Sports games
welcomed a new name in arcade-style tennis this week: Hot Shots. Developed by
Clap Hanz, the studio behind the Hot Shots Golf series, Hot Shots Tennis is not
a simulator to rival the Smash Court games of the world. Timing is an act that
comes naturally as you begin to comprehend the art of the Hot Shots universe.
The graphics aren’t overly realistic but are, on occasion, capable of holding
gamers’ attention.
More
considerable than graphics, realism, and other negligible items is the
connotation that comes with a Hot Shots game – that it must be a title anyone
can pick up and play. Hot Shots Tennis holds onto that tradition, but not at the
expense of the experienced gamer. Young or old, tennis pro or gaming neophyte,
Clap Hanz has crafted a game that’s worthy of a standing ovation.
Campaigning
For Wins
Hot Shots
Tennis’ campaign mode (called the Hot Shots Challenge) doesn’t know the meaning
of the word deviation – it heads straight for the court and never looks back.
There aren’t any mini-games, world map screens or anything else that could
extend the time between matches.
Does that mean
it’s smooth sailing from the first swing till the credits roll? Not quite. Hot
Shots may not have any appetizers to nibble in between matches, but its main
course is very meaty. Some opponents can withstand up to six or seven losses
before they have been defeated. If goals change hands every match (as they often
do in the upper tiers), you could play over 12 matches before a winner is
crowned.
Hot Shots
Tennis’ matches are separated into seven tiers, each containing multiple
opponents to compete against. The game doesn’t usually seem difficult, but when
there are a dozen battles to fight, endurance becomes a formidable obstacle.
None of the opponents are particularly smart. Many have a pattern and will stick
to it for most of the game. Early on they like to swing wide or close; toward
the middle of the game they’ll hit harder and faster, but not with much more
intelligence; and at the end they hit the fastest and may use special serves
that whack the ball in an unpredictable pattern. These serves are like a
speeding car that has just realized there’s a traffic jam up ahead. It heads in
one direction and, just as you’re about to get into position and swing, changes
course and heads for the other side.
Despite the
increasing challenges, Hot Shots doesn’t come out feeling like an
ultra-difficult game. However, if you let your guard down for one second, let
your mind wander, or make a stupid mistake, your opponent will use that
opportunity to pull ahead. He or she can only do it if you continue to make
those same mistakes.
But avoiding
them is easier said than done. It’s hard to keep your endurance up when you’ve
just been humiliated by a few simple moves. “I should’ve had those!” I’d shout
at the screen, not knowing that I could’ve still won the game had I shut up and
regained my focus. In this respect Hot Shots Tennis reminds of a fighting game.
I was once a self-proclaimed master of Tekken and Mortal Kombat. During those
days, there were few people who could defeat me. The computer AI, of course, was
no match for my skills. But every once in a while I’d lose. How? I lost my
focus. If it wasn’t the length of one battle that got the better of me, it was
the length of the entire game, which I played through repeatedly to hone my
skills. That’s what Hot Shots is like – technically easy, but difficult as
lengthy games wear down the player’s stamina.
No Match
Hot Shots
Tennis will win most of its fans just for being a great tennis game without a
steep learning curve. However, if you break it down by mechanics, its shot
system is worth the greatest amount of praise. With it, players can push the
left analog stick in any direction (in conjunction with the X button) to return
the ball to one of nine different areas on the opponent’s side of the net. The
middle area is neutral – leave the stick alone to hit the ball in that
direction. If you want to be more specific and hit the ball in the top right
corner, push the left stick in that direction (up and to the right, as if you
were moving diagonally).
Having played
this year’s crop of tennis games, as well as several from previous generations,
Hot Shots Tennis was an instant joy. The process takes no more than a few
minutes to learn, but few will master it right away, giving hardcore players a
reason to return. For the first time outside of a simulator, you have complete
control over the ball – not just your racket.
Swing style is
important, but as someone who plays tennis games for fun and not for how closely
they resemble the real thing, the ball mechanics get my primary vote. The things
that I can do with the ball hold greater weight because that plays into the
game’s strategy. In most circumstances, you know what the effects of a low hit
will be, and you know the consequences of a high hit. But if my shot is directed
– sent to a specific spot on the court to confuse and/or move as far away from
my opponent as possible – can you be sure of the outcome? How far will
assumptions get you when the ball has just bounced past your ankles?
Hot Shots
Tennis is a red-hot winner for Clap Hanz, but it’s an even bigger win for every
gamer that plays it. There’s something for everyone to love, regardless of your
gaming background. All that matters is that you like tennis games – then there’s
no question as to whether or not you should make this game your next purchase.
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Gameplay: 8.0
The series known for
its rule-bending golf franchise comes to tennis with mainstream gameplay,
slightly hardcore challenges, and an excellent shot-aiming system. Hot Shots
Tennis was made for everyone but is still an aggressive sports game where
keeping your endurance up is half the battle.
Graphics:
7.3
Hot Shots Tennis’
courts are very attractive, especially during the multi-angle intro leading into
each game. But that’s all that stands out. The cutesy and cartoony characters
are well sculpted, and the animations – while purposely jumpy and over-the-top –
look good. But this game doesn’t use much of the PS2’s technology. It’s an old
console, so people (and unfortunately developers) tend to forget how much power
is under its hood.
Sound: 5.0
You’ll hear more
from the title and menu screens than from the game itself. Basic voice-overs
announce the status of each match while basic sound effects are thrown in for
realism (at least I think that’s what they’re there for). It doesn’t
succeed, but even if it had, the silence during some of the matches would have
still driven you to ignore the TV and turn on the radio, iPod, or any other
external music device.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Hot Shots Tennis is
every bit the pick-up-and-play game it was made to be – but don’t think that
means it’s a cakewalk. A little on the easy side, for sure. But it’s not a
pushover.
Concept: 7.6
Hot Shots Golf
antics in a tennis atmosphere. Nothing revolutionary, but on the up side, killer
gameplay reigns supreme.
Multiplayer: 8.0
Singles and doubles
matches (mixed with computer-controlled opponents, if you’d like) keep the game
alive long after the final challenge mode match has been won.
Overall: 8.0
A must play for
anyone who likes tennis games. Hot Shots Tennis has done for this sport the same
things it did for golf – bring out the essence of the sport and leave everything
else behind.
