Smash Court Tennis 3 Xbox 360 Review

Smash Court Tennis 3

Xbox 360 Review
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Namco
Released: August 19, 2008

Over the years, gamers have had the pleasure of some truly enjoyable tennis experiences with games such as Top Spin, Virtua Tennis, and others.  Namco Bandai has come out with their latest attempt at a tennis simulation, with Smash Court Tennis 3 on the Xbox 360.

In the past, the Smash Court Tennis series has been all-about the simulation and being as realistic as possible.  Things are beginning to change a bit in this new release though, as there is a brand new Arcade mode, as well as some new mini-game training modes added in.

It is quite clear why these were added, as mini-games for training and such have proven to be highly successful to the Top Spin series, as well as Virtua Tennis.

The biggest issue with Smash Court Tennis 3 is not really its presentation, or its game modes, or anything of that nature.  It all comes down to the gameplay.

Smash Court Tennis 3 has just about everything a tennis fan could want, with 16 of the top tennis players in the world, including James Blake, Rafael Nadal, and others.  On top of that, there are also five different game modes.  These vary from quick modes such as the Arcade mode, as well as the more in-depth Pro Tour Mode, and Xbox Live support.

The Pro Tour mode is the biggest aspect of the game, as it allows you to choose or create a player, and the compete in 12-week seasons of tournaments and events.  You will be doing a variety of things such as mini-games, training, and more.  As you move along, you will hook up with a doubles partner, earn sponsors, and more.

As you progress, you will earn points as well so that you can get new skills along the way, improving your player.  The Pro Tour mode is really well-done with a great level of depth.  Very comparable to the presentation of the career mode in the Top Spin franchise.

The visuals of Smash Court Tennis 3 are really mediocre to be quite honest.  The character models are fairly detailed, but come across as simply being too bland.  They lack the real detail needed to make you believe you are playing with the likes of Nadal.

The other unfortunate aspect to the visuals is that the animations are just not there.  You will find some very odd animations during matches, as well as extremely repetitive animations in-between points.

The biggest downfall with Smash Court Tennis 3 is that the controls are just not as fine-tuned as they should be.  You control your tennis player, and aim your shots with the left analog stick.  While you do this, you can rip off the four different shot types with the four face buttons.

The biggest issue with this though is that the timing is very hard to get down, and will take a long time to master.  Add in the game’s strange animations and you will quickly see why the game can get very aggravating.  This isn’t to say that the controls are terrible, they just have a steep learning curve to them, one which may be too steep, even for diehard tennis fans.

Stamina also plays a major role in the game, as your stamina will reduce in matches when you do not take time off between weeks.  This will result in your shots not being as powerful, or as accurate.

Smash Court Tennis 3 is not a bad tennis game by any means.  The problem though is that when you compare it to the likes of Top Spin 3 and Virtua Tennis 3, and other tennis offerings, it really just doesn’t stack up as well.  If you have beaten Top Spin 3 to death and want another simulation tennis offering, may have some fun with this.  If you want a pure tennis simulation, Smash Court Tennis 3 is worth a rental, even if the controls will drive you crazy until you learn them.

Graphics: 7.0 The visuals for Smash Court Tennis 3 are a bit bland, and the animations are lacking.

Audio: 6.0 The soundtrack is certainly not going to inspire, and neither will the sound effects.

Gameplay: 6.0 The game is a pure simulation, and that means that you will be pulling your hair out of your head trying to fully understand how to play the game.  Aggravating controls to say the least.

Replay Value: 7.5 If you can learn the controls, there is plenty to be had here with Xbox Live support, Pro Tour mode, and more.

Final Score: 7.0

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