Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball - Xbox

DoA: XBV finds Zach, the flamboyant winner of the DoA3 tournament, buying a tropical island after hitting it big in Vegas. He sends out invitations claiming that the next DoA tournament is to be held on his island. Surprise, surprise: there is no fighting tournament, Zach only invited the female fighters, and the stage is set for... well, for a bunch of scantily clad girls frolicking on a beach.

You begin the game by choosing a girl to play as. Each game is broken up into a two week vacation, and each day is divided into morning, daytime and evening. You spend each segment of the day playing volleyball, gambling in the casino, shopping for swimsuits and accessories, lounging around the island, or trying to befriend the other girls on the island.

It's probably not fair to classify DoA:XBV as a volleyball game. Sure, you'll spend a bit of time playing volleyball, but the gameplay is so basic that there are literally only two buttons: one to pass to your teammate and another to send the ball to the opposing side of the net. It's probably more accurate to label DoA:XBV as an unusual "relationship" game, with volleyball just one of several ways to earn money to spend on gifts for girls. Well-wooed girls will partner up with you for volleyball matches, or allow themselves to be convinced to try on slinkier and more exotic swimwear.

What the game lacks in depth, volleyball gameplay or features it makes up for in eye candy. If nothing else, Xtreme Beach Volleyball is a great display of the raw graphical power of the Xbox. It is not a volleyball game. It is an incredibly pretty collection of small but moderately amusing mini-games, played by buxom cartoon babes. Fans of Lara Croft, rejoice: the next generation is here. --Jon Grover