SEGA Superstars Tennis Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 18 March, 2008

Much love.

Version tested: Xbox 360

Sumo Digital has made quite a lot of games since its formation in 2003, but our favourites are the two OutRun games and Virtua Tennis 3; love letters for SEGA fans, penned on SEGA's behalf. Superstars Tennis, by contrast, is dinner, dancing, cocktails and fellatio. It's absolutely stuffed with SEGA characters lovingly recreated in 720p high-definition, full of tennis courts built in honour of games like Super Monkey Ball, House of the Dead, Golden Axe and Space Channel 5, with unlockable Achievements for 360 inspired by their names. SEGA Rally is a 40-shot rally, After Burner is a 100mph serve, OutRun is covering 6 miles on foot.

Mechanically it feels like a simplified take on Virtua Tennis, with a familiar service bar that takes one tap to initiate and a second well-timed tap to play the ball, and a pair of shot buttons and a lob available when you tap two buttons in sequence. Not unlike Mario Tennis - dead now, perhaps, thanks to Wii Sports' success - successful shots allow you to unleash character-specific special moves. A golden star outline fills up as you play, and once full you tug a trigger button, watch a cute animation, and take advantage of the result.

'SEGA Superstars Tennis' Screenshot 1

The Samba court is probably the best, although the NiGHTS one with the liquid surface is quite special.

Everything is gloriously indulgent: AiAi's special shots bend like a boomerang as bananas tumble around the court; Beat from Jet Set Radio sends the ball cross court via two sharp turns accompanied by spray-can sound effects as Rokkaku police shoulder-charge the opposition; and Tails sends the ball over the net in a whirlwind that leaves his adversaries seeing stars. Balls on the Samba de Amigo court leave the racket to the sound of maracas, Flagman is the umpire on the OutRun level, break-dancing when he gets bored, and every court has several unlockable tunes bequeathed by the host product, selectable before each match. Smashing a glowing ball back and forth in-between dancing sombrero-wearing cacti is all the better for Samba de Janeiro belting away in the background.

Like Virtua Tennis, the main "Superstars" game mode is not just about tennis matches and tournaments but mini-games as well. Sonic the Hedgehog tasks involve collecting rings, Monkey Ball tasks you with smashing monkey balls through giant rings, and House of the Dead - named Curien Mansion here for reasons beyond our understanding or limited tolerance for research - has you bashing zombies. We won't identify all the games, though, because SEGA fans - for whom this game is solely intended - will delight in discovering them for themselves. Needless to say, UK:R, the sky's as blue as can be. The novelty never really wears off, and a steady stream of unlockable courts, music and characters - often glimpsed on the other side of early tournament line-ups - ensures that there's always more to see.

Initially though, it feels as though the big absentee is Virtua Tennis itself. That game's superbly realised tennis rules and controls appear to be simplified too much, resulting in a game of tennis that rarely evolves beyond simple rallies. A Virtua Tennis expert can all but destroy an amateur, just as Roger Federer would dismantle a part-timer, but here there's less of a gap between experience and inexperience. Similarly disappointing is that Superstars mode isn't about character-development in the way that Virtua Tennis was, and the game offers no sort of alternative; mini-games are played and replayed simply to achieve triple-A rankings, rather than to improve your skills in any particular area. As you move through the first few hours of them, it dawns on you that the quality's distinctly mixed, too, with too much collecting and dodging.

But things gradually improve. Better efforts lie hidden in other unlockable game worlds, with Virtua Cop's - sorry, Virtua Squad's - easily the standout, as you play through a mock-up of instantly recognisable docks level from the first game firing tennis serves at pop-up enemies before they can shoot you. Tasks like trick shots (based on snooker's equivalent) in Monkey Ball and the Puyo Puyo blob-smashing are sparks of innovation that eventually ignite prolonged satisfaction. From an initial sense of boredom emerges a desire to keep doing the same things for Achievements, and those AAA rankings you scorned, pausing and restarting repeatedly as you try to complete a series of Jet Set Radio tagging objectives - picking up paint canisters and then volleying a ball into complex designs painted across the opposing baseline to colour them in.

'SEGA Superstars Tennis' Screenshot 2

Some of the special moves are a bit weak, but others - like Robotnik and Alex Kidd - can really change the course of a point. Using 100-ton weights.

The seemingly inexact tennis mechanics - while blunted versions of Virtua Tennis's - prove sufficient for a solid competitive game when you play against another human, or in a group of four, or when the AI finally wakes up. This takes a while, but Tournament mode - a straightforward Grand Slam series of increasingly difficult matches, with a high score leaderboard at the end - hints at it. Opponents - particularly powerful characters like Dr. Eggman and spinners like MeeMee - force you to the baseline, and need to be thought past rather than lazily dispatched with increasingly acute cross-court power shots. Online, you can take part in ranked and unranked exhibitions and tournament matches, and there's also a TV element for watching other players live or as highlights. There are rarely any line calls to dispute in SEGA Superstars Tennis, the ball never brushes the net on its way over, and the range of shots is narrower than SEGA's fanbase will be used to, but what is on offer ultimately proves satisfying, backed by the sort of fan service that only Sumo does with dignity.

So, SEGA fans, run don't walk to the shops, but be prepared to give Superstars a few hours before the gameplay starts hugging you as hard as the graphics and sound. Everyone else, dust off Virtua Tennis 3 for a more complete alternative.

7 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (43) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • captainrentboy #1 4 years ago

    I'm getting it, haven't bought anything for my 360 in weeks.
    I'll get this, finish it, then trade it towards Condemned 2.
    Good stuff!

  • Killerbee #2 4 years ago

    Hmmm. Two problems with this game - (1) apart from Sonic, the Sega characters are pretty unlovable; and (2) Wii Sports tennis is still going to be a million times more fun.

    I actually hope Mario Tennis isn't dead, because a full tennis game built around Nintendo's much more interesting and varied characters, with Wii controls, could very well be brilliant. Pressing buttons to hit the ball? That's so last-gen...

    :)

  • ejstyles #3 4 years ago

    Was okay at that Play.com Live thing....not Virtua Tennis though. I know, that's the point, but still felt a bit woolly to control despite the graphical bells and the mascots a-plenty...

  • strange_powers #4 4 years ago

    I'm interested in how the Wii version, which apparently comes with a choice of controls including Wii Sports-style motions, turns out. Any tennis game will have to go a long way to beat Nintendo's offering, but this might be it.

  • muscleblade #5 4 years ago

    I bought this today. Think im gonna play it for a few days then trade it in for Dark Sector or Viking.

  • jonsaan #6 4 years ago

    Are the achievements not also in the PS3 game? Uncharted and Ratchet have them. Just because they are not centrally tracked doesn't mean the PS3 version has to lose them. Daft!

  • menage #7 4 years ago

    I think it's pretty cool they chose Ulala and the guy from Jet Set. makes it more than a Sonic friends fest, which in all honestly isn't cool at all apart from sonic himself.

    Why the hell Sega felt the need so create so many useless boring and irritating furry animals is beyond me.

  • jonsaan #8 4 years ago

    @Killerbee. Do you Really think that Wiisports tennis offers the range of control and skill that Virtua Tennis or even Mario Tennis have shown?

    I still believe that the current form of joypads has evolved over several generations because it works and is multi functional. The Wiimote, whilst undoubtedly fun, is just change for changes sake if you ask me. Still, for Nintendo, it's done the trick eh?
    Edited by 2 at 18/03/08 @ 12:14

  • Ranger101 #9 4 years ago

    Much Love for the opening paragraph.

    "Sumo Digital has made quite a lot of games since its formation in 2003, but our favourites are the two OutRun games and Virtua Tennis 3; love letters for SEGA fans, penned on SEGA's behalf. Superstars Tennis, by contrast, is dinner, dancing, cocktails and fellatio."

    Beautiful. Although a score of 7/10 sounds like the BJ was good, but there was no Deep Throat action going on.
    Edited by 1 at 18/03/08 @ 12:16

  • nedrichards #10 4 years ago

    killerbee: if you're giving no love to Ulala or Beat then I'm sad. Tails however...

  • Darren #11 4 years ago

    I utterly adored Virtua Tennis 3, I ended up playing it for absolutely ages, much to my surprise so I cannot wait for this "cute" cartoonish version from the same developers. If it's anything like the GC's Mario Power Tennis then it'll be excellent. Roll on Thursday! :)

  • bad09 #12 4 years ago

    I'm not that interested in the 360 version but my girl is getting the Wii version which I'm quite looking forward to playing.

    @ Killerbee

    Wii Sports tennis (which is pretty basic) over this? Really?

  • jambii267 #13 4 years ago

    Will we be getting a review of the Wii version?

  • jonsaan #14 4 years ago

    @jambii267

    It'll be exactly the same but with less accurate controls.

    /runs

  • Darren #15 4 years ago

    I was contemplating getting the Wii version but at the moment I just want something that is relaxing to play (and with visuals at a resolution that does my HDTV justice) so I decided to opt for the 360 or PS3 version but in the end it was the 360's better controller which was the ultimate decider so that is the version I'm getting.

  • bad09 #16 4 years ago

    @ Darren

    Yeah it's a good addition for all three consoles I think ( I love all the VT games) and the visuals of 360/PS3 do add a lot, but for me (maybe down to the Olympics game) this is a game that begs Wii usage! Plus Wii Sports tennis was great fun :)

  • jonsaan #17 4 years ago

    Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games was too hard for small kids. Sega often have issues with this. See all the Sonic games basically.

  • klem578 #18 4 years ago

    OK, i'm leaning towards the PS3 vers. BUT i would really like to know first if it has a friend invite option and in-game voice chat...
    I got fecked buying The Club, not having friend invites and in-game chat in a game that supports online,well, that's just stupid.

    Also lads, does anyone know if this game remains fun after a few hours or...
    Edited by 1 at 18/03/08 @ 13:01

  • Darren #19 4 years ago

    @bad09 - I'm going to persuade my parents to buy SEGA Superstars Tennis for their Wii then I can play it whenever I visit! :)

  • bad09 #20 4 years ago

    @ Darren

    LOL, the exact reason I got a Wii for my girl, it's great to have your cake and eat it. ;)

  • Killerbee #21 4 years ago

    @erm... lots of people!

    Yeah, I do prefer to play Wii Sports tennis over pretty much any pad-based tennis game I've played in the past (I confess I've not played this particular title). The only thing Wii Sports tennis really lacks is the depth of different modes and options and courts and unlockables etc etc to play with - which a dedicated Mario Tennis game would surely sort out. But for core tennis gameplay, I'd take waving a Wii-mote around over a pad any day.

    I think Wii Sports actually has a lot of depth to it - certainly once I reached Pro status on tennis I could really, consciously place the ball in different areas of the court, and do different shots (lobs, rallies etc) - it wasn't just a matter of waving randomly to hit a return.

    As for the characters, yeah I admit I'm probably judging this too much on the Sonic characters (which, apart from Sonic, I don't much like) and not giving the others a fair chance. They all still pale in comparison with Mario though. ;p

  • Dizzy #22 4 years ago

    Tempting....

    But I am sooooo many games behind. Still might be a good party choice.

  • kincaide #23 4 years ago

    Wii review please

  • Darren #24 4 years ago

    I'm surprised EG didn't review the Wii version first as it has the potential to be the most interesting version because of the way it's played.

  • Spazzfish #25 4 years ago

    If this game is similar to Mario tennis then i will buy it. That game wasn't about character development but was great fun. Those that have managed to play a preview would you recommend this to someone who liked Mario Tennis but wasn't interested in Virtua Tennis?

  • Turrican #26 4 years ago

    As ever, my question remains - can it do 4 player matches over Xbox Live, and is the experience any good?

  • Loser #27 4 years ago

    @ bad09

    "the exact reason I got a Wii for my girl"

    Do you live in the 1950's?

  • bad09 #28 4 years ago

    @ Loser

    ?

    did they have Wii in the 50's? Not sure what do you mean, but I meant I got my girlfriend a Wii so I had access to wii games.

  • Pooley #29 4 years ago

    The Wii version will be much more fun, and I expect an extra point because of the better controls.

  • Loser #30 4 years ago

    @ bad09

    sorry, "my girl" sounded like something from the 1950's ....

  • Arcadiian #31 4 years ago

    @ Pooley.

    It depends on what you find "fun". Personally, I prefer the 360 controller and Live play. The SEGA-themed achievements sound great too, but then I am a SEGA whore. :)

  • bad09 #32 4 years ago

    @ Loser

    Ah I see! Well she gets the hump at 'the old ball and chain' :)

  • smelly #33 4 years ago

    Seems strange to me they didnt do a wii version.

    i'd have thought it'd been the perfect market...

  • Darren #34 4 years ago

    @smelly - There *is* a Wii version of SEGA Superstars Tennis though!!!

  • secombe #35 4 years ago

    Wii Sports Tennis is anything but basic. Sure in terms of modes and progression it is, but the actual depth to the controls is about 50 times deeper than most people would ever bother to find out about...it's awesome, basically. I'm still playing it 15 months later and STILL perfecting a few different shots.

    Back to this though, odd that the Wii version didn't get reviewed first, surely 90% of people will be buying that version..?

  • kentmonkey #36 4 years ago

    I'm reviewing the Wii version for another site (I won't link to it in these comments, that's not fair, but those of you clever enough will find it easy to locate, or you can look out for me on digg) which I'm submitting tonight and it's not as good as the 360 version.

    I agree 100% with the review here, it's quite an entertaining game and the online multiplayer is pretty damn good fun. But on the Wii the gesture controls are unintuitive, the other control options aren't ideal, visually it's much worse than the 360 version (even when considering the difference in hardware and isn't as attractive as Mario and Sonic) and the lack of online multiplayer in the Wii version is a massive loss.

    Therefore the 360 (or PS3) version is definitely the one to get, if it floats your boat that is. It really is a take it or leave it experience; some will love it, others will undoubtedly prefer Virtua Tennis.
    Edited by 1 at 18/03/08 @ 20:29

  • smelly #37 4 years ago

    @Darren: Really?

    I was just going by the front page - 360/ps3

  • muscleblade #38 4 years ago

    I played it on my 360 last night and i loved it. 8/10 so far from me. Havent tried it online yet but im sure it will be great fun too.
    Cant wait to get home from work and play it for a few hours.

  • tardo #39 4 years ago

    >>@Darren: Really?
    >>I was just going by the front page - 360/ps3

    Sarcasm alert. Must be an anti-Nintendo conspiracy of course, yeah?

    I imagine the Wii version is going to get a separate review, due to the controls/graphics likely to be fairly different, whereas the 360/ps3 versions wouldn't warrant having an individual review each.

    I'd be disappointed if the Wii version doesn't match up, as that would definitely be my choice. But will wait and see how the Wii version is reviewed, before I decide whether to get the Wii/360 version, or not at all.

  • spookyzombie #40 4 years ago

    I played this on Wednesday for a couple of hours. I agree with a 7/10, unless you're a Sega nut, in which case you can probably add another point to the score. Quite good fun though.

  • djed #41 4 years ago

    ULALA ISN'T AN INTERESTING CHARACTER?!?!?

    From wp:
    "When Ulala was 12 years old, she was involved in a spaceship accident in which she was rescued by a reporter from a broadcasting station called Space Channel 5. This event inspired Ulala to not only become a reporter for the little-watched broadcasting station, but also to strive to become the best reporter in the galaxy."

    The BEST REPORTER IN THE GALAXY! and now she plays tennis as well! how much more depth can you ask for?!

  • Darren #42 4 years ago

    Ulala looks pretty and she has tits so that will make her interesting in the eyes of 95% of the male population anyway even without a personality! LOL

  • secombe #43 4 years ago

    Eurogamer in 'glaring Wii review omission part 2', so I bit the bullet and got this on the Wii anyway, so far I'm loving it, loads of fun.