Technos Japan's Beach Volley V'BALL Returns via Arcade Archives on August 13
This release brings a Technos Japan sports title, known for Kunio-kun and Double Dragon, to modern platforms with a discounted upgrade path for existing owners, expanding the Arcade Archives catalog with a five-platform simultaneous launch.
Key Facts
- Arcade Archives Beach Volley V'BALL costs 838 yen on Switch and 837 yen on PS4; Arcade Archives 2 Beach Volley V'BALL costs 1,100 yen on each platform.
- Owners of the Switch or PS4 version can buy the Switch 2 or PS5 version for 330 yen each as an owner discount.
- The game features two playable characters, George and Michael, competing in a beach volleyball tournament with stages in Daytona Beach, New York, Los Angeles, and Hawaii.
- Arcade Archives 2 adds a Time Attack Mode and supports VRR for behavior closer to the original arcade version.
Reporting from 5 sources: 4Gamer.net, GAME Watch (Impress), Denfaminicogamer, ASCII.jp, and 1 more.
Hamster announced on August 12 that it will release Beach Volley V'BALL, the 1988 arcade action game from Technos Japan, as part of its Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2 series. The game launches on August 13 across five platforms: Arcade Archives Beach Volley V'BALL for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, and Arcade Archives 2 Beach Volley V'BALL for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Prices are 838 yen for the Switch version, 837 yen for the PS4 version, and 1,100 yen for each Arcade Archives 2 version. Players control two young men, George and Michael, who enter a beach volleyball tournament and aim for victory. The game features directional control on serves and spikes, with rapid button presses unleashing powerful spikes. Stages include Daytona Beach, New York, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, with a final match against a U.S. Navy team on a warship. The domestic version supports one to two players, while the overseas version supports up to four. Arcade Archives 2 adds a Time Attack Mode and supports VRR for behavior closer to the original arcade version.
The owner discount applies in one direction only: buyers of the Switch or PS4 version can get the Switch 2 or PS5 version for 330 yen, but there is no discount path from the Arcade Archives 2 versions back to the older ones. Hamster's press release notes the company is based in Setagaya, Tokyo, with Hamada Rin as representative director.
Game Spark adds that the prize money in the tournament is 2.5 million dollars, and that the overseas version supports 2-on-2 versus play in addition to cooperative play. The controls use an 8-direction lever and two buttons.
The official program "Arcade Archiver" airs a "Beach Volley V'BALL Special" on August 13 at 19:00 on Hamster's YouTube channel, with game introductions and talks with the developers. The program streams live every week on release days.
The press release closes with a line aimed at players: "This is their success story. You create the story from here on."
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 5 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- 4Gamer.net 連打で強力なスパイクを繰り出せ。アーケードアーカイブス版「ビーチバレー V'BALL」，8月13日に配信開始
- GAME Watch (Impress) テクノスジャパンのアクション「ビーチバレー V'BALL」がアケアカ/アケアカ2に登場。8月13日より配信開始
- Denfaminicogamer 1988年発売のアーケード向けビーチバレーゲーム『ビーチバレー V’BALL』が「アケアカ」で復刻、8月13日に配信へ。ビーチバレー大会に出場した若者2人を操り優勝を目指す
- ASCII.jp テクノスジャパンの『ビーチバレー V'BALL』が「アケアカ」と「アケアカ2」で8月13日に配信決定！
- Game Spark テクノスジャパン『ビーチバレー V'BALL』アケアカで復活！8月13日5ハード同時配信、スイッチ/PS4所有者は330円でアップグレード