Xtreme Square Volleyball
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Forward to present day (2005, to those of you reading this in some 25th century museum/blog-vault), videogame volleyball will/has evolve/evolved into poly-polygonal, progressively scanned-tily clad women bouncing around on exotic beaches and buying each other cute gifts. Back here in 1972/73, where I am, Volleyball for the Odyssey is the primordial soup of videogame volleyball. Don't forget, those little figures on the Überlay are static; frozen eternally in those positions. The only movement on the screen occurs with the Player Spots and the Ball Spot, just like in the most of the previous 20-or-so Odyssey games.
This game requires a new numbered cartridge, which is included. Seeing a shiny new copper number seven does add a little excitement to the initial play of the game. The hardware variation this cartridge unlocks takes a half-height version of the center line from the table tennis game and stations it at the bottom of the screen as a volleyball "net". This net also acts as a barrier as we shall see below. Join me, won't you?
There is a slight difference between this and the other "wiggle the ball past your opponent" games. Instead of wiggling it past your opponent and sending it off your opponent's side of the screen, you send it careening as quickly as possible over the net and off the bottom of your opponent's side of the screen without hitting the net. Surprisingly, if you hit the net, the ball does disappear! This serves to give you a clear indication that you actually have hit the net! A brave step away, this is, from the other primarily player referreed(sp?) video gameplay found in the other Odyssey games. I, for one, approve of it. It doesn't make this game any more interesting than Ultraman, though, so it won't be getting the point despite its, uh, innovation.
The game goes to 15 points (just like real volleyball!) and we couldn't stomach it past the initial "who gets to serve" volley. I want to say that it was really our mood that day and not the game which made us not have fun. Even if that's true, tough luck for the game. Having to use the ENGLISH control to effect a pseudo-ballistic trajectory isn't as fun as it sounds. (okay, it didn't sound that fun either.)
The Score: Ultraman: 9, The Odyssey: 12
Hey, by the way. Forward to 2005: I actually got to watch the Ultraman Origin movie from 1967 (in the original Japanese, with NO subtitles. Yeah, I'm hardcore.). I think it was three early episodes stiched together into a movie. Look, I know that Ultraman has been running for 35 seasons or so in Japan, so I mean it no disrespect. BUT DAMN! It did not age well. I'm sorry to say, that it seems, for the most part, neither Odyssey NOR Ultraman was a great way to spend one's time in 1972/73, at least in the hindsight of an adult in his protracted adolescence. I do, however, stand by Ultraman as a my choice for a worthy comparison to Odyssey.
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