Tennis, Fist Fights, and Hot Chicks

The Outlaw series of games, developed by Hypnotix, are basically extreme versions of what one would usually considered to be upper middleclass sports. Hypnotix adds eccentric characters with all sorts of interesting quirks, along with interesting environments to compete in, to these usually distinguished sports. So far the developer has taken a stab at golf, volleyball, and now tennis.

It?s hard not to compare Outlaw Tennis to what many would consider the best tennis game on the Xbox, which is, of course, Top Spin Tennis. Strictly viewing the gaming engine, they play quite similarly. Most shots are the same, including the lob, slice, top spin, and flat shot, and you will use all of them. There is even a turbo and spin trigger, which are both essential to seeing your opponents kneel before you.

What the game is missing are tutorial videos. Perhaps Hypnotix felt that tennis was so simple that it needed no explanation. Telling you how a shot works is one thing, but showing you how the shot is best used is another. Don?t bother even looking in the manual for in depth information about the shots, either. The only way to view controller options is in game. If you have no real idea how tennis is supposed to be played, expect a steep learning curve. This is a shame, as it could throw off casual fans rather quickly. Tutorials would have been a welcome addition.

One major problem with Outlaw Tennis is its difficulty. Maybe this reviewer is a bit rusty, but the computer seems to have tricks and skills that far surpass the difficulty level you choose to play at. The difficulty problem also works the other way, as the nuance of the computer AI is discovered. It doesn?t take long to figure out how to effectively rush the net after a corner shot. It is extremely easy to take the cheap route to victory, no matter the difficulty level.

Does this mean that the AI isn?t cheap? Heck no! The computer will still be able to run down a shot and nail it into the far corner while in motion. Is that real tennis? No. The player, unfortunately, if forced to play real tennis. If you want a good shot, you have to position yourself early and hit the ball at exactly the right moment at precisely the right height off of its bounce. While the human has to play in a manner that emulates real life tennis, the AI will shower you with power shots whenever the heck it feels like it.

There are a variety of game types, including football and casino, to name a few. The game mode that will crush even your best game plan has a shot blocker residing on the other side of the net, moving back and forth, waiting to bounce your net rush back into your face. These game modes are fun, but tedious, and can eventually become repetitious. The training drills, however, are like the drills found in the Madden NFL series. They help you hone your skill, and they?re more fun than the actual game; especially if you have no one to play against.

The graphics are impressive compared to most PS2 games, but the character models are not as well rendered as those that we would expect to see in a high end Xbox game. Does that mean the graphics are terrible? Well, no. As far as PS2 graphics go, Outlaw Tennis is right on par with most of the other sports games on the system. There are a lot of strange backgrounds in the game, and all are well animated and designed. The graphics aren?t perfect, though, and could have used some more work. Would it have killed the producers to lay down a few bump maps? They are quickly becoming the standard in the industry, and help project a three dimensional look to the clothing in games.

The characters in Outlaw Tennis are extremely varied in type and appearance, from the now standard white rapper, to the very normal looking ninja (Although, how normal can a ninja with a tennis racket look?). Thankfully there are a lot of customization options in this area that the player can unlock. This customization does not ease the pain of having to watch the generic and very annoying tantrums that the characters throw, however. Hypnotix got it right when they added the option to turn this feature off in the game.

Fights, yes fisticuffs, are also present in this game. That?s right, if you don?t like the way your opponent is playing, throw down with them! After the fight, a prize is awarded to the winner. While entertaining, the fights only function as a distraction from the main game. Granted, sometimes the boosts you receive from winning are much needed, thanks to the low balling play from your opponents. For the most part, though, the fights only ruin the rhythm of the game. Worst of all, the controls for the fights consist of little more than button mashing. It is a blessing, then, that the fights are not a necessity. If you don?t want to brawl, you don?t have to.

Outlaw Tennis really tries to sell the inherent humor found in their characters. Humor, it is sad to say, that this reviewer had a hard time buying. Some characters were pretty funny, some were painfully lame, but all of them got old rather quickly. You won?t find much subtly here, but what can you really expect from the Outlaw series?

The replay value in this game is found mostly in the unlocking of new characters, and of course, multiplayer. Whether you are playing online, or with a group of friends in your living room, the multiplayer adds a lot of replay value to this game. As fun as it is to experience some of the areas and game types with your friends, it doesn?t take long for these to grow old. Sure, everyone will be laughing as you all see each player?s witty sayings and tantrums for the first time, but after an hour or so these features become tiresome. At that point, the game might as well be a regular tennis game, as you and your friends will only be interested in playing the pure tennis parts of the game.

As reading the review shows, almost all of the extra modes/ character reactions/and game types can be turned off, enabling the player to play just the core engine. The actual tennis engine is extremely well put together, thus giving tennis purists a reason to pick the game up. Whether you are a hardcore fan of the series, or someone who has a casual interest in the game, you really have no reason not to pick Outlaw Tennis up at its 20 dollar price tag. Is it better than Top Spin? No. Is it a good time? Yes. Will Outlaw fanatics love it? Of course they will, as it has everything they love about the series; a solid engine, wacky characters, and hot girls.