SEGA Superstars Tennis

Tennis usually makes for decent video games, but Sega Superstar Tennis tries to go the extra mile by piling on loads of side games just in case. Is this game taking advantage of its Sega Roots or just compensating for a weak performance?

Sega Superstar Tennis is a flashy, fast-paced arcade style tennis game that stars Sonic, AiAi, Dr. Eggman and plenty of other classis Sega characters. While it was nice to be reacquainted with some old favorites, this is by no means a great game. You would think that tennis matches and tournaments would be the meat of a tennis title, but you end up spending more time playing side games. As for the tennis side, there isn't much to say. It only takes a match or two get the basics down. Even still, the controls can get a little finicky and at times can feel a little inconsistent. The first few matches are fun but that feeling goes quickly.

One of the biggest flaws of this game is the overuse of the arcade tone. The screen is too busy with background characters, and the music and sound affects can be very distracting. Of course this is a PS3 game, so everything looks and sounds great. But the over-stimulation is overkill and takes away from the overall enjoyment of the games. You can also play doubles, but unless you're playing with other people, there's no real point. Possibly worst of all, games and tournaments go by too quickly and there's no career mode.

Then there are the side games. All of them are in some way related to tennis and take place in the settings of the Sega characters involved. You'll start out with a few games that, once beaten, can unlock more. It's likely that you'll spend more time here than on the actual tennis game. There decent enough but not nearly the caliber of game you would hope for from a PS3 game. At first, they can be addictive and even a little fun but they tend to get repetitive. You have to wonder if games like this are best left to the Wii. As consoles become more sophisticated so should the games. We're not saying that the arcade style needs to go, but games like Sega Superstars Tennis should really have their basics dealt with before dealing all of the bells and whistles are added.