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| |  Wednesday, 21 August, 2002, 15:23 GMT 16:23 UK Let's play: Slam Tennis 
Wimbledon may a distant memory, but at least now you can play tennis without worrying about the weather. Infogrames have put together this much-needed tennis game for the PlayStation 2 - with Xbox to follow - and surprisingly, it's rather good. I use the word surprisingly because so many tennis sims have tried to recreate the fast-paced intensity of the real thing and failed miserably.
Virtua Tennis on the Dreamcast managed to pull it off, Smash Court Tennis wasn't far behind and this is right up there. You get to choose from 16 players, including 'Tiger' Tim Henman - well at least he stands a better chance of reaching a final. They all come with their own style of play - from baseline giants to deft serve and volleyers - and there's also a variety of surfaces to choose from. The four modes of gameplay are Arcade, Exhibition, Championship and Challenge. Exhibition allows up to four players to compete at once and - as is usual with this type of game - is ultimately the most fun - especially if you win!
The control system used in Slam Tennis is perfectly executed, although its complex AI can sometimes cause problems. As in real tennis, you have to up your game to beat your opponent and you have to adapt your style from match to match. Playing baseline against an opponent who is a serve volleyer means you've got little chance of success. Slam Tennis gives you more than just tennis too, with the challenge games offering an interesting break from tradition. Here you get to play alternatives like destroying beach balls with your serve or bursting bubbles using your array of shots. OK, it may sound a bit daft - but these things add extra value and playability to the whole package.
The graphics aren't as good as on the Xbox, of course, but they are still the best yet seen in a tennis game for the PS2. Environmental settings are first-rate and the animated players are extremely realistic. Those of you looking for a championship tennis game packed with great gameplay, top visuals and Tim Henman should definitely lob this into your collection. It's ace! | |
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