Game Info
GAME NAME: Family Tennis SP
DEVELOPER(S): ARC SYSTEM WORKS
PUBLISHER(S): Shin’en Multimedia
PLATFORM(S): Nintendo Wii U
GENRE(S): Sports
RELEASE DATE(S): January 15th, 2015
Service
Okay lets start from the top, tennis and Nintendo have had a pretty long history. It seems since the Wii first hit the market one type of game that just seemed to make sense was a tennis style game. While Wii sports might have been a pack-in title that almost everyone and their Grandmothers played, all can agree that tennis was one of the stronger games in the included title. Now many years later and past the prime of the Wii in the spotlight, there is a new game on the block that is ready to serve up its own special kind of tennis game.
Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister
Family Tennis Sp is over all just a run-of-the-mill tennis game, with a few added options that help to keep this package fun, but still a bit shallow. There a three game modes available to play from the starting up of the game.
Ace
Free play works just as you might expect. The game can be played in singles or with doubles, against the computer or a human player. There are a few different characters to pick from, all within a family theme. Billy the son, Sarah the daughter, also there is a Mom, Dad, and grandparents. Each member of this tennis playing family has there own set of skills that keep them apart from the other. Also, each can do a different special move to help win the match. After picking your family member, you are tasked with picking out a court to play on. Each court has its own speed and bounce settings thus making the court you pick important as it can help or hinder the the character that was picked.
Advantage
In tournament mode, players can compete in match after match to try and be the best. There are three modes of difficulty; beginner, amateur, and pro. All of the difficulties offer their own amount of challenge and I would suggest starting out with beginner to learn the different elements of the game. After picking the difficulty, there is nothing too surprising, just play and try to win. One of the best things about Family Tennis SP was the ability to play two-player in the tournament section.
Backspin
If you have had all the tennis you can stand, there are three mini-games that can also be played in this package. Each mini-game feels shallow and doesn’t really add anything new to this overall title, but they are a nice distraction. The most fun of all the mini-games would easily be Roulette Rally. While playing a game of tennis the floor is moving with different points, when the ball hits the ground you earn the points, if you are able to win that rally. The other modes are a Survivor mode, and Human Backboard where the winner is who can last longer.
Ball Boy
The game can be fun, but can also be very annoying. It’s simple to learn and playing is very easy, yet there is uneven difficulty, and very easy to make a simple mistake and lose the whole match. Use the D-pad or analog stick to move, face buttons to swing, back backspin, or lob the ball. Each player has there own special move that will unleash a super powerful shot to help gain an advantage. The game feels loose and there are moments where the player feels like they have no control, and stopping takes to long which will result in slipping and leaving an opening for the opponent to score a point.
Game Point (The Recommendation)
The game looks okay with blocky character design and an anime style that gets old very fast from the voice work to the artwork. The music is fine with a fun backbeat to help keep the game moving forward. There is just not much variety and the soundtrack gets repetitive.The music and sound effects are very forgettable. The game feels old and considering there has been a release for the Wii and 3DS this make sense. There is nothing new here. The game works and there is some fun to be had with friends, but with no GamePad usage or Wii-mote functionality, this is one tennis game that feels bland and boring. Players should stick with Wii Sports Tennis over this.
