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Jun 18, 2009 11:32 am US/Central
Review: "Grand Slam Tennis" Has Some Faults
By Phil Stauskas
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Since the Nintendo Wii was first introduced, the game of tennis has always been a great example of what the innovative system is capable of doing: full motion controls. Swing the remote controller left, and your tennis racket moves left. Swing right, the racket goes right. Swing up, you lob. Swing down, you smash.
Nintendo has now introduced the Wii MotionPlus device. It's a little box that snaps into the end of the Wii Remote and allows for more precise motion controls. Again, tennis seems like a perfect fit. Now, your little virtual tennis racket can really be influenced by slight twists and turns of the wrist, or the amount of power you put behind your swing.
Although Nintendo has not released a game that shows off the Wii MotionPlus yet, EA has stepped up to the plate with a couple of sports games that take advantage of the new box. Among them is "Grand Slam Tennis." It seems like a natural fit for the added level of play control, but the result is anything but natural.
Play as one of 23 tennis greats including current faves like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and the Williams sisters, and past legends like Pete Sampras, Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe. But don't expect to see hyper-realistic graphics. The characters are stylized, made to look somewhat cartoonish, and closely resemble Xbox 360 avatars. I love the look, especially on the graphically-disadvantaged Wii. But sadly, the best parts of "Grand Slam Tennis" are strictly superficial.
The addition of the Wii MotionPlus might lead to you believe that the controls are more free, more natural, more intuitive. Not so. Players are still locked into certain pre-determined swings. Some 'special' swings, like the lob, require extra buttons to be pushed on the Wii Remote. (You don't just swing the Wii controller upward.) The Wii MotionPlus device is only used to help determine the direction and spin of the ball.
This method of control was incredibly frustrating, given the potential that the Wii MotionPlus provides. But, I found that making the controls 'more difficult' on myself actually made the game easier. Pulling the Wii MotionPlus out of the Wii controller provided some meters used to help guide the ball and time my swing. Adding the controller's Nunchuk attachment let me control the positioning of my player. Suddenly, what was a very restricting game started to open itself up.
The result is a game that feels as though it was developed to be played with 'traditional' controls. When EA learned about Wii MotionPlus, perhaps they then tacked on the new method of control to get another compatible game to the market. (They've also released "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10" that makes fantastic use of the Wii MotionPlus.) I understand this logic, because again, tennis and the Wii MotionPlus sounds like a match made in heaven. But "Grand Slam Tennis" feels sloppy in execution.
Controls aside, the complete package is pretty nice. There's an online mode, a party mode for groups, a full career mode for single players, character customization and a calorie tracker to inform me know how healthy motion controls can be with all the arm flailing. All are a terrific bonus, but the basic tennis game feels broken, depending on your method of control.
Several games have tried to recreate tennis on the Wii, and none of them, including "Grand Slam Tennis" can seem to get it right. And certainly, none come close to the simple tennis game in "Wii Sports," which has been included with the Wii system since day one. But, if you're not interested in the Wii MotionPlus addition and crave actual, licensed tennis players, "Grand Slam Tennis" is one of the better offerings for the Wii. Although, that's not saying much.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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