Game Info
Game Name: Sega Superstars Tennis
Developer(s): Sumo Digital
Publisher(s): Sega
Platform(s): PS2/PS3/Wii/Xbox 360/NDS
Genre(s): Sports
Release Date(s): March 18, 2008
ESRB Rating: E10+
Sonic and Gilius Thunderhead go for the gold!
Serve it up! It is an all-out battle as Sega’s heroes face off on the courts. Be it a battle on a Afterburner aircraft carrier or a Mexican festival, the faster and stronger you are the better chance you have at winning. Sonic the Hedgehog, Ulala, Gilius Thunderhead, Alex Kidd, and others are all out to be Number #1! Take the courts and serve up an ace!
Sega Superstars Tennis is a comic sports game produced by Sega. The game was released on multiple systems. The game received average reviews.
I was a Nintendo kid growing up. As a result, I have very little nostalgia for Sega. I have always enjoyed tennis so it is a bit of a cancelling effect. Despite being a bit dull, Sega Superstars Tennis did provide hours of play.
Serving up an ace!
The game set-up is pretty standard for tennis games. There are tournaments, single play, doubles, and online play for fans (though as time progresses, the chances of finding a player could be difficult). Where the game differentiates from other tennis games is Superstars mode which features tons and tons of mini-games. This is where the Sega catalog really comes into play by having multiple games which not only test skills, but help you get prepared for more games.
The game features Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles “Tails” Prower, Amy Rose, and Shadow the Hedgehog (from the Sonic the Hedgehog series), NiGHTS and Reala (from NIGHTS into Dreams), AiAi and MeeMee (from Super Monkey Ball), Ulala and Pudding (from Space Channel 5), Amigo (from Samba de Amigo), Gilius Thunderhead (from Golden Axe), Beat and Gum (from Jet Set Radio), and Alex Kidd (from Alex Kidd in Miracle World). It features courts and games from Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Channel 9, The House of the Dead, Super Monkey Ball, Jet Set Radio, Samba De Amigo, NiGHTS into Dreams, Super Monkey Ball, Outrun, After Burner, Puyo Pop, Space Harrier, ChuChu Rocket!, and Virtua Cop.
Graffiti, rollerblades, and tennis…a typical combination?
The gameplay is quite simple and the graphics are a bit subpar for a “next generation” game (in its defense, it was right at the time systems were converting)…it also has some repetitive audio and music. The player controls have a lot of automation to them and it is really hard to “screw up” a tennis match. If you are any good, you at most will have to replay a match once to fix your errors. The real challenge comes from the mini-games which are either extremely easy or maddeningly difficult. Still, if you keep plugging, you might win.
Sega Superstars Tennis is generally cheap, and it is a good way to kill time. The gameplay is rather thin and if you are a serious tennis fan, you should probably look elsewhere. If you were a Sega fan, it is worth seeking out…if you don’t go in with high hopes, you won’t be disappointed.
