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Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip
Score: 87%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America
Developer: Clap Hanz
Media: Download/1
Players: 1; 2 - 4 (Ad-hoc)
Genre: Sports (Tennis)/ Sports

Graphics & Sound:
For those new to the Hot Shots series, it takes normal sports like golf and, in this case, tennis, and infuses them with a playful dose of character and deceptive simplicity. Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip is developer Clap Hanz' second attempt at bringing the series' style to tennis. The last attempt was a marginal success; it got the playstyle down, but ignored everything else. Get a Grip manages to fix most of these problems.

One vital aspect missing from the original PS2 effort was character customization. Hot Shots Tennis eschews normal sport-appropriate attire in favor of brightly-colored outfits and other standout options. Neon colored clothes, a bear suit... even full Helghast armor; all are unlockable throughout the game. These little options give Hot Shots Tennis it's own bit of flair and the opportunity to infuse the game with your own personal taste.

Outside your character's appearance, Hot Shots Tennis looks good. There are an ample variety of courts, ranging from urban environments to an underwater aquarium. Each court also has its own theme music, though this is really the only notable audio aspect. Characters have their own quips throughout matches, but they wear thin really quickly.


Gameplay:
Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip isn't just a tennis game; it's also an RPG. Well, RPG might be stretching the concept a bit too much... it's an open-world story where you travel the world in search of opponents.

The setup is similar to Poke'mon. You are a member of a tennis club tasked with the job of recruiting players for the world championships. In each town, you'll need to talk to the locals and either play them in matches or complete other small tasks involving a tennis match. Eventually, you'll earn enough of a reputation in town that its "champion" player will challenge you to a match. Beat the champion, and you have a new teammate.

The general premise and RPG elements are weak, though more than adequate for the type of game Hot Shots Tennis is attempting to present. It'll certainly find detractors who want deeper story or more task variety, but those are minor issues. The setup works and is more than serviceable. It's a much better solution to the bland "new player, new court" system.

To encourage exploration, you can search through towns for hidden items, including new characters, by either searching through lockers or replaying certain matches. Again, customization is a core element to the Hot Shots experience. Though the story may not hook you in, the drive to find that one particular hairstyle or character will.

Hot Shots Tennis offers four-player Ad-hoc multiplayer, though the more significant inclusion is "Game Share." Hot Shots Tennis is a game you'll want to play with friends, even if it's just for a chance to show off your character. The Game Share option is a great gateway to convince friends to pick up the game.


Difficulty:
Though Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip looks like a simple, arcade-style tennis game, it is fairly deep. At the outset, the game looks incredibly simple and may fool you into thinking it follows something closer to Mario Tennis. A match or two into the game, you'll find this isn't the case.

Unlike other arcade-styled tennis games, there's a particular strategy to swinging. The temptation early on is to swing at everything that comes your way with the idea the game's internal mechanics will make all the correct adjustments. Instead, you need to keep an eye on where the ball is and make adjustments yourself. Gameplay is still approachable for anyone, but unless you're willing to do some work yourself, it's probably best to stick to Easy Mode.

Hot Shots Tennis gets easier the more you play. Your play skills will improve from match to match, but your character will also earn experience for winning matches. Keep playing with certain characters and you'll earn stat boosts and other useful perks.


Game Mechanics:
The key to conquering most of Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip's mechanics is simply a matter of timing. Aiming shots is a breeze, though you'll have to learn when to swing and, more importantly, what type of swing to use. Each of the PSP's face buttons offers up a different hit type: forehand, backhand or lob. Though selecting your hit type is situational, there's no "one hit fits all" type situation. Everything depends on how your opponent is playing and how you want to play.

Understanding the difference between a lob and forehand is easier than it sounds and once you understand the basics, you can easily work your way though most of the game without much problem. It won't be a breeze, but you'll manage to hold your own in most matches. To make sure you win, you'll have to master most intricate strategies. You have to determine angles, relative speed... there's a lot to the game beyond making sure the ball goes over the net.

In response to more intricate mechanics, some sort of training mode would have been a nice addition. Simple play instructions are offered during load times, though they aren't as helpful as a few short lessons on how everything works. There's nothing here you won't eventually figure out on your own, though you'll have to lose a load of matches while you learn.

I don't like tennis that much, but I enjoyed Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip. It's a lighthearted approach to the sport offering a lot for players. For me, the big draws were the customization and collection aspects, though under the glitz there's still a solid tennis game at play. It's a vast improvement over the first game and at $20, it's hard to pass up.


-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker

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