| EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis Posted: I have a feeling that many people will pick up this game and be initially frustrated. They may feel the game is not completely tracking their movements. Or that when they try to swing in a particular way it is not reflected in the game. Now, this game is by no means perfect, and some of these frustrations are real.
But I strongly urge you to keep with it and not give up. If you spend some time with the game you will quickly realize how brilliant and addicting it is. The point where you come to this realization will likely be when you are able to achieve a degree of consistency in your swing and direct the ball where you want it to go, and I provide tips for this at the end of this review.
I will say this - above all else this game is very, very fun. Some of the rallies you will have with your friends or while playing online will stick in your mind long after the match has been won or lost. You will agonize over missed shots. You will cherish your winners. In that sense this game captures the essence of what is great about playing tennis.
It is an addictive game that will keep bringing you back to play it until your arm hurts (and trust me, if you are not used to the exercise your arm will hurt).
As I said, this game is not perfect. The career mode should be more elaborate. Online play, great in itself and usually lag free, lacks tournament modes. And even when you have mastered the controls you will at times be frustrated. But that's tennis.
Here are some hints for achieving good control in Grand Slam Tennis using Wii Motion Plus. If you are waiting for the game to arrive at your door I recommend you keep these handy for your reference, since they will very likely be of help when you start playing:
-Be aware that the (imaginary) face of the racket is the side of the wiimote. That would mean that for the most part you want the wiimote to be parallel to the ground while you are swinging (i.e. the buttons are facing the ceiling). The index finger should be over the `b' button and the thumb should be over the `a' button.
-use defined swings (this is not wii sports tennis were you can just waggle, you really need to bring you arm back). This may sound like a given but it is actually one of the hardest things to realize if you have gotten used to wii sports tennis.
-start your swing as early as possible (just when the ball has been hit by your opponent, and you have determined what direction it is going to go), and follow through when the ball has reached you. Mastering this ability will markedly improve your game, and you will also have less instances where the WM+ is confused about if you are trying a backhand or a forehand.
-if you seem to only be able to backspin/topspin the issue is likely with your wrist on the follow through - you are twisting it. Go to the practice court and work on that.
-if you seem to only be able to slice you need to work on keeping your swing level. Trust me, its possible to hit straight - go to the practice court and work on that.
-when you are waiting for the other guy to serve, hold the wiimote still and parallel to the ground, don't worry about what your on screen character is doing.
-serving in GST is not 1:1 - it is the same as wii sports tennis. You swing the wiimote when the ball is at its apex. You can control the direction of the serve (while the ball is in the air) using the d-pad.
- you can only do lobs and drops using the `a' and `b' buttons. |
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