Smashcourt Tennis
Smashcourt was the first title we played at our Atari booth tour today and its appeal was most definitely its low price tag. As was noted multiple times by the exhibitor, the game has lots of depth for only $39.99 on the Xbox 360. Featuring an all star cast of playable characters including Federer, Nadal, and Sharapova, a character editor packed with editable stats and truly customized appearance (down to the exact position of your players’ eyes), and 40 mini games, Smashcourt looks to provide all of the content of a great tennis game at an affordable price.
Though we skipped the mandatory in depth tutorial, the game was still a breeze to pick up. And, despite its easy learning curve, the game still seemed complex enough to be fairly difficult to master. For instance, when serving, players must push the analog stick precisely to the position they want but make sure not to aim too far or they will fault. Also, the multiple courts featured in the game, with multiple surfaces, add extra elements to gameplay: one court may make your character slip at times while another may allow your player to stop in his/her tracks.
It truly is amazing the amount of detail placed into the game for what it is. For instance, the time of day can be changed to affect the direction of objects’ shadows and if a match goes into extra sets, you may even see that a shadow has moved slightly from its initial position (due to progression in time). The mini games are all different and not only give you extended gameplay options, but also allow you to further fine tune your skills.
It’s great to see companies finding ways to lower production costs while still creating a quality title. Smashcourt Tennis is sure to serve up a full helping of gameplay in the coming months.
