Hot Shots Tennis is one of those games where I would always see the cover at the game shop but I never really got to try it out. Well, now was my chance to finally play through it and it’s a fun game. It takes a little getting used to because they put a whole lot of effort into where you tilt your controller. So if you hold up for example then the ball is absolutely going to go past the end of the field. I don’t think this was a good idea to be honest but the game still succeeds.

Right away when starting the game you are impressed by how clear the menus are. They spared no expense here, each mode is clearly labeled and I like the way the progression system is set up. For example in the first round if you win then you unlock a new character. After that you unlock stages, new ranks, etc. The game always tells you what the reward will be ahead of time and what you have to do in order to earn it. I really appreciated the way the system was set up.

You always want to know what is coming next. This is something you would see more with some of the older games and it’s something I would like to see continue on with the newer ones. It just gives you extra energy to know that you’re about to reach the next stage. The graphics are also charming and capture the PS2 level of tech really well. The artstyle was absolutely a perfect match right here. It reminds me a lot of the Mario golf graphics when Plum was introduced. It’s not quite chibi either, just compact. It’s a very colorful game.

The soundtrack is more on the forgettable side unfortunately. I suppose not every game can be Xenoverse 2 though. As for the gameplay, like I mentioned it’s a bit different. So the idea is that you don’t want to make your move until the ball is close to your racket. For example if you get to the right spot early enough and prepare your shot, you will hit it too hard in the direction you are pointing. You will end up losing the point.
So in a way you are penalized for reading the ball too well.

You have to really just trust in your reaction times and land the devastating blows at the last moment. This is easier said than done though, it’s a whole other set of skills to pull something like that off. So you definitely need to practice. I was getting rolled for a bit during my matches as well before I got the hang of it. Once you do get the hang of it then you should be playing rather smoothly but the only tricky thing is that it does make the gameplay a bit slower. I’m not really sure how you would combat that. In a way it seems like the gameplay style actually makes that rather inevitable which is a shame.

It’s possible that there are alternate gameplay styles that would really let you show off the speed more though. So I don’t want to put any of this in as being definitive or anything like that. I’m also sure that the more I get the hang of the controls, the more I will have pinpoint timing that will even subtly speed up the gameplay somewhat. It’s really a game that rewards continued effort and dedication.

I dare say they should make a new one for modern consoles. You’d probably need a bit of a hook to make it stand out with how many tennis games there are nowadays though. Some kind of a real cinematic story would go a long way though. That would absolutely do the trick and then you have something that’s really around for all ages with no drawbacks. If I’m being honest there are so many games around that I wouldn’t get it day 1 or anything but I would definitely still pick it up at some point.

Overall, Hot Shots Tennis is a lot of fun. It took me some getting used to with the way the gameplay works but I got it down by the end. It could still benefit from a faster style but it is what it is. This is the kind of game you can pick up with no context and jut have fun with. It’s clear that the developers had a lot of passion with this one and it wasn’t just slapped together. I would definitely recommend it if you like tennis games.

Overall 7/10