Hot Shots Tennis – PS2 – Preview

In a world where Tiger Woods
is practically a synonym for golf, it’s amazing when a golf game can penetrate
the market deep enough to be remembered. A certain plumber did it in the 90s
and again this decade, but his name is a synonym for fun so that’s not
saying much. However, there is one hotshot who broke into the sport with great
success, and it did it without a Nike contract: Hot Shots Golf.

 

Designed as the zany side of
golf (and perfected as one of skill and precision), Hot Shots Golf is a softer
– but not less challenging – game that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Fantasy courses, anime-style characters, and a great swing system have helped
Hot Shots keep Tiger Woods on his toes.

 

 Hot Shots Tennis screenshots 

 

This July the beloved golf
franchise will visit a place it has never been before: a tennis court. Labeled
Hot Shots Tennis, this new direction for the Hot Shots series puts you in
control of the same kind of happy-faced, anime-inspired characters, on several
courses that are on par with what the competition is producing. (The
game is tenaciously good, so don’t be surprised if you hear a silly pun or
two.)

 

One of its principal sources
for success is the touted precision-based control scheme. The general swings
are born out of the ordinary – hit the ball back and forth and pretend the
experience doesn’t remind you of Pong. Swings are performed by pressing the
face buttons, primarily X for a hard swing, and triangle for a lighter, airier
hit.

 

The direction of the ball’s
initial hit or retaliation is tied directly to the position of the left analog
stick. There are nine points of attack – each pertains to a different area (a
square, if you will) on the opponent’s side of the net. Leave the stick alone
to hit the ball toward the center of your opponent’s playing field. Push the
sticks left or right to swing the ball toward the middle of either side. Push
up and toward the left, middle, or right for those respective directions; push
down and toward the left, middle, or right for a closer shot.

 

 

 Hot Shots Tennis screenshots 

 

Hot Shots Tennis’s
simplistic, accurate, and easygoing shot style allows anyone to hit the ball
precisely where they want it. Within minutes you’ll be forming strategies, and
within hours defeating AI opponents will be like taking catnip from a kitten
(not as easy as taking candy from a baby, but still not that difficult).

 

Gamers looking to test that
theory will want to check out the single-player campaign, a mode where you
take on several of this fictitious world’s leading tennis players. The mode is
separated into tiers, the first offering only a handful of opponents to
compete against. Every win goes toward the next tier – you’ll need to defeat a
certain number of opponents in each section to advance. After moving on, come
back to the previous tier to find one last battle. It may be a fight with that
tier’s strongest opponent, or it could be a doubles match that’ll force you to
team up with a previous antagonist.

 

During a match it’s hard to
tell if the graphics are worth noting. Tennis players are visible, as are the
court you’re playing on – but you don’t see much else. However, if you’re
watching the screen before the match begins, you’ll get a full sense of what
the court environments are really like. They’re fairly large, are packed with
polys, and have a variety of showpieces that weren’t necessary to enhance the
gameplay (and do not enhance it in any way), but will surely appeal to any
eyes that catch their beauty. Look for waterfalls, beaches, sunsets, and
more. 

 

 Hot Shots Tennis screenshots 

 

Arriving on July 17, 2007,
Hot Shots Tennis is one of those games that’ll keep you off the real courts
this summer – and ensure you stay inside and in front of the TV where you
belong. The precise shot controls, family-friendly characters, and inventive
(and inviting) environments are undoubtedly some of the best a PS2 tennis game
has seen.

 

Stay tuned to GameZone as we
bring you further coverage on Hot Shots Tennis leading up to its release.