Gamer gives it 81%
Then there’s the dumb as dirt AI. While I did notice a slight increase in AI difficulty over the several tiers of the career mode, it was extremely slight. The developers obviously knew this and put in a lot of cheap tactics in some of the matches to increase difficulty. Like in some matches where the light on the ground where the ball is going to hit is removed and in other matches where you’re forced to play on the top court on the top of the screen. I really really hate playing on the top of the screen in tennis games, don’t you?
A friend can play with you in a doubles game in career mode!
Doubles Game - Video
Besides the career mode there’s also a multiplayer mode for 2 or 4 players which is fun for awhile but seriously needs online implementation. And of course there is an extra mode where you can hone your skills by hitting balls shot by a cannon onto lighted squares on the court. It’s nowhere near as deep as Virtua Tennis’ extra modes and leaves a lot to be desired.
The graphics actually look extremely good for a PS2 game. There are a ton of unique playable characters all with their own speeches and animations that really liven up the game. The courts also look extremely good and feature a wide variety of stunning looking locations. This is definitely the best looking Everybody’s Sports game to date. Sound is also very good with lots of unique voices and witty comments abound.
What a pretty court.
Overall it’s a solid if shallow title that lacks in content and difficulty but has a really well implemented engine. Lets just hope that the next-gen sequel has much better AI and about 10 times more content as I beat the career mode for this one in less than 5 hours.
Import Friendly?
The menus are all in Japanese but come on its Tennis how much do you need to know? It also comes with an insert that visually explains how to play so it’s very import friendly.
Pros
- Great gameplay engine
- Impressive graphics
Cons
- Way too short
- No online
- Dumb as dirt AI
