Sonic Spike
System: TG-16
Release Date: July 1990
Developer: IGS
Publisher: IGS
Genre: Sports
Hit the sand and beat everyone else in Sonic Spike! Beach volleyball is back and this time it’s on the TurboGrafx-16. Enjoy up to four players together in one game, or go at it alone in a tournament against the competition.
Exhibition mode has you picking two players from six different countries. Each country has two men and two women to choose from. You can edit their stat point distribution if you’d like, then it’s off to the beach! Serve and hit with Button I, jump with Button II. You can spike the ball by jumping and hitting and can block spikes by jumping, as well.
Tournament mode has you choosing from four unaffiliated players. You then have to go through each country. You must win the best of 3 sets. 15 points gets you the win. Scoring is normal, as opposed to rally point. You can replenish player stamina twice per game (12:25). I hope you are ready for a half hour to get through a game.
Graphics: 1.5
Sprites are big and fairly detailed, but animations are extremely choppy
Sound: 1.0
The music is barren and poor, and the sound effects aren’t great, either.
Gameplay: 1.0
There are a lot of miffed shots that will stupefy you.
Difficulty: 1.5
It’s a game of attrition. Unless you get really sloppy, you should be able to win after awhile.
Fun Factor: 1.0
I didn’t really enjoy playing these matches. They were too slow, took too long, and there was a lot of seemingly messed up hits.
Overall Rating: 1.2
Sonic Spike earns a D+. I can’t say this was a particularly good volleyball game. It’s playable, but there’s nothing sonic about the speed of this one.