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EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis review (Wii)
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It might be strange to think of a tennis game as one of the most anticipated games of the year, but considering that Grand Slam Tennis is one of the first games out on the market to utilize the Wii MotionPlus, Grand Slam Tennis -- along with Virtua Tennis, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 and Wii Sports Resort-- will go a long way into showing whether or not the true Nintendo Wii has finally arrived.
The first thing you'll likely notice about Grand Slam Tennis is that this is no Wii Sports tennis. While you'll be able to pick up the racket, err, Wii Remote and begin playing right away, Grand Slam Tennis comes with the bells and whistles we expect in an EA Sports game. This includes some mini-games for when there's a group of friends over, a quick play option for jumping immediately into a game, practice sessions with a ball machine, online play against fellow humans from around the globe, and the all-important career mode.
In many ways, this is the tennis game we've been looking forward to since the Nintendo Wii debuted. While it obviously isn't as well-evolved as the Tiger Woods franchise, it's a great foundation. For the most part, the mini-games are fun, but you'll spend most of your time in the Grand Slam career mode or in multiplayer.
Grand Slam Tennis Review - The Wii MotionPlus Experience
The Wii MotionPlus makes Grand Slam Tennis a frustratingly addicting addition to the tennis genre. Not without its share of bugs, playing with the MotionPlus takes some getting used to. While you'll be able to jump right in and play reasonably well, you'll quickly get frustrated by small things like your avatar overrunning the ball in order to set up a backhand, or a miss-swing caused by the MotionPlus getting out of sync and thinking you are swinging the Remote forward when you are actually moving it back to prepare for a swing.
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But its not all to be blamed on the MotionPlus. Some of these are actually user error. Or, at least, user disagreement with the controls. The game is actually set up so that you can 'tell' it you want to overrun the ball to set up a forehand or backhand shot based on how you've positioned the Wii Remote.
So, while you can jump in and play right away, the controls do take some getting used to. Mainly, this is learning just how the game wants you to do certain things, like just how the game wants you to hold the Wii Remote through your swing to set up certain shots.
As I said, frustrating but addicting. While it will become abundantly clear early on that this is a first take on getting the MotionPlus controls, and there are definitely some glitches that will get on your nerves, the game still gets you wanting to come back for more.
Grand Slam Tennis Review - Playing without the Wii MotionPlus
If you get too frustrated by the MotionPlus, or just aren't ready to invest in buying the attachment right away, don't worry. The game is quite fun even without the MotionPlus. In fact, I'd say it is a little easier to play without the MotionPlus, as it boils more down to timing than anything else.
Of course, you might be giving up a little bit of control too. The wider range of motions and shots provided by the MotionPlus might not be available, but you still have a lot of options. You can do lob shots and drop shots by pressing the A or B button just as you would with a MotionPlus. And while you might not have as fine of control, you can still aim the ball relatively easy by timing your shot.
Grand Slam Tennis Review - Career Mode
The career mode does not disappoint. While its not quite as deep as a long-running series like Tiger Woods, it has all of the basics and a nice set of bells and whistles. You'll play through multiple tournaments from the Australian Open to the French Open to Wimbledon and you'll go up against tennis greats like Pete Sampras and Roger Federer. In addition to exhibition matches and tournaments, you'll also be able to gain new skills by going head-to-head with one of the tennis legends.
The major disappointment here is that player creation lacks quite a bit in terms of customization. You can choose from a number of hair styles and head shapes, but it's still pretty bare compared to other games.
But it's neat that you can choose your style of play from specializing in volleying and playing at the net to being more of a defensive baseliner. Combined with the ability to pick up different skills like a powerful new backhand or extra speed, this means you'll be able to tailer your avatar to how you want to perform on the courts.
Grand Slam Tennis Review - Multiplayer Mode
This is where the game really shines, especially compared to other Wii games that tend to fall down in this department. The process of going online and matching up with someone is pretty simple. You'll need to register for an EA.com account if you don't already have one, but this can be accomplished in a manner of minutes from the Wii. Once complete, you'll be able to go head-to-head against one of your friends, or engage in either a ranked or unranked match against a randomly chosen opponent.
One neat feature of multiplayer is the ability to pick your country, so you can represent against other players around the globe. You won't be able to bring your custom character into this mode, but you do get to choose a tennis legend to play with, so you can take it to people with Johnny Mac.
And multiplayer is pretty smooth. For the most part, it plays like the single player game except for the fact that your opponent can make the same stupid mistakes you make. And the fact that it is player skill with a Wii Remote rather than button-mashing just adds to the addictive factor.
Grand Slam Tennis Review - Final Grade
While Grand Slam Tennis isn't perfect, it's a fun and addicting game. And for all the people who bought their Nintendo Wii for games like tennis, it will not disappoint. The addition of the MotionPlus can be frustrating at times, but as you get used to it, the attachment really does add a new dimension to the game.
Final Grade: 85 (B)
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