448 Beach Stars I
"Inspirations" which are really just Alexander's term for some of the things that he didn't plunder by that much.
Anyways... in that category is U.S. Championship V'Ball...
Quite the mouthful, isn't it?
That's just how the Japanese developers wanted to twist their fellow countrymen's tongues.
Still, for an American like Alexander, it was known as Super Spike V'Ball.
Either way, it could be called V'ball, for short.
In this game, the gamer takes control of a pair of self-described beach bums named George and Michael, who make their living playing beach volleyball against locals.
One day, they find a flyer for a nationwide beach volleyball tournament offering the winning team a $2,500,000 cash prize.
And so, it begins...
In single-player mode, one person controls both characters on a team. Which is a rather interesting gameplay, in and of itself.
However, in two-player mode, the players either cooperate by playing on the same team... or compete against each other by controlling opposing teams.
The three-player and four-player mode follows essentially the same logic... but the arcade cabinets should be where these capacities shine.
Of course, those really detract from the fact that the game has a story to follow, with George and Michael as the stars. Of beach volleyball.
And they have quite the time to shine, especially with them playing two cycles with four stages... of the Minor Circuit and the Major Circuit.
Something probably standard to professional competitions or sports.
For added content... between matches, intermission sequences depict the main characters visiting a car dealership to purchase a vehicle.
As they progress, the cars increase in quality, shifting from used cars to new cars during the Major Circuit.
Which begs the question what even is the point of these cars and where even are they headed towards?
Of course, they need to get to their matches... obviously.
And, in keeping with the US theme... the stages in the game are set in Daytona Beach, New York, Los Angeles, and even Hawaii... well... that's assuming that car travel can even get them to that far-off island.
Also, after completing the Major Circuit, the duo actually had to face against a U.S. Navy team, set in a naval base.
A premise almost oh-so-familiar, isn't it?
Almost as if the game was inspired by something. What could it be?
Consequently, that inkling of correlation pretty much just spurred Alexander to make this whole beach volleyball game to be about Top Gun...
This logic and reasoning actually extend to Kings of the Beach as well.
In this volleyball game... the player can play as Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos.
Alexander actually checked before and apparently, they're real people. Joined by some Von Hagen fella, Hovland dude, and a Dodd pal as some of the 'real' volleyball players featured in the game.
Since EA's the one that's part of this development, there's no surprise with that touch of real athleticism. Or just real athlete involvement in some sense.
As for the game's more pertinent features... it would its three modes of play: practice, match play, and tournament.
Wherein in the latter, you progress through five beaches.
Chicago, Waikiki, Rio de Janeiro, Australia... and San Diego...
Another Top Gun connection. Probably. Since someone probably figured that beach volleyball games wouldn't be a beach volleyball game without it.
After all that, it would just be filled with increasingly challenging opponents as volleying duo or "you" attempt to win it all.
Standard stuff but the one to look out for would be another endearing feature... the ability to 'argue' calls with the referee.
Which occasionally allows players to get a point overturned.
However, if players argue too much, the referee may penalize them with a red card and deduct a point.
And that's about it... but if Alexander was being honest, there's a whole lot of other b'v'ball themed games to go through.
Like the likes of RealSports Volleyball but that's old school.
Dig and Spike Volleyball, which is a combo of both indoor and beach.
Popeye Beach Volleyball, Popeye-themed to the max, obviously.
Sanrio Cup Pon Pon Valley, at first glance and first read, may seem far off but it's fitting enough as it can get. Sort of. It's even Hello Kitty-themed.
Then there's Malibu Bikini Beach Volleyball, with femme fatale babes but that's considered an inspiration for another thing.
As far as how these all connect to Top Gun: BVB... it's just the fact that after or aside from that Top Gun scene... the TopGun cadets wrap up... and a beach volleyball tournament will be made available.
With expressive crowds... referring referees... dynamically good beaches and bad bitches... seeded players... also kooky yet non-repeating characters to against...
All of that and whatnot.
Making for a comprehensive game that incorporates the best of the best from all the abovementioned.
Cause, why not?
In a way, Top Gun: BVB is extended and Creed Games can dwarf any other beach volleyball game that'll follow suit. Mostly...
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And if all of that wasn't enough to fulfill the Creed gaming crowd to their heart's content... there just had to be some more extra content to be packaged along.
Yet not exactly packaged together... more like the BVB buying train just bought it along.
After all, they were in a comic book store... and since they were buying a beach volleyball video game, why not purchase a comic book about beach volleyball as well?
And to no surprise, Creed Comics offered it.
In their newest title... Beach Stars!
Obviously, created by Alexander Creed.
As for the story and panels, it held... quite eye-catching, to say the least.
And it's not really about starfishes lounging by the sands, as they usually are.
Nor is it really about those heavenly bodies crashing onto shores. That'd be catastrophic, actually.
For the most part, the comic's focus is actually on a high school girl named Nana Little.
Issue #1 is even titled, Nana Little.
Perhaps a name indicative of the person's character. Nana, a silly fool. Little, well... for little.
Anyway... she is hopeful for the new school year, with the knowledge that she will be able to play volleyball with all of her friends.
Recently, turning 17, she had high hopes. Hoping to even become the team's captain.
Alas, all was but a dream.
Unfortunately, due to lack of membership, the volleyball club is closing down, and all of her other friends go off to do other things.
Nana crumbled at that.
Throughout her depression, some probable key characters are introduced.
Still, the story progressed and Nana has lost quite a lot of enthusiasm.
However, when things look bleakest, she is taken down to the beach by her friends, where she meets the up-and-coming beach volleyball star, Shiela Angel... and her life changes forever...
Honestly, it's a fairly standard plot from there...
Being mocked for being tiny and having her volleyball passion mocked along... little Nana gets into a confrontation with the so-called Silent Angel, Shiela...
Turning a photoshoot into an impromptu beach volleyball match... a grudge needs to be settled.
And boy... was it a beach volleyball match...
Little Nana actually can jump, practically flying. Unfortunately, also on the fly, she's still learning the ropes of beach volleying.
All the while, the Silent Angel is a true veteran... overwhelming even...
Then again, the back-and-forth of the ball and their wills still commenced!
Seriously though... how the heck did Alexander Creed come up with this thrilling stuff?
How did he pack a sports match in panels and make it work?
To think that then they were, previously thinking that this was all nigh impossible or unnecessarily difficult.
Alexander Creed's gone and done it.
There's probably more to come and they can't wait.
This is only the first issue, after all.
Just what is the outcome of Nana Little and Shiela Angel's clash?!
To be continued...
Drats!
For a fair few or even a lot... they truly, truly can't wait...
Because this group realized that Beach Stars isn't just about the plot... and bouncing balls...
It's also about the panties... and boing-ing boobs!
So, maybe... just maybe... Beach Stars actually is about those heavenly bodies.
Heavenly bodies by the beach, they truly are.
