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Review:

23rd August 2005:
Outlaw Tennis
A tennis game that actually hits back? Read our review to find if it hits the right places as its golfing parents did.
Posted by Chris Barnett - Xbox - UK and Europe

Tennis has never been the most popular sport with games developers, and with good reason. It is silly making a game based upon something that is not too popular to begin with. But in recent years, Hypnotix have developed the Outlaw series with its two golf games, and they have been quite enjoyable in a forbidden, 'behind the bike shed' kind of way. So they have now decided to tackle the tennis game, and we are quite pleased with the results in the same kind of way as with the golf games.

Those unfamiliar with the Outlaw Golf games only need to know that they are golf games with quirky characters and some crazy locations and events. That is about it, the rest of the game is based around the standard format of a golf game. Outlaw Tennis does not detract from this formula. The same characters even return to add continuity to the series so that you are given an impression that the developers are starting to feel for them as an author or film maker does. The characters are all stereotypes: you have a 'dumb-yet-pretty' girl, a Native American girl and a guy that is verging on the definition of pimp so much that you expect the audience to throw him a feather hat at any time.

The way in which the characters are realised in the actual gameplay is fairly unnoticeable except for their different speeds and shot abilities. It is in the cut scenes that they become noticeable. Before each match there is a lengthy introduction to all players and the location. These are often very funny - the first time you see them. After that they can get very annoying and are gratefully skipped. The same can be said for the in-game cut scenes. After every point, yes EVERY point, there is a cut scene to show the attitude and morale of the players. These can help show what is actually going on as well as giving a distraction from the gameplay, but they don't show anything more than the 'morale/stamina' bar at the top of the screen. It is a shame that these scenes are not used more sparingly as they are very nicely animated, especially if you are a male player. Let's just say that the word 'wobble' comes to mind to describe certain animations, and leave it at that.

The game actually plays quite reassuringly like a decent tennis game, more like Topspin Tennis than Mario Tennis. The simple lob, topspin and return shots are easy to pull off by single button presses, allowing the game to flow neatly without the need for combos. The only addition to this system is in the shoulder buttons, the left adds a limited-use turbo run and the right adds extra spin to shots. Both of these can be used to good effect in rallies as the opponent can be duped into a certain mode of play and then 'spun out' by a quick spin shot.

The morale system allows players to get increased speed and shot ability based upon continued success. This is also true for poor play; the player will slow down in this case. In football games that use this kind of feature it is quite subtle, but here it is slightly over the top. Just a few lost points will see the player grinding to a very slow speed, making the game feel unnecessarily sluggish. It is satisfying when you are the one 'in the zone' but that is beyond the point - the feature should have been implemented more gradually for consistent effect. But in an arcade-style game it can be supposed that quick and easy features are favoured.

To appeal even greater to the arcade crowd there is also an ability to fight! As silly as it sounds, if you have enough morale you can choose to take up a fight when it comes to serving. This is only awarded by an increase in speed and shot ability for a short time and is rather out of place when it takes place. But since the player must choose to use it, there is no reason that it can't be ignored altogether. Other abnormal features include the locations and the weather. Each of these is serious in some cases, such as a standard sunny day on a standard court. But the other extreme can see you playing a game on snow in a thunder storm! With each of the 12 courts there is something different to the gameplay, such as speed of play, as well as a different visual locale. Playing a match beneath the body of an aeroplane reminded us of Guile's stage in Street Fighter 2 and that game is actually a good comparison in terms of its diverse range of backdrops.

The multiplayer modes on offer range from doubles to two-on-one and are quite fun once the players learn to cope with the morale system and annoying scenes (which will probably be toggled off by the time a multiplayer game is started). Live play is also quite good, but it can be annoying if the opponent chooses to include all the cut scenes and to use an outrageous set of rules and locations. So you may wish to host the game yourself rather than leave it to crazy American kids!

With a single player Exhibition mode offering over 50 rounds and 16 playable characters, the game will last a long time and will maintain interest as you upgrade your costumes to suit your own personal requirements (notice how we phrased that without using or implying the term 'pervert'?). In fact, this game will actually appeal to those who are not too keen on tennis. It probably would not appeal to those who hate the sport, but they probably wouldn't even consider the game anyway, so there is no loss there.

With all respects to the game and annoying features aside, it does everything that it wants, and the average gamer will find something to love here even if it is just the ability to play doubles beneath a volcano to the sound of Radiohead's 'Paranoid Android'.

Chris Barnett

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Review Summary:

A tennis game that can actually be played without a keen interest in the sport and that does not, as Mario Tennis did, assume the player is a child at heart. Adult stereotypes and online play make this an original take on the sport that will entertain any players, even if just for a few matches before they become annoyed.

Related Games:

Outlaw Golf 2
for Xbox

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