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Outlaw Volleyball

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Outlaw Volleyball
Developer(s)Hypnotix
Publisher(s)North America
Simon & Schuster Interactive
PAL
TDK Mediactive Europe (Xbox)
Global Star Software (PS2)
EngineRenderWare
Platform(s)PlayStation 2, Xbox
ReleaseXbox
PlayStation 2
  • PAL: April 8, 2004
  • NA: May 17, 2005
Genre(s)Sports, fighting
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Outlaw Volleyball is a video game based on the sport of volleyball. It was originally published for the Xbox and included a sampler CD of tunes by cover band Diffuser. The Xbox version was also released in Japan as part of Xbox's World Collection series. It was later ported to the PlayStation 2 with two new courts and a handful of additional player costumes, accessories, etc. under the title Outlaw Volleyball Remixed. The game is part of the Outlaw series, and other titles include Outlaw Golf and Outlaw Tennis. The game features Steve Carell as the announcer.

Gameplay

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There are seventeen playable characters with four available from the start, each having their own stats for the volleyball and fighting portions of the game.[4] The game follows the normal rules of volleyball and a standard game with standard rules can be played. However, there are a number of different modes that mix up the standard formula. One example is Hot Potato, where the ball is played as a timer ticks down, and once it runs out the ball explodes upon impact of the nearest player. Another is "Casino Round", where the longer the rally, the more money the scoring team on that play gets. Individual settings can also be altered within these modes, such as adjusting whether only the serving team can score a point ("side out" rule) or any team who wins the rally gets a point.

Fighting with other characters is an option before a serve where a player can choose to fight an opponent on the other side of the net. If the player wins they earn the victim's momentum bar. Beating tokens are earned after great plays and a turnover of the serve.

Outlaw Volleyball Red Hot

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Outlaw Volleyball Red Hot released as a rental-only exclusive for Blockbuster, and meant to serve as a side game to the original rather than a full-fledged sequel. The game is set in hell and contains only one court, the "Pit of Hell", which was not in the original Outlaw Volleyball. Returning characters also had slight outfit variants to reflect the setting, such as red horns and devil wings.

Development

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Outlaw Volleyball utilized motion capture to record the character's performances. Scrapped animations and concept artwork for the game were released on the Hypnotix website.[5] Music for the game was composed by multiple punk rock bands established in the 1990s and early 2000s, including Avoid One Thing, Diffuser, Hot Rod Circuit, Junk, The Exit, Warrior, and Waterdown. The song "Meat" was written and performed by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal. Nile Rodgers was an executive producer for the soundtrack and MTV's Melinda Gedman served as a music supervisor. In an interview, Rodgers stated that video games were a great "showcase for new talent", as they allowed bands to achieve success outside of the music industry.[6] Diffuser's music video "Get It On" featured gameplay footage from Outlaw Volleyball, which debuted on MTV and VH1. The original soundtrack was released on July 8, 2003 , the same day as the game's launch in North America.[6]

Reception

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Reviews ranged from positive to very mixed. GameRankings and Metacritic gave Outlaw Volleyball a score of 79% and 77 out of 100,[21][23] and also gave Outlaw Volleyball Remixed a score of 64% and 57 out of 100.[20][22] Critics complimented the game for its humor and online functionality, but criticized its easy difficulty, lack of gameplay depth, and repeated jokes.[16] The PlayStation 2 version received mixed or average reviews, citing the game as a "lazy rehash" and "a clunky port of a 2-year-old title".[24][12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "What's New?". Eurogamer.net. 2003-11-14. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  2. ^ Varanini, Giancarlo (June 24, 2003). "Outlaw Volleyball goes gold". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  3. ^ "Outlaw Volleyball Release Information for Xbox". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  4. ^ UnHoly One (May 3, 2003). "Maximum Character Stats FAQ". GameFAQs. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  5. ^ "Behind The Scenes". Hypnotix. Archived from the original on August 7, 2003. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
  6. ^ a b Gaudiosi, John (June 25, 2003). "Video game publishers spin soundtrack synergy". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 14, 2003. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Marriott, Scott Alan. "Outlaw Volleyball - Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  8. ^ EGM staff (September 2003). "Outlaw Volleyball". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 171. p. 132.
  9. ^ Mason, Lisa (September 2003). "Outlaw Volleyball". Game Informer. No. 125. p. 120. Archived from the original on June 24, 2008. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  10. ^ Tokyo Drifter (July 18, 2003). "Outlaw Volleyball Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  11. ^ Liu, Johnny (July 2003). "Outlaw Volleyball Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  12. ^ a b Davis, Ryan (June 22, 2005). "Outlaw Volleyball Remixed Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  13. ^ Davis, Ryan (July 16, 2003). "Outlaw Volleyball Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  14. ^ Meston, Zach (July 26, 2003). "GameSpy: Outlaw Volleyball". GameSpy. Archived from the original on January 9, 2006. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  15. ^ Valentino, Nick (July 27, 2003). "Outlaw Volleyball - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  16. ^ a b Boulding, Aaron (July 10, 2003). "Outlaw Volleyball Review". IGN. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  17. ^ "Outlaw Volleyball". Official Xbox Magazine. September 2003. p. 80.
  18. ^ Saltzman, Marc (August 12, 2003). "Outlaw Volleyball fun for older players". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  19. ^ "Outlaw Volleyball". Playboy: 34. July 2003.
  20. ^ a b "Outlaw Volleyball Remixed for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  21. ^ a b "Outlaw Volleyball for Xbox". GameRankings. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  22. ^ a b "Outlaw Volleyball Remixed for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  23. ^ a b "Outlaw Volleyball for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  24. ^ a b "Issue 65". Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine. Future publishing. November 2005. p. 129. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
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