After taking control of the Hotshot Golf franchise from Camelot in 1999, developer Clap Hanz proceeded with the creation. Five Various installments in the series – SixIn fact, including the Japan-only Hot Shots Golf Online, which was used as a means to whiplash PS2 network adapters domestically.
Therefore, in 2006, it turned its attention to the alternative sport, tennis. Hot Shots Tennis (or Everybody’s Tennis in Europe) retains the same easy-going arcade action that golf game fans are accustomed to, but participates in singles and doubles matches on colorful courts around the world. I see you there. It’s a quick and enthusiastic take on racket-based sports, but it’s a lightweight package that was later improved by the PSP’s successor, the Hot Shots Tennis Portable.
Gameplay very It’s simplified and split into three main shot buttons: flat, slice, and lob. Instead of charging strokes like in other arcade tennis games, you just need to time your swing. Hot Shots Golf’s rabbit and turtle system is back. The closer you are to the sweet spot, the more accurate your shot will be.
Gameplay has even more depth. Drop shots can be performed by fully adjusting the timing of slices on the net. Of course, by placing the player in the right place, you can shatter the selfish returns from your opponents. The controls are, as expected, very responsive and the player responds accurately to all inputs.
As you would expect from Clap Hanz, the various characters (two of whom are returning from Hot Shots Golf) are beautifully animated and full of personality. A 10-year-old break dancer runs around the baseline with his arms wide open, somersaulting and smashing. On the other hand, Easter Egg Suzuki seems to be very confused by his appearance. It’s very fun.
So the problem is that gameplay isn’t really complicated enough to keep it interesting in long sessions. If the difficulty is low, you can easily overtake the opponent and hit the ball. Later, it’s all attrition and small errors are quickly punished. Matches are more about just being able to react, not about playing good tennis.
The package is also very lightweight. There are many things to unlock (14 characters in total and 11 tennis courts), but all you really need to do is complete a one-off match to get them. This has been greatly enhanced with the Hot Shots Tennis Portable mentioned above. This is effectively presented as a basic RPG and is ultimately a better game.
There is a training mode configured as a series of mini-games. Of course, you can play with up to three friends in a doubles match, but basically that’s all the package offers, except for some neat stats tracking. Many details have been invested in the layout of each court, but once the initial novelty is gone, it doesn’t get much attention here.
Conclusion
HotShots Tennis is the winner as an easy-to-access arcade sports game. However, the game was basic and painstaking, and was eventually overtaken by its superior PSP successor, the Hot Shots Tennis Portable. If you live up to the right expectations, you won’t be disappointed with the fares offered here, but for Clap Hanz, it’s clear that tennis’s second service is a true ace.
