Sega Superstars Tennis
PS2/PS3/Wii/X360/DS
1-4 players (2-8 online), $99.95
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By Séamus Byrne
Some variety... but very little room to grow
When Sonic the Hedgehog plays Ulala from Space Channel 5 in a game of tennis, who is likely to win? We've got a lot of these clashes on offer in Sega Superstars Tennis, but the answer to all of them will be whichever character you picked - this game is just too easy.
What is striking is the overly simple tennis itself. From the house of Virtua Tennis, one of the greats of the genre, we get little more than a run-aim-hit system with little room to grow in the finesse department. Even after some experiments in using the court to your advantage you find that hitting from the baseline is the only winning strategy. Characters do have specialities - speed, spin, power, control - which do change up the way you attack, but within ten minutes you should have all the skills you need to win, win and win.
The best of Superstars Tennis is the Superstars mode, which throws a variety of court challenges your way based on different Sega game worlds. Collect rings with Sonic while avoiding obstacles, knock out zombies with tennis balls outside Curien Mansion (from House of the Dead), or avoid capture while collecting spray cans in Jet Set Radio. This mode shows some nice variety and genuine challenges, but in itself it doesn't do enough to hold up the entire game.