Outlaw Volleyball - Volleyball goes -Outlaw- with the outrageous humor and fantastic gameplay

Volleyball goes “Outlaw” with the outrageous humor and fantastic gameplay this gang is known for.

These scantily-clad troublemakers bring their famous vibe to the courts as they set, spike, and throw punches on their way to victory.

Choose a team, grab a court, serve up some attitude…and do some major ball-bustin' online via Xbox Live with Outlaw Volleyball!

• Melds MTV Spring Break with Olympic Volleyball to create the first next — generation game with an edge Combines the fun gameplay of Virtua Tennis 2K2 with the outrageous humor of Outlaw Golf.
• 12 offbeat courts including jailhouse, jungle, sewer, and of course, a beach
• Characters react dynamically — jilted teammates hold a grudge and play harder against you
• Powerful volleyball engine! Set, jump, spike with the best of them
• Moves such as spikes and serves feature special animations, as in NFL Blitz and NHL Hitz
• Features sexy babes and guys with attitude teamed up and against each other in interesting and dynamic environments
• Build character's skills with unique mini-games and drills
• Gain MOMENTUM for Turbo Moves by literally beating up your opponents
• Supports Xbox Live! — Multiplayer action up to 4 players online or on the same couch

First Encounter

Sometimes game developers push the envelope, especially given our politically correct world. Such was the case with Outlaw Golf. But, as the results have shown, while it may have been — on the edge — it certainly proved to be rather successful. So, now that time has passed, Simon and Schuster are once again teaming up with Hypnotix games to come up with another edgy title: Outlaw Volleyball.

We all know how successful DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball was, so it will be interesting to see how Outlaw Volleyball turns out. As far as comparisons go, I do not recommend even trying to make one. The only similarity between the two games is the fact that they both involve two-on-two volleyball. But, while life on Zack Island was filled with fun in the sun on lush tropical beaches, life on the Outlaw Volleyball circuit is something a bit more — colorful. The tour itself consists of 16 venues, each accompanied by the obligatory crowd of belligerent, angry, disrespectful, and beer-swillin' criminals, rednecks, and gangstas. Yep, you guessed it folks. These are most definitely not the kinds of places you are going to want to visit on vacation. If they are, I suggest you seek professional help.

Since this is two-versus-two volleyball, that means you are going to need a ready supply of victims … I mean partners … to play with and against. To that end, Hypnotix has tossed in 16 different personalities of varying degrees of sanity, for your enjoyment. Some of the players have decided to take a break from the Outlaw Golf tour and are spending some time playing games in the sand. The rest are newly introduced—and hopefully newly vaccinated — additions to the Outlaw world. From London's underground Punk scene to the austere and solemn halls of the American prison system, the players have arrived from just about every oddball, backwoods, in-bred, neurotic, psychotic corner of the world. If you can think of a form of dementia or neurosis, the odds are good that one of these people has it!

That is all well and good, but it does not mean a whole lot if there are not any actual gameplay elements. Luckily, that little detail wasn't overlooked by the development team. The basics lay out like this: Controls are straightforward, but just like Outlaw Golf, they can be unforgiving. If you get sloppy and do not position yourself correctly, do not be surprised if you miss the ball entirely. Instead of having a Composure meter (like inOutlaw Golf), Outlaw Volleyball has a Momentum meter. The function is just like it was last time around: The better you play, the higher your meter will be, and the worse you play, the lower your meter will be. When it is high, your players will play better, hit harder, and be able to nail some vicious spikes. If it gets low well, let us just say that it is not a pretty picture.

Unlike Golf, Volleyball is a team sport, so you cannot really beat the snot out of your partner and expect good results. Instead, since there is not a caddy to pick on, you get to pick a fight with an opposing team member. Oh, and by the way, Outlaw Volleyball includes a fighting engine (admittedly rather simple) for the inevitable tussle between teams. If you want the benefits to your momentum, you had better be prepared to get a little banged up for it. These people are not getting paid to take your abuse like your old caddy was, so they will fight back.

As if that all wasn't enough, there is actually character development and memory for each character. You can level up their skills while you play, and if you should happen to make them mad, they will remember it. Some of these people will hold a grudge till it dies of old age. I am not sure about you, but I would rather not have someone like Killer Miller (you know, the mass murderer that got off on a technicality) on the other side of the net and mad at me. That could result in something unpleasant. But, hey, that is life on the Outlaw Volleyball tour.

Xbox Goes Redneck

OK, so maybe redneck is a bit harsh. After all, not all the characters in Outlaw Volleyball are just escaped from a trailer park—just most of them. At any rate, Outlaw Volleyball has arrived for the Xbox in its usual. colorful way. (Did you see me wink?) Does that make it a bad game? Nope. It makes it a great game!

You can stop looking at me like I could be one of the eccentric characters myself. What I mean by all that is, the game does such a good job of creating the rather icky world it takes place in, that it quite literally takes you over the top. Let's use the prison venue as an example. It does not look or sound like someplace you will ever want to spend any time hanging out. It is dirty, gritty, mean, and well… if only you could pack smells into an Xbox. Hypnotix has done a marvelous job of taking all of the little things in life that we try to avoid and putting them into a game where we revel in those tiny little details. On top of that, they have managed to use the ample power of the Xbox to animate all four players, the crowd, and everything else, smoothly and seamlessly. I mean, come on folks, the sand is deformable and shows where you have been, the commentator never shuts up, and the character animations are rock solid. If you are playing in the sewers (yeah, you heard me right, the sewers), then you get to watch the water splash up around your character's ankles. The ripples spread, the reflections in the water shine, and it is all so nice, you try not to think about what is probably floating around in that water. It is a sewer, after all. Even if games of this type are not your ball of string, you have to admit, they did a hell of a job on this one.

The character renderings are top notch and feature a very high level of variety and humanity. By that, I mean that the characters are all proportioned differently, just like normal people are. While some may be thin to the point that you worry they have anorexia, others look and move like they have spent way too much time in the gym. or on the couch. And, the depth of detail is mind blowing. While these people are not idealized in every aspect, they are far more human and realistic than you usually see, which is a nice change of pace. Of course, this is a real-world-based game (sort of), so there are some things that would normally occur that we haven't seen in any games, and it is nice to finally see them happening. For example, the characters can tan. I know that is not anything totally new, except for two little words: tan lines. Think about it for a second. There are different outfits and clothes available for each player, right? Each one is going to fit differently, right? With all the time in the hot sun playing ball there are going to be some tan lines, right? Yep, you got it. This is one of the things that really surprised me when I first saw it. Admit it people, that is pretty darn impressive.

Since there are four characters in each match, how many do you think can be controlled? How about all of them? Yeah, that is right, four gamers can play at the same time, each controlling a character of questionable mental stability. I suppose this means that you have a chance to truly punish your friends for pounding you mercilessly in Halo. Then again, with the fighting engine in place, that may well backfire on you. My advice: Practice first, and then play them. Better yet, build up your favorite character's stats, then copy them over to your memory cartridge and take them to your friend's house. I am sure the surprise on his face will be worth a laugh or two. On the other hand, you could always just sort of, um, "borrow" his high-level character for your own nefarious purposes. Regardless of what you do with it, there is one thing I can guarantee: You will only be doing it on Xbox.

Outlaw's Crude Crew

The lewd, crude, and downright hilarious Outlaw crew returns for the all — new Xbox — exclusive Outlaw Volleyball: Spike or Die. Publisher Simon & Schuster and developer Hypnotix present an Xbox Live-enabled volleyball game that lets up to four players take on any one of up to 16 crazy characters in competitive volleyball action. Outlaw Volleyball: Spike or Die, likeOutlaw Golf before it, uses the solid foundation of an intuitive and realistic sports simulation, then layers on over-the-top characters, raunchy humor, game-affecting brawls, and risqué graphics that have earned the latest Outlaw game a Mature rating.

The game starts you off with four volleyball players to choose from (as you progress through Outlaw Volleyball's 16 courts in single-player mode, you will eventually unlock all 16 additional characters—well, unless you are a quitter or something). Here's a brief field guide to the Outlaw 'ballers you will spot on your journey from Colon Avenue to Coney Isle and all the points in between. And, just to leave you a few titillating surprises, we haven't included everybody. Some things are worth the wait (at least, that is what Hypnotix told us).

Leon

A hard-serving hunk of original gangsta (or so he claims), Leon is at home on the volleyball court or the basketball court. He has one of the funniest victory cut-scene animations in recent videogame history.

Lizzie

If there is one thing Outlaw Volleyball has over Outlaw Golf, it is a wider variety of lasciviously attired lady athletes of questionable morals, depicted with greatly improved character models and a complete disregard for politeness or gravity. Lizzie fills the long-vacant London gutter-punk slot on the Outlaw athlete roster. She is a fast and aggressive spiker who has her way with the boys, both on the court and off. She usually plays in her underwear for convenience, and she enjoys punching things.

Shawnee

A statuesque athlete often attired in strips of buckskin, Shawnee (we are guessing) hails from a land of many lakes. A defensive powerhouse with a physique reminiscent of the Grand Tetons, Shawnee does not take losing well. She stomps around, dropping to her knees and driving her fists into the beach. So, losing is bad, but the losing animation is great it is another one of those bizarre Xbox paradoxical causality loops.

El Suave

A magnificent creature, whose only equal can be found in a mirror, the Adonis known simply as El Suave makes the smooth transition from golfer to spiker and proves he can clear the net as ably as he can swing a club. El Suave, whose new character model makes him appear positively messianic, takes to the court in a variety of ensembles that all seem to have gone through one too many shrink cycles at the dry cleaners.

Suave's commentary is an office favorite; his complete devotion to his one true love—himself—outshines all other considerations and always generates memorable quotes. On the court, Suave is a well-balanced 'baller good for any player.

And the Rest

Other new faces (and other pronounced features) bursting onto theOutlaw sports scene belong to spikers like the spicy, saucy, and unforgettable Donna Maroni; a completely disgusting hillbilly from Swampass, Ga. named Clem; and the Elvis-impersonating Kung-Fu enthusiast Doe Joe (get it?).

White trash duke out.

Golfers switching sports for a return to the Outlawseries include:

• The beefy homicidal inmate (and tattoo fan) Killer Miller, who hates volleyball, but enjoys the opportunity for random violence it offers
• The two-fisted, hog-straddling trailer park queen Harley
• Summer, the hardest working college student and amateur athlete in the adult entertainment industry
• Wannabe hip-hopper Ice Trey; and of course
• The aforementioned El Suave, who deserves mention once more, for is he not — El Suave?

When Volleyballs Are Outlawed

Like its earlier cousin, the much-beloved Outlaw Golf, this outrageous new sports title from developer Hypnotix and publisher Simon & Schuster Interactive is an over-the-top game loaded with a creative variety of play styles, characters that are usually as funny as they think they are, and The Daily Show’s Steve Carell behind the announcer’s mike. And just like the game that introduced the world to El Suave and Ice Trey, Outlaw Volleyball has a startlingly authentic and original simulation of the real thing hidden under all the serial killers, New Jersey jokes, and sweet, sweet can. Uh, candy. And, if you are good, I might even throw in a cheat or two.

Statological Humor

When you first pop Outlaw Volleyball into the Xbox, you will notice you have got four ‘ballers to choose from, each with a very different set of starting stats, much like Outlaw Golf (which only makes sense, since a lot of the Outlaw Golf players appear here).

Speed

For my money, this is the most important stat in the game—especially if, like me, you got a little lazy with returns in Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball™, which is a thousand times more forgiving when it comes to getting under the ball. None of your other stats matter if you cannot get to the ball in time.

Power

Appropriately enough, the second-listed stat is almost as important as the first—without a high power rating, you will find you spikes come out more like sporks.

Offense

This character statistic reflects your character’s ability to successfully return a ball. Definitely important, but not as important as speed.

If you feel you absolutely must play with one character or another (which is of course your right, and your favorite character’s stats, well, suck, fear not—you can always improve the stats of your choice while you improve your own skills by going through Drills, the Outlaw Volleyball equivalent ofOutlaw Golf's “Outlaw Range.”

On the same token, you do not want to build up just one character, especially if you want to unlock stuff like costumes and courts.

Get under the ball. If one of your players does not have a speed of at least 85, find one that does and fire the slowpoke—from a cannon—into a pool of sharks.

It is not hard to return the ball if you get under it, but it can be difficult to hit it well if you have a low Defense or Offense. More importantly, when spiking or serving, do your level best to let that power meter get to the top. You will be glad you did.

Bright Lights, Big Cheats

Nothing spices up a volleyball match like a few well-placed explosions. To randomly drop a bomb on the court, hold the L trigger and press A,B, B, Y, then A and X together.

Cheats

Unlockable: Hidden court

You must complete all of the tour events.

Unlimited Turbo

Select exhibition mode and press WHITE while playing to enter the pick-a-fight menu. Once there, hold L and press LEFT, RIGHT, DOWN, R. Turbo refills whenever the Turbo function is pressed.

Play Pit Of Hell Court

Select exhibition or random play mode then hold R and press X, X, X, X, X, X, Y, Y, Y, Y, Y, Y, WHITE, WHITE, WHITE, WHITE, WHITE, WHITE on the court select menu.

Unlock Courts

To unlock new courts for Random Play or Exhibition, go to the character select screen. Press and hold the Leftt Trigger, then press UP, DOWN, UP, LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT. (Alternate Source instructs you to highlight exhibition or random play then hold L and press UP, DOWN, UP, DOWN, LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT, RIGHT on the court select menu.)

Maximum Stats

During gameplay in Exhibition Mode, hold down the Right Trigger and press Left, White Button, Right, White Button.

Bomb Drop

To make your game a bit more interesting, use this code to place random exploding bomb on the court. During gameplay in Exhibition Mode, hold down the Left Triggerand press A, B, B, Y, A+X. (Alternate Method instructs you to wait until your momentum meter is zero. Then hold R and press LEFT, LEFT, LEFT, RIGHT, RIGHT, Y, A, B, B, A.)

Free Beating Tokens

During exhibition, hold down the L Trigger and press WHITE, WHITE, WHITE for instant Beating tokens.

Unlock All Characters

To unlock all characters, go to Exhibition, then go to the character select screen. Hold the LEFT TRIGGER, then press LEFT, WHITE, RIGHT, WHITE.

Biggie Your Boobies

While the game is playing (yup, while you or the opponent are serving) hold down the Left Trigger and press B, Up, Up, B, Y. There is no sound indicating the code is accepted, but you absolutely, positively see the results on screen. B-yoing!!

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