Smash Court Tennis 3 (PSP)
- Publisher:
- Namco Bandai
- Developer:
- Namco Bandai
- Release Date:
- 10.07.2007
- Number of players:
- 1 - 4
- Sport Type:
- Traditional
- Sport Style:
- No Contact
- Sport:
- Tennis
- Extra:
- Traditional
4 movies
We play Smash Court Tennis 3...
For the genre that practically launched the successful videogame market as we know it, you'd think that Tennis games would be far more prevalent within the yearly release schedules than they usually are. In fact, outside of Sega's juggernaut Virtua Tennis series there really has been little choice in recent times for any fans of a serious interpretation of the sport, with Microsoft's Topspin 2 marking the only viable alternative to make its mark. With that in mind, Smash Court Tennis 3 on the PSP is certainly a step in the right direction, and offers up a markedly different approach to basic gameplay than the competition.
Of course the key elements of any tennis game are firmly tied to ball physics and player animation, and in this respect Smash Court offers up a compelling experience. The core gameplay here is much more simulation-heavy than the Virtua series, but demands time and patience to master.
The first major difference between the series comes with the simple aspect of striking the ball. Whereas Virtua Tennis demands that the player do nothing more than hold a button down to generate power, Smash Court rewards specific baskswing timing to create the illusion of force. In practice, this means holding down a shot button to create power, and then releasing at the correct moment of the backswing to lash through the ball. Crucially, the timing feels correct, and anybody familiar with a tennis racquet will recognise the optimum moment to release the swing. If you miss either side of the sweet spot, the shot will still be made, but to a far less potent degree.
This system for the most part works extremely well, and offers up a wide variety of shot selection and placement. Hitting a tight shot with exactly the right timing to power past your opponent is a fantastic experience, especially coming off the back of a long rally. The usual variety of shot types are present and accounted for, from the slice through to the topspin lob, you'll certainly never run out of options in any given situation. Risk is always a part of reward however, and the more difficult shots will certainly take time to master.
In terms of game options, all of the usual arcade and .vs game modes are offered up in vanilla flavour, but continuing with the simulation aspect is an extremely in-depth career mode that cribs more than its fair share of inspiration from the 'other' tennis game.
Beginning with your created player, the career mode opens up into a familiar looking calendar with events, tournaments and practice modes blocked out into patterns across the year-wide grid. The mission here is to take your created star from rank 250 up to becoming the world champion; balancing tiredness, practice and the need to win tournaments for money along the way. Stats are boosted with each victory, and special shots and skills can be unlocked with any skill points that you may have left over. Tournament money can be spent on new clothes and equipment, with customisation options offering up a nicely deep variety of different looks for your superstar.
There isn't really a lot to fault with the main career mode, being that it's simply a refined version of the main system on offer in Virtua Tennis and Topspin. The challenge is nicely rounded, with no particular spikes in difficulty, and watching your player turn from a lumbering brute into a nimble and super-fast tennis god is as satisfying as ever.
So, with a good career mode and some decent basic play mechanics, you could be forgiven for thinking that Smash Court Tennis is a worthy contender for the Virtua Tennis crown; but some minor niggles and poor design unfortunately turns it into an also-ran rather than a genuine title contender.
The most glaring issue here is one of atmosphere. Simply put, Smash Court just feels a little too clinical, and just not as much fun to play as the Virtua series. Whilst the single-player offering is deep and challenging, the core gameplay just isn't as exciting as it should be, with perhaps an over-emphasis on realism at the expense of just a little more leeway for fun. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate the simulation aspects as much as anybody, but you get the feeling that the game could have done with some extra design flair or a few more outlandish aspects to compensate for the lack of immediacy that such a sternly realistic approach dictates. Playing through the tutorials alone, for example, can take over 45 minutes, which considering this is a portable game is a little excessive. Perhaps this iteration of the series would have been more at home as a full console release.
Added to this is the generally lacklustre sound design, and some extremely glitchy animation. At times your player will manage to hit a shot that's clearly two or three feet to the side of their racquet, and at other times the animation will pop from one state to another without blending any of the motion in between. This can lead to some awkward moments when your player manages to turn 180 degrees in a single frame of animation, or slide a couple of yards across the court to meet a seemingly unreachable volley. Whilst this doesn't happen often enough to truly hamper the play, it is nevertheless an annoying aspect, taking away from the polish applied in other areas.
Overall though Smash Court is a worthwhile purchase for anybody that wants a little more realism from a portable tennis simulation, and a deep and entertaining single-player campaign to boot. Whilst it doesn't do enough to justify taking the crown away from Virtua Tennis just yet, I can only hope that the promise shown with this release is honed further down the line, as we could then have a serious contender on our hands for another heavyweight tennis game. No bad thing in a genre with such few alternatives to choose from.
Top Game Moment: Curling the ball around the side of the net and down the line for an unbeatable winner.
 |
 |
|
| Not quite as pleasing to the eye as Virtua Tennis | Some nice lighting effects are present in most arenas |
Of course the key elements of any tennis game are firmly tied to ball physics and player animation, and in this respect Smash Court offers up a compelling experience. The core gameplay here is much more simulation-heavy than the Virtua series, but demands time and patience to master.
The first major difference between the series comes with the simple aspect of striking the ball. Whereas Virtua Tennis demands that the player do nothing more than hold a button down to generate power, Smash Court rewards specific baskswing timing to create the illusion of force. In practice, this means holding down a shot button to create power, and then releasing at the correct moment of the backswing to lash through the ball. Crucially, the timing feels correct, and anybody familiar with a tennis racquet will recognise the optimum moment to release the swing. If you miss either side of the sweet spot, the shot will still be made, but to a far less potent degree.
This system for the most part works extremely well, and offers up a wide variety of shot selection and placement. Hitting a tight shot with exactly the right timing to power past your opponent is a fantastic experience, especially coming off the back of a long rally. The usual variety of shot types are present and accounted for, from the slice through to the topspin lob, you'll certainly never run out of options in any given situation. Risk is always a part of reward however, and the more difficult shots will certainly take time to master.
 |
 |
|
| The create-a-player mode is nicely detailed | Shame you cant break the windows of the castle with misplaced shots |
In terms of game options, all of the usual arcade and .vs game modes are offered up in vanilla flavour, but continuing with the simulation aspect is an extremely in-depth career mode that cribs more than its fair share of inspiration from the 'other' tennis game.
Beginning with your created player, the career mode opens up into a familiar looking calendar with events, tournaments and practice modes blocked out into patterns across the year-wide grid. The mission here is to take your created star from rank 250 up to becoming the world champion; balancing tiredness, practice and the need to win tournaments for money along the way. Stats are boosted with each victory, and special shots and skills can be unlocked with any skill points that you may have left over. Tournament money can be spent on new clothes and equipment, with customisation options offering up a nicely deep variety of different looks for your superstar.
There isn't really a lot to fault with the main career mode, being that it's simply a refined version of the main system on offer in Virtua Tennis and Topspin. The challenge is nicely rounded, with no particular spikes in difficulty, and watching your player turn from a lumbering brute into a nimble and super-fast tennis god is as satisfying as ever.
So, with a good career mode and some decent basic play mechanics, you could be forgiven for thinking that Smash Court Tennis is a worthy contender for the Virtua Tennis crown; but some minor niggles and poor design unfortunately turns it into an also-ran rather than a genuine title contender.
The most glaring issue here is one of atmosphere. Simply put, Smash Court just feels a little too clinical, and just not as much fun to play as the Virtua series. Whilst the single-player offering is deep and challenging, the core gameplay just isn't as exciting as it should be, with perhaps an over-emphasis on realism at the expense of just a little more leeway for fun. Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate the simulation aspects as much as anybody, but you get the feeling that the game could have done with some extra design flair or a few more outlandish aspects to compensate for the lack of immediacy that such a sternly realistic approach dictates. Playing through the tutorials alone, for example, can take over 45 minutes, which considering this is a portable game is a little excessive. Perhaps this iteration of the series would have been more at home as a full console release.
Added to this is the generally lacklustre sound design, and some extremely glitchy animation. At times your player will manage to hit a shot that's clearly two or three feet to the side of their racquet, and at other times the animation will pop from one state to another without blending any of the motion in between. This can lead to some awkward moments when your player manages to turn 180 degrees in a single frame of animation, or slide a couple of yards across the court to meet a seemingly unreachable volley. Whilst this doesn't happen often enough to truly hamper the play, it is nevertheless an annoying aspect, taking away from the polish applied in other areas.
 |
 |
|
| As well as the standard career mode, all the usual culprits are present | The career mode is nice and deep, with a good level of challenge |
Overall though Smash Court is a worthwhile purchase for anybody that wants a little more realism from a portable tennis simulation, and a deep and entertaining single-player campaign to boot. Whilst it doesn't do enough to justify taking the crown away from Virtua Tennis just yet, I can only hope that the promise shown with this release is honed further down the line, as we could then have a serious contender on our hands for another heavyweight tennis game. No bad thing in a genre with such few alternatives to choose from.
Top Game Moment: Curling the ball around the side of the net and down the line for an unbeatable winner.
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