Super Volley Blast

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Title: Super Volley Blast
Developer: Unfinished Pixel
Publisher: Unfinished Pixel
Website: www.unfinishedpixel.com
Genre: Arcade Sports
Platform: Nintendo Switch (reviewed), PS4, Xbox One, PC
Audience: E for Everyone
Release Date: 12/7/2018
Price: £7.87 – Rapid Reviews UK was very kindly provided with a review code for this game.

What the Developers say

Are you ready to have a blast and become the best volleyball player in the world? Super Volley Blast is an over the top beach volley game that provides plenty of fun for you and your friends.

Unique features like the story mode, where 1 or 2 players will face 7 teams formed by some cool personalities, or a complete avatar editor that will allow to bring yourself, family and friends or your favourite celebrities to the court.

Up to 4 players at the same time or 16 in a tournament, teamplay is the key to achieve victories. Good positioning in the court, communication and skills will decide who’s the winner.

Set the rules you like and play a quick match, or compete in a tournament at places around the world with your friends, unlock the special characters of the story mode and complete all the challenges. New game plus for the most skilled players included.

Can you imagine playing some volley in the sunny Barcelona beaches or under a rain of sakura petals in Tokyo? Join in and have a blast!

Introduction

There are quite a few volleyball games that I’ve enjoyed playing and joining the fray is Super Volley Blast from developer Unfinished Pixel. The developer wanted to make sure to create a title that provided plenty of arcade fun and a great local multiplayer experience. While it might look generic at surfaces level, Super Volley Blast makes for a solid first entry in what will hopefully become a series.

Looks and Sounds

Super Volley Blast is a two-on-two volleyball title featuring relatively simple controls, a story mode, and a few multiplayer modes for full volleyball experience. The multiplayer mode can be played with up to four players locally, and unfortunately, there is no online play. This was definitely more fun and a better experience when played in multiplayer, and the game was made with that in mind.

Story mode can be played one or two players co-op, and has you going through an arcade-like series of matchups that get more difficult and longer as you progress. You begin matches only having to play one set which is first to 11 points, and then advance to first to 15 points before getting to sets of first to 11 and then sets of first to 15. I completed the story mode in less than two hours, but you can play it again in a new game plus+ and ++. The characters that you’re playing against levels are the same though, making for an unrewarding second or third playthrough.

The characters you play against throughout, include parodies of pop-culture’s superhero and political figures, such as Spider-Man or Kim Jong-un. The levels that you face off in are themed from various areas of the world, like Brazil, Sydney, or New York. I thought the stages were cleverly created with a simple art style and bright colours with a nice flare that brings out their personality.

Gameplay and Replayability

Thankfully, the gameplay itself is enjoyable while still being accessible and straightforward to control. Each of the four face buttons performs a different volleyball technique, and you’ll find which ones work best, as far as lobbing shots over the net or jumping up and spiking the ball down. When you jump up to set up for a spike, there’s a white circle that quickly closes in on the ball, and when this does, it’s your opportunity to spike it down. If you miss the chance though, you’ll end up whiffing on that hit and the other team will probably score the point instead.

Getting down the timing took some time as it was hard to discern when the optimal time to strike was, but once I did, I was winning matches with no problem. Every character in Super Volley Blast unfortunately though controls the same. They have the same stats across the board, but they can reach the right amount of the playing field. This means when a ball seems like it’s out of reach if you dive at the right moment you still may be able to barely reach and set it up for your partner to then spike it on your opponents.

I had the most fun in multiplayer Blast mode where you can set up a variety of different parameters, like having the ball turning into a chicken where it will bounce around everywhere, or turning the entire playing field into ice, so everyone is slipping around. You can have characters get more tired after each hit or have all the characters move at super fast speed. Experimenting and making new combinations of these parameters made Super Volley Blast more fun and kept me coming back the most.

Conclusion

Overall, Super Volley Blast is a blast to play and especially fun to play with friends. The simple controls will make the barrier to entry much less daunting, and the cutesy art style is visually appealing. It can be played in single-player, but unfortunately, the fun factor drops, and you won’t get the full experience which is a shame. Still, Super Volley Blast comes recommended for those looking for a volleyball party-like title.

Rapid Reviews UK Rating

You can purchase Super Volley Blast on the Nintendo Switch eShop at the following link, https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Super-Volley-Blast-1396589.html