KINGS OF THE BEACH

 KINGS OF THE BEACH is as breezy and lighthearted as the game it's meant to
simulate: pro beach volleyball. Before you scoff, bear in mind that a pro beach
volleyball tournament wallet can be $100,000. So, while it's not the
highest-profile sport (at least, not in those parts of the country with eight
months of winter), it definitely has its athletic supporters. KOTB is based on
the talents of two real-life masters of the game, Randy Stoklos and Sinjin
Smith. Their styles are incorporated into the game's two controllable characters
-- sort of "ONE-ON-ONE Meets Frankie and Annette." (This review is based on the
IBM-PC version; Commodore 64/128 version notes follow.)

 Except during training, there are four players on-screen. You can control
either Randy or Sinjin, while the computer controls your partner and the two
opponents. In a two-player game, one player controls Randy and the other
controls Sinjin. And you can play cooperatively (on the same side), or
competitively. Randy and Sinjin make a dynamite duo, though, so bear in mind
that it's a bit of a sin to split them up.

 Meantime, there's plenty of rooting in the stands. A large crowd is constantly
in motion, cheering you on; this includes a number of "volley dollies" (beach
volleyball parlance). There are a lot of other touches that add to the sunny
outdoor ambience: changing scenery, depending on your location; the occasional
high-five among players; and the strategic element of arguing with the referee
(which can definitely affect your score).

 Complete with a jaunty musical track (particularly nice on the Adlib board or
with Tandy sound capabilities), KOTB takes you to the beaches of California,
and, in tournaments, to faraway places like Australia, Hawaii, and Rio. But back
at the registration booth in San Diego, you have five main options. You can
practice your moves (bump, set, or spike), play a match, or go for the whole
tournament. If you want to practice serves and defense, you'll have to do it on
the fly -- during a match or tournament.

 Unlike so many other chiefly arcade-style sports simulations, KOTB offers a
very small number of moves. There are three kinds of serves: the skyball (easy
to complete, difficult to aim); the flat serve (toss it up and punch it); and
the jump serve (a powerhouse, but requires excellent timing). Then, there are
three offensive shots: the bump, the set, and the spike. The bump is the
standard move where you lock your hands together and hit the ball with the flat
of the forearms. The set aims not to get the ball over the net, but to set it up
nice and neat for your partner. And the spike is the move that always had me
cringing on the court -- a hard-fisted punch right in front of the net. Then,
there are three defensive moves, two of which are essentially the same as the
offensive moves: the set, and the bump. (A defensive bump often ends with a dive
and a single arm under the ball; less controllable but better than a clean
miss.) The only unique defensive move is the block; this is the other end of the
spike. As an opponent jumps to spike the ball, you block it with a fist. The net
result (pun intended) is a tables-turned spike. So, altogether you have nine
moves, three of which are used only during the serve. The offensive and
defensive moves are automatically chosen depending on your situation; thus, the
keystroke for an offensive set is identical to the keystroke for a defensive
set.

 Another factor that makes KOTB easier than the average sports game is the fact
that you don't have to strain too much to position yourself correctly. As long
as you're close to the correct position, the computer will actually fine-tune
your position for you. In addition, the ball's shadow acts as a good indicator
of where you should attempt to position yourself. So, between the computer's
assistance and the shadow, positioning is not the tough part of the game. The
tough part is learning to anticipate what your opponents are going to do, and
interacting smoothly with your partner. Very often you'll find your partner
setting up shots for you; it's up to you to recognize that and respond
correctly. Also, the spike, the block, and especially a quick comeback to your
partner's blocked spike all require extraordinary timing.

 I played this game with all three supported control devices (keyboard,
joystick, and mouse). The joystick is far and away superior to the keyboard; the
program even supports two joysticks for those so equipped -- a rarity on IBM
machines. I found the response reliable and the interface quite easy to learn.
My mouse, a PC SYSTEMS Mouse, didn't work correctly with this program. A lot of
Electronic Arts' programs have difficulty with anything other than a Microsoft
Mouse.

 Basically, there are three difficulty levels governing the strength and
abilities of the computer-controlled opponents and partners. These levels are
useful during match play. The tournament difficulty levels are predetermined,
and get progressively more difficult. During tournament play, you must play
three games per beach. Win three games, and you win the beach; you then move on
to the next beach. You're also given a password so that you never again have to
play a beach you've already conquered.

 The copy protection scheme for KOTB is off-disk, requiring a number entered
from a code wheel. The small inconvenience, in my opinion, is worth it for the
ease of installation. All the files are unprotected, so you can simply install
the program onto working disks, or any hard disk subdirectory of your choosing.

 The graphics are delightful. The graphic modes supported in the MS-DOS version
are CGA and EGA. VGA and MCGA cards will display the 16-color EGA graphics. The
animation seemed very fluid and ran at a decent clip. And the little animated
details, such as the ref's headshake, the occasional sand-kicking, and the
high-fives are all little gems to watch. Once in a while, after an exceptional
volley or a deliciously cruel spike, you really want to give a high five, and
it's gratifying to see the program do this for you!

 Other requirements for the IBM-PC version: DOS 2.1 or greater, and 256K. The
following systems are supported: IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2; Compaq; and Tandy 1000
series, 3000, 4000, 5000. Naturally, most compatibles should run the program
with no problems.

 I was surprised that I enjoyed KINGS OF THE BEACH as much as I did; it seemed
like a thin idea for a sports simulation. I never guessed that the game would
find a permanent home on my hard drive, but that's what happened, thanks to its
infectious good cheer and its simple, but challenging, gameplay.

 COMMODORE 64/128 VERSION NOTES

 The Commodore 64 version of KINGS OF THE BEACH retains the easy play and neat
animation of the original IBM program. Although the graphics in general leave
something to be desired (such as volley dollies), the players and their actions
are clear and distinguishable, right down to high-fives, rants of disgust, and
sand kicks at the referee.

 Graphics aside, the major difference between versions is that play on the C64
must be controlled with a joystick: All IBM keystrokes are duplicated with this
device, either by clicking the button once or twice, or (while serving) moving
the stick in a direction, then clicking. The Command Summary card suggests
plugging the joystick into Port 2 for a one-player game; I suggest plugging it
into Port 1.

 The "F1" function key will send your player over to the referee to argue a
call; "F2" will send the second human-controlled player over to do the same.

 Predictably, the C64's double-sided BEACH disk is copy-protected. The package
comes with an "I Dig Spike" body tattoo (called a Jattoo), a bonus that now
completes my life.

 SKATE OR DIE is the most obvious example of EA's penchant for putting together
games based on topical sports. Whether or not such games sell in large numbers
is irrelevant, for EA knows how to do it right: KINGS OF THE BEACH is easy to
learn, and is as much fun to play as any sports simulation around.

 KINGS OF THE BEACH is published and distributed by Electronic Arts.

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