EA and 2K Sports have made a host of sports simulators that were not only deep and realistic but also very fun. Wii Sports took depth and intricate controls out of the picture, replacing them with simple motion-based actions, and still came out fun. During the 80s and 90s, arcade developers used a variety of styles to create sports games whose memories would outlast the venue for which they were originally developed. This is unbreakable proof that the genre knows no bounds. It can be entertaining in any shape or form.
The thing about the word "can," however, is that it does not have any amount of certainty attached to it. Just as a new sports concept – or some variation of an existing one – has the potential to rock our worlds, there is also the possibility that it will fall flat on its face. That happens to be the case for Women's Volleyball Championship, an all-girl volleyball game developed exclusively for – this one's a shocker – PlayStation 2.
Gameplay 1.7
Graphics 2
Sound 1
Difficulty Easy/Med
Concept 5
Multiplayer 1
Overall 1.9
PSX Extreme writes: "Sometimes, we just shake our heads in disappointment and consternation, wondering why on earth a developer would give the green light to a project like Women's Volleyball Championship. Somebody in the office at Spike figured there aren't enough volleyball games out there, which is probably the only good point made throughout the entire meeting. Perhaps the reason there aren't a lot of volleyball titles out there is because it's not a super popular sport, and when you toss in an evidently tiny budget, you're doomed. The instant we started an Exhibition match in this game, we just had to laugh, especially when we got a look at the replays. Those were especially comical, and although we tried our damndest to have fun; to understand what should've been a relatively straightforward gameplay scheme, we ended up tossing down the controller in frustration. It was one of those experiences that, while not quite horrendously abysmal, was somewhat amusing – in a dark kind of way – and just plain boring. Nothing to see here, ladies and gents. Move along."
Overall, the game seems to exhibit a good simulation of a volleyball game, with an emphasis on many different statistics, and real-life strategies. This game would best be for a gamer with a genuine interest in the professional side of volleyball, not so much the glitz and glam of beach bikini-infested volleyball.
Conan Librarian Writes:
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be an international female volleyball player? Well Women's Championship Volleyball might be what you're looking for. That is of course, if you want to know how it feels to be on the Olympic court drunk and blindfolded. Agetec hasn't always delivered the best product, but it seems like they went out of their way to make sure you wouldn't just be disappointed, but that you would also learn to hate volleyball all together.
The box promises in-depth player/team development as well as a rich customization and training feature for crafting your own star. In theory you're supposed to be able to assign a captain that will boost moral and improve stats all around. You can also decide where you want to place your players based on their individual stats and special skills. When getting to the meat of it however, it all becomes confusing and time consuming. Training a team isn't even an option, although it seems like you're working hard to make the perfect squad, once you get on the court the fifteen minutes or more you spent deciding where and how to allocate the players seem to mean nothing at all."
