Sega Superstars Tennis

by Ashley Coomer - 2008/03/02 9:34am

We love Sega. Just as we were beginning to think all of the original videogames ideas had gone, we were introduced to Sega Superstars Tennis. In case you don’t know, this is Virtua Tennis 3 with some of Sega’s finest icons from yesteryear. No, really, it is. You see, Sega Superstars Tennis uses the Virtua Tennis 3 engine, adds in classic characters such as Sonic, Samba, and let’s not forget those monkeys from the Super Monkey Ball games… then it puts the mix into a blender and this is the wonderful outcome!

One of the much-applauded sides of the Virtua Tennis series is how easy it is to get to grips with and by using the same engine, SST will be no different. The game can look and play ace (and that it does) but if no one ‘understands’ it in the first place, then all the effort that’s gone into it will be for nought. That’s not going to be the case here though, because as tennis games go, Sega has hit the nail on the head for simplicity. You have a slice and power swing, and it’s down to you to mix the two up to create several different types of shot, it really is that simple.

Then there are super powers, making up the attacking side of the gameplay. By keeping rallies going, a star beneath your character will begin to increase in intensity, and when it’s spinning, pulling the trigger to unleash your character’s special move is the polite thing to do. Everyone has their own move, which usually involves confusing your opponent (such as Super Sonic’s ball manipulation) or making their game less fun (what kind of friend throws banana skins on a tennis court?!). While these can give you a step-up you lose the ability after a few shots anyhow, and once a point is scored, normality will be restored.



It’s a shame, but we can see these abilities being abused both online and by the computer. Not only could it become a major annoyance, but it could also make the game less relaxed than it was intended. When Samba de Amigo has a rally going with Sonic, the last thing you want is to be distracted by the thought that at any given moment, your opponent could be about to use a special power. Okay, so maybe that’s what the stars are an indicator for, but either way there’s no denying that you’ll be on edge more than you really should.

There’s no reason why the Single Match and Tournament modes won’t be awesome, but the thing cranking up the anticipation of SST for us is the Superstars mode. Adding depth to the game in several ways, you’ll be unlocking new content including music, characters and courts, but wait for it… each one of these challenges is set in a different Sega-themed level! One of the levels we’ve seen in action resembles House Of The Dead. Called Curien Mansion, the task is to keep a horde of zombies at bay by serving tennis balls into their faces, with points awarded for knocking them to the ground, the number depending on various factors. Facing the truth, these mini-games are never going to make up the core gameplay, but when you don’t feel like playing tennis these are nice little nods to several Sega franchises including Sonic, Jet Set Radio and Virtua Cop. When it comes down to the crunch, they’re a nice little touch if nothing else, and we’re bound to be surprised by their popularity judging by how successful Virtua Tennis’ mini-games have proved to be.

Elsewhere, Sega Superstars Tennis has a hell of a lot of Sega heritage. Anyone who knows their Sega games is bound to grin like a spoilt kid in a candy store just by seeing SST in motion. Each game it borrows from has a course based on it, with Sonic-styled ones featuring the design and objects we’ve grown to love and others drawing comparisons to the finest details. Playing in Samba de Amigo’s hometown won’t be any different from Sonic’s familiar terrain gameplay-wise, but it’s nice to know we’ll be getting a different Sega twist regularly.



As big fans of all things Sega, we’re incredibly excited about Sega Superstars Tennis. Graphically it’s pretty and remains varied thanks to the number of Sega superstars lending themselves to the game, and in terms of gameplay, it’s the closest to perfection we expect to see from a tennis title on the PS3, with enough originality, yet still sticking close to Virtua Tennis 3’s framework. If it all goes to plan the game will be out this time next month, and we’ll do our best to bring you the most honest review of the title near then, but for now, we can only anticipate its release!