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"[GAME] SEGA Superstars Tennis"

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This thread has been linked to the game 'SEGA Superstars Tennis'.
Wed 15/07/09 at 12:53
Regular
"How Ironic"
Posts: 4,312
"You ain't got the right look!"
This maybe one of thoses games that most avid gamers wouldn't give a second glance to. The modern image of Sonic, Super Monkeyball and the rest of the SEGA possy is probably one of "little kids button bashing away, and then screaming at the TV, before having a strop". But i saw past that, towards the old SEGA, when Sonic would be on everyone's lips, and new SEGA games would be eagerly awaited. Now though, SEGA has changed.

Anyone can do it...
This game is one that any game company could make. It's an assortment of their characters that anyone could throw together. I'm sorry to say, it sort of works. With the variety of characters, comes a variety of skills that each character is unique in. Sadly, there are only 3 of these skills in the game.

What are you good at?!
You've got speed, which is assigned to the likes of Sonic and AiAi; Power, the field of Dr Eggman and Gilius Thunderhead; And spin, which Miles "Tails" Prower is an expert in. You also have characters who are 'all-rounders', who are good in every area.

Not more minigames...
Football has different ways to score, pass, and foul, but tennis? It's just hit the ball back. Sure you have different types of serves and returns, but it's not exactly varied compared to other sports. And it's the same with the game. So SEGA had to make a big decision. Minigames.

Minigames get chucked into a game that is boring or monotonous. They're supposed to give a different edge to the main gameplay. I have to say, i hate minigames. But they don't bother me, as long as they're not rolled into the main game, and have their own little sectioned off area of the game menu. Well SEGA, being SEGA, have commited a faux-par and have forced gamers to have to play the stupid minigames.

Built for kids, destroyed by everybody
The even more annoying thing is, these minigames have to be the hardest ones i've ever played (especially the ones later in the game). So if I can't complete them, what chance has a child got? So the only people who could probably complete them are the avid gamers, who haven't bought the game in the first place, because they wouldn't be caught dead playing a SEGA game now.

You see, SEGA have created a massive dilemna. The game is primarily aimed at kids, who can't play the game because it's so difficult. So in come the normal gamers, who can't complete them either. The avid gamers haven't bought the game in the first place. This point is completely reinforced by online play.

Is anybody there?
This has to be the first game were i've clicked on online match, and it's told me it can't find any matches to join. Don't get me wrong, there were people online playing (all 12 of them), but there were no available games for me to join. Now if that doesn't put you off, i don't know what will...

You can't have it all...
Oddly, the actual tennis element of the game is really fun. The game was developed by Sumo Digital, the same people behind Virtua Tennis 3. You have the SEGA element of strange powers that can be unleashed and Super serves and all the other SEGA nonsense, and that makes it more than a tennis game. But mashed with the minigames that are aimed at, and are too difficult, for the children, it's a catastrophe.

"I want it all...
What SEGA should've done is scrap the minigame idea. Just let me play tennis! It's not called "SEGA Superstars Tennis (and a few rubbish minigames)".

Remember the zombies, they're GOLD
They should've made more of 'The House of the Dead'. Ok, there is a court for the House of the Dead, and sadly a minigame. But how can you make fun of a great game like House of the Dead?! Hitting zombies with tennis balls?! They should've made a cool level of the original game, and the only way to kill the 'realistic' zombies is with a tennis ball gun or some gimicky idea. But aload of zombies travelling across a tennis court to stupid music? I don't think so... Note that Call of Duty: World at War included the famous Zombie level, and that was a hit! So what have SEGA missed. The zombies...

We don't want Miles! We want Knuckles!
No decent gamer likes Miles "Tails" Prower. Everybody prefers Knuckles, because he's cooler! His name is knuckles for pete's sake! The only other thing 'knuckles is associated with is fighting, and gamers like that.

This town ain't big enough for the both of us
When SEGA started up, they were competing with one of the biggest names in gaming, Nintendo. Nintendo's mascot was Mario, the 10 pixel, italian, pizza eating guy with a red hat on. Now, by the sounds of that, you would've thought SEGA would be on top of the market with their cool blue hedgehog. Again, SEGA made House of the Dead, all Nintendo made that was slightly threatening was a plant that fires fireballs. Yet Nintendo are dominant. There is a reason for this.

Keep it small
Nintendo primarily focus on handheld consoles, the original format of the classic games. Although SEGA have had success with Sonic, House of the Dead, Virtua Fighter and Super Monkeyball, Nintendo have clasped the field with Mario and Zelda alone. And what was the last major console that SEGA brought out? Yep, the dreamcast. And Nintendo have just released the DSi. I think i know who's got the better gameplan...

Conclusion
It is for these reasons that SEGA Superstars Tennis doesn't work. They've got all the right ingredients, they just don't know how to cook with them. If SEGA really knew what they were doing, they would cater for the modern market by having a Tennis game with the likes of Sonic and Knuckles, mixed with Akira Yuki and Wolf Hawkfield from Streetfighter. Sell a game with stuff that sold well in the past. Not with characters most people couldn't remember. And remember, this is the company that used to have Alex Kidd as their mascot...

Game Rating:4/10
Wed 15/07/09 at 13:43
Regular
"How Ironic"
Posts: 4,312
Don't get me wrong. House of the Dead, Virtua Fighter and the rest are all good games. But it's when they try to mix them together i'm having a beef with. They want to include the famous characters, not the rubbish ones ;D
Wed 15/07/09 at 13:36
Moderator
"possibly impossible"
Posts: 24,985
Good review.

I don't think it's Sega as much as parts of Sega. Madworld, House of the Dead Overkill, Lets Tap etc all good games.
Wed 15/07/09 at 13:26
Regular
"How Ironic"
Posts: 4,312
Thanks pete. Yeh i have to agree, why buy a Mcdonalds, when you can have a subway. Virtua Tennis 3 is a far better game. For people looking for fun tennis, it's unrivaled. SEGA Superstars was not made as a game, it was made as a quick gimick, and unsurprisingly, it didn't work. And i don't know wether to be cheeky, and write another 2 reviews, or save them until next week. I think i'll save them ;D
Wed 15/07/09 at 13:17
Regular
"I like turtles"
Posts: 5,368
Good review there Chris.I wasn't very impressed with this game either.Virtua Tennis 3 is still the best arcade tennis game IMO.You can play that with the analogue stick and the one button if you want.The 2009 edition is a rip off though as its basically the same game with a drawn out world tour mode,loads of mini games,a different camera angle and some different players.It looks the same and plays the same as VT3.Sega Superstars Tennis was worth picking up for £3 (which Amazon had it up for earlier this week) but as VT3 can be picked up now for just a couple of quid more,reckon that's a better option now.Good to see a few more reviews up this week as last week there were only a couple.
Wed 15/07/09 at 12:53
Regular
"How Ironic"
Posts: 4,312
"You ain't got the right look!"
This maybe one of thoses games that most avid gamers wouldn't give a second glance to. The modern image of Sonic, Super Monkeyball and the rest of the SEGA possy is probably one of "little kids button bashing away, and then screaming at the TV, before having a strop". But i saw past that, towards the old SEGA, when Sonic would be on everyone's lips, and new SEGA games would be eagerly awaited. Now though, SEGA has changed.

Anyone can do it...
This game is one that any game company could make. It's an assortment of their characters that anyone could throw together. I'm sorry to say, it sort of works. With the variety of characters, comes a variety of skills that each character is unique in. Sadly, there are only 3 of these skills in the game.

What are you good at?!
You've got speed, which is assigned to the likes of Sonic and AiAi; Power, the field of Dr Eggman and Gilius Thunderhead; And spin, which Miles "Tails" Prower is an expert in. You also have characters who are 'all-rounders', who are good in every area.

Not more minigames...
Football has different ways to score, pass, and foul, but tennis? It's just hit the ball back. Sure you have different types of serves and returns, but it's not exactly varied compared to other sports. And it's the same with the game. So SEGA had to make a big decision. Minigames.

Minigames get chucked into a game that is boring or monotonous. They're supposed to give a different edge to the main gameplay. I have to say, i hate minigames. But they don't bother me, as long as they're not rolled into the main game, and have their own little sectioned off area of the game menu. Well SEGA, being SEGA, have commited a faux-par and have forced gamers to have to play the stupid minigames.

Built for kids, destroyed by everybody
The even more annoying thing is, these minigames have to be the hardest ones i've ever played (especially the ones later in the game). So if I can't complete them, what chance has a child got? So the only people who could probably complete them are the avid gamers, who haven't bought the game in the first place, because they wouldn't be caught dead playing a SEGA game now.

You see, SEGA have created a massive dilemna. The game is primarily aimed at kids, who can't play the game because it's so difficult. So in come the normal gamers, who can't complete them either. The avid gamers haven't bought the game in the first place. This point is completely reinforced by online play.

Is anybody there?
This has to be the first game were i've clicked on online match, and it's told me it can't find any matches to join. Don't get me wrong, there were people online playing (all 12 of them), but there were no available games for me to join. Now if that doesn't put you off, i don't know what will...

You can't have it all...
Oddly, the actual tennis element of the game is really fun. The game was developed by Sumo Digital, the same people behind Virtua Tennis 3. You have the SEGA element of strange powers that can be unleashed and Super serves and all the other SEGA nonsense, and that makes it more than a tennis game. But mashed with the minigames that are aimed at, and are too difficult, for the children, it's a catastrophe.

"I want it all...
What SEGA should've done is scrap the minigame idea. Just let me play tennis! It's not called "SEGA Superstars Tennis (and a few rubbish minigames)".

Remember the zombies, they're GOLD
They should've made more of 'The House of the Dead'. Ok, there is a court for the House of the Dead, and sadly a minigame. But how can you make fun of a great game like House of the Dead?! Hitting zombies with tennis balls?! They should've made a cool level of the original game, and the only way to kill the 'realistic' zombies is with a tennis ball gun or some gimicky idea. But aload of zombies travelling across a tennis court to stupid music? I don't think so... Note that Call of Duty: World at War included the famous Zombie level, and that was a hit! So what have SEGA missed. The zombies...

We don't want Miles! We want Knuckles!
No decent gamer likes Miles "Tails" Prower. Everybody prefers Knuckles, because he's cooler! His name is knuckles for pete's sake! The only other thing 'knuckles is associated with is fighting, and gamers like that.

This town ain't big enough for the both of us
When SEGA started up, they were competing with one of the biggest names in gaming, Nintendo. Nintendo's mascot was Mario, the 10 pixel, italian, pizza eating guy with a red hat on. Now, by the sounds of that, you would've thought SEGA would be on top of the market with their cool blue hedgehog. Again, SEGA made House of the Dead, all Nintendo made that was slightly threatening was a plant that fires fireballs. Yet Nintendo are dominant. There is a reason for this.

Keep it small
Nintendo primarily focus on handheld consoles, the original format of the classic games. Although SEGA have had success with Sonic, House of the Dead, Virtua Fighter and Super Monkeyball, Nintendo have clasped the field with Mario and Zelda alone. And what was the last major console that SEGA brought out? Yep, the dreamcast. And Nintendo have just released the DSi. I think i know who's got the better gameplan...

Conclusion
It is for these reasons that SEGA Superstars Tennis doesn't work. They've got all the right ingredients, they just don't know how to cook with them. If SEGA really knew what they were doing, they would cater for the modern market by having a Tennis game with the likes of Sonic and Knuckles, mixed with Akira Yuki and Wolf Hawkfield from Streetfighter. Sell a game with stuff that sold well in the past. Not with characters most people couldn't remember. And remember, this is the company that used to have Alex Kidd as their mascot...

Game Rating:4/10

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