Wii Hits a Winner With Grand Slam Tennis

Author's Rating:

Pros: Graphics, ease of gameplay, Grand Slam mode

Cons: Create-a-character is lacking.

The Bottom Line: 
Excellent game for tennis fans but easy for anyone to pick up

Author's Review
While attending the finals of this summer's Cincinnati U.S. Open Series tournament (Roger Federer defeated Novak Djokovic), I saw that they were holding a demo of the latest tennis game for Nintendo Wii, Grand Slam Tennis.  I was immediately impressed by the graphics, options, and especially the ease of gameplay.  I knew this would be the next addition to my Wii collection.

The tennis game that comes as part of Wii Sports, the five-game disc included with the purchase of a console, is all right, but very flawed for people who actually enjoy watching and playing tennis.  Grand Slam Tennis corrects this basic game's flaws and then some.  For example, theWii Sports version, for some reason lets you play only doubles matches.  GST allows for singles competition as well as doubles and even Canadian doubles (2 on 1).  You are able to compete with up to four players at once, making it as fun a game for groups as it is for individual play. 

Grand Slam Tennis offers a large number of famous players to choose from including current stars like Raphael Nadal and Maria Sharapova and retired legends such as Pete Sampras and Martina Navratilova.  Unless there is a way to unlock them that I have not yet found, there are some notable omissions such as Andre Agassi or Arthur Ashe.  However, the game provides such a large number of stars, mostly active players, that it's hard to complain.  You can also create your own character and have yourself claw your way to the top, competing in actual Grand Slam events.  The create-a-character is decent but lacks enough detailed options to make it stand up to other games.  For example, my character in Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 looks almost exactly like me (except that the character has muscles) whereas I couldn't even give my GST character the right hair color (dark brown).  It's still better than a bobble-headed Mii, but disappointing nonetheless.

The graphics are a perfect mix of cartoonish yet realistic.  You can tell you're looking at a video game, but the level of detail makes it very easy to distinguish famous players immediately.  I had to laugh the first time I saw the John McEnroe character with his short shorts, big curly hairdo, and red headband getting animatedly angry over a mistake and slamming his wooden racket to the ground.  Visual detail is also given to the courts, right down to the brown patches by the Wimbledon baselines. 

The ease of gameplay is my favorite aspect of Grand Slam Tennis.  The simplicity with which you can hit a ground stroke merely by swinging the Wiimote makes this an easy game for even a video game novice to jump into immediately.  Rather than performing lazy flicks of the wrist, you are better served by swinging in the fashion of an actual tennis stroke, making the game even more fun for tennis players.  To hit a drop shot, press the "B" button while swinging, and hit "A" to lob.  You can even hit with slice or topspin, depending on how you swing.  You can approach the net by hitting "up."  You automatically move toward the ball, unless you are a more advanced player, in which case you have the option of connecting a nunchuck and using that to control your player's movements.  Timing takes some getting used to, as it is difficult to get back in position in time following an early swing.  Aside from that, movement in this game is incredibly fluid and realistic.

You can choose to play individual games alone or against a friend or you can embark upon Grand Slam mode, all the while having the power to determine the number of games per set and sets per match.  There are also some "Party Games" - nothing too crazy, just tennis with different rule twists.  Grand Slam mode is very enjoyable, as you are taken through the four major events in order, starting with the Australian.  Before each tournament starts, you play a few exhibition matches to sharpen your skills.  You can even acquire new skills by defeating a legend in an exhibition.  For example, if you were to defeat Venus Williams, you would have the option to add her powerful serve to yourrepertoire .  However, you can't rack up skills too easily.  You have to increase your star rating (up to five) to clear room for skills.  If there is not enough room for a skill you just earned, you have to decide whether to pass on it or to replace a previous skill with it.  This provides a nice level of strategy aside from the ones you encounter on the court.

If you like Wii Sports and tennis, Grand Slam Tennis is the perfect combination for you.  It's a fun game with realistic action, and the Grand Slam mode creates goals to keep you interested.  It also keeps you moving, and for those who useWii as a fitness enhancer, it even keeps tracks of calories burned while playing.  Fans of fast-paced, engaging sports games - especially tennis fans - will find a lot to love in Grand Slam Tennis.  This game is an ace.