SWISS GAME DESIGN ARCHIVE 1968-2000

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GAME

1990
/
1st
/
Amiga
Sport

Over the Net

Over the Net (1990) was developed by Genias in cooperation with Linel and published by Merit Software. The original Amiga version was created by the Dardari Brothers on Amiga. The game was ported to C64 and DOS in 1991. It is an arcade-style volleyball game for the Amiga. Players can choose to play matches of 1, 3 or 5 sets, with each set won by the first team to score 15 points. The game features a variety of teams, including the Rollers, CoCo, the Beach Boys (a playful pun) and the in-house Geniases. The volleyball players look a bit like bodybuilders, wearing shorts and no shirts. As some said at the time, it was the ultimate beach volleyball gaming experience designed for the Amiga 500.

The game is viewed from the side, giving a full view of the volleyball court. The stands in the background are filled with spectators, tanned, beautiful beachgoers. The score is shown on a digital display in the middle of the stands. You hear the constant sound of the waves in the background. Players control their characters by moving the joystick, and the fire button lets them try to hit the ball in the direction they're moving. Like in real volleyball, you lose points if the ball hits the ground on your side or goes out of bounds without bouncing. You can compete against friends or the AI in intense matches across various exotic beach locations. You can serve, spike, and block your way to victory as you master the art of the game. With different player characters to choose from, each with unique skills and attributes, every match brings new challenges and strategies to explore. The characters can jump high up in the air - up to four meters – for serving or slamming the ball. This comes over as a witty and well-suited element for gameplay.

People seemed to love this game. playfield1977 comments a video of the game in 2022: „Che mito della mia adolescenza! Gioco tutto italiano programmato per Amiga 500 BENISSIMO! Che ricordi!“ Sun-soaked bodies, rich colors and simple mechanics let you relive this classic sports game. SonicQuack writes in 2024 in Lemonamiga: „A good-looking, physics-bending beach volleyball game. It focuses on fun and it's simple to pick up and enjoy, even if you lose (which you will without practice). Possibly the most ripped guys in video games.”