Spike Storm

About Spike Storm

Spike Storm reduces beach volleyball to the two seconds that decide a rally: reading the ball in the air and getting under it in time. The ball carries gravity and spin, so a bump hit slightly off-centre lands somewhere you didn't intend, and points come from placement far more often than from power. Jump near the net and the same button becomes a spike, which is fast, satisfying, and blockable if your opponent reads it.

There are three ways to play. The beach ladder runs ten rivals, each reading the ball a little better than the last, with stars awarded by how badly you beat them. Quick match puts you against a rival picked at your level, in singles or with a teammate covering the back court. The knockout cup is two rounds — win your semi-final, then take the final.

How to play Spike Storm

Move along your half of the court with the arrow keys or A and D, and jump with the up arrow, W or Space. There is no separate hit button: getting your player under the ball bumps it back over. The whole game is therefore about reading the arc early and being in the right place, rather than about timing a swing.

Jump near the net and the same contact becomes a spike — fast, flat, and satisfying, but blockable if your opponent reads it and jumps with you. Points come from placement far more often than from power, because the ball carries gravity and spin, so a bump struck slightly off-centre lands somewhere you did not intend.

How to play a Spike Storm match

1. Choose a game speed on the home screen (Slow, Medium or Fast), then pick Beach ladder, Quick match, Arena or Knockout cup.
2. On the ladder, choose the highest rival you have unlocked. Each one you beat opens the next, up to match ten.
3. The serve is automatic. Watch the ball's arc and move along your half so that your player is under it when it comes down.
4. Choose where the ball goes as you make contact. Holding right sends it deep towards the back line, holding left drops it just over the net, and holding neither puts it in mid-court.
5. When the ball is near net height and you are close to the net, jump with the up arrow, W or Space, and the contact becomes a smash. Left and right still pick between a short and a deep finish.
6. If the ball lands on your side, or you are the last to touch it before it goes out, the point goes to your opponent. The game stops once someone reaches the target score with a two-point lead.

Spike Storm tips and strategy

• Hold a direction on every touch. A ball you hit without a direction always goes to the middle of the court, which is easy for the rival to read. Mixing deep and short with left and right is what pulls them out of position.
• Block their smashes by jumping at the net. If you are in the air close to the net when a rival smash comes through, your body stops it and sends it back. Five blocks earn the badge called The Wall.
• Stay near the net when the ball is on their side. Smashes are only possible within a short distance of the net. Hanging back in deep court means you can only bump, and it leaves the net open to the rival.
• Try Slow speed while you learn. The game speed setting scales everything, from serves to the pause after each point. Slow gives you time to read the arc, and Fast is a different challenge once you have the timing.
• Three stars means holding them to three. A ladder win earns three stars if the rival scores three points or fewer, two if they score five or fewer, and one otherwise.
• Long deuces have a ceiling. A close game cannot go on for ever. It ends as soon as either player gets four points beyond the target, even without a two-point lead, so in a long deuce the next point matters a great deal.

The Arena modes and progression

The Arena lets you play the same volleyball in different ways, and none of it affects your ladder progress. Marathon is first to 25 against a steady rival. Sudden death is first to five against the strongest player on the beach. Gauntlet puts three rivals in a row, each better than the last, and one loss ends the run. Doubles cup puts you on a team of two against a pair, first to 11. The Arena screen also records how many times you have won each one.

Wins pay XP and coins, and XP raises your rank from Rookie through Digger, Setter, Server, Blocker, Spiker, Ace and Beach King to Storm Lord. Rank is more than a label, because computer rivals move slightly faster about the court as your XP total goes up. Coins buy new balls in the shop: Golden for 1,500, Neon for 3,000 and Royal for 5,000. Badges mark milestones such as a three-win streak, a shut-out, a completed ladder and 20 smash points.