this Tony, PLEASE get back to me on these points I've made in red, and then select a Colour Symbol.

As for anyone else who has DoA:XBV, if Tony is failing to respond, and you'ld like to chip in instead, either reply to this post or email me, and we'll see if we can't feature a Second Opinion box on the review page somewhere, featuring YOUR comments ( but try to address the points I've raised here in Tony's feedback, as opposed to repeating the points he's already made ).

I don't want Tony to think I'm ungrateful - I'm totally not, I've got about 2 and three quarters pages moreorless sorted on his review...but that's just part of the frustration...I'm dying to finish it off, and put the issue to bed, so if Tony can get back to me, friends of Tony remind him to get back to me, or other owners of DoA:XBV pitch in, and save the day with their opinions, I would be even more indebted to the groovy place that is Xbox Addict's Online Forums.

Cheers people!

Yours,
Andrew Mehta,
Editor of United Games,
Andrew@game-extra.co.uk