So i just got this game today, and i am trying out Wii motion plus for the first time, with this game. To tell you the truth, i did not even know the game was out yet, but i just went to the shop by chance today, and found it.
So first impressions after about 2-3 hours with the game. Well, lets start with the bad. Apparently, Tiger woods is freakishly realistic at recognizing you moves 1:1. However, this game is not the 1:1 that Nintendo has been boasting about. It is a lot better at recognizing your moves than Wii Tennis, but definitely not a showcase for Wii Motion Plus.
Second bad point, well in the practice court it became clear that when you do not have a nunchunk, this game does a poor job at positioning you for a forehand or a backhand, though in game, it is slightly better at doing so.
Now for the good. This is no Wii Tennis. There is a practice mode, a party mode, online mode with rankings (if you are registered which takes about 2 mins), Grand Slam tournament mode where you play to improve the stats of your self created player. There's also quite as few well known players, and a few lesser known players to choose from or play against from the get go. So there is a lot more here to keep you entertained for many hours if you are an avid fan of tennis. Unfortunately, i cannot tell you much about online, as i could not be bothered to wait for someone to join me for a game. I will wait until a few more people get this game.
Secondly, if you like Wii tennis, this game is faster and better, allowing for more control in your swings, and allowing you to control your player with the nunchuck. Wii motion plus sure does change things, but its not so intuitive that you will be brilliant from the get go. This game still has a major learning curve, one i definitely have not mastered yet. I am still on easy mode, and i am having a lot of trouble beating anyone, though i do seem to be improving as i go along. I do though have a feeing i could become good at this game with a little practice.
This game is also a lot more fun to play than Wii Tennis because it is just faster, with a lot more types of shots. As far as controls got, tops spin is easily recognized, as are slices, but getting the ball to go where you want it to go is going to take as lot of practice. Also don't forget to stretch before playing, because I for one know I am going to be suffering from some major Wii-itis tomorrow.
As far as graphics go, I do not know why everyone is complaining about the graphics. They are not brilliant, but they do not impact the gameplay at all, which is generally quite smooth, bar a little bug here and there (and often your character glitches into place to help you make a shot). I cannot tell you yet whether online will be as smooth though but i will get back to you on that one.
All in all, if you like Wii Tennis, you will love this game. If you don't like using Wii Motion Plus, you have the option to not use it, and even then, this game is better than Wii Tennis. Whether or not this game has depth I can't yet tell you, but there is enough to do to keep you entertained for many hours.
However, up to now, i have a feeling that this is not going to be remembered as the best tennis game on the Wii in years to come. I have a feeling that Wii Motion Plus is capable of more. This is one game that could really use one of EA's yearly upgrades. I wouldn't mind seeing Nintendo do a tennis game with Wii Motion Plus either.
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