EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis – Preview Play Review

One of the titles I got to check out at the EA Sports Season Opener, EA Sports Grand Slam Tennis is one of the best games I’ve ever played on the Wii. I know a lot of people who really like the tennis game that comes with the Wii, and this game takes that ease of play, and turns things up about ten notches.

To start, it really is an amazingly simple game to jump into and get going. If you can swing your arm in the general motion of swinging a racket, you can have fun with this. But, it’s also so much more. It’s one of the first games to take advantage of the new Wii Motion Plus, which delivers a new level of accuracy in your motions. You don’t have to use the Motion Plus, and the game is perfectly playable without it, but it adds even greater control. Because the game is using the Wii remote, and really taking advantage of it, you have a variety of shots, and the ball really is going to travel just where you put it.

There are a lot of firsts in this game too. You can create a player, or play as one of several pros, including John McEnroe, and it’s the first time he’s been in a game. When you create a player, you can go through a career mode, and earn your way through the ranks to the Grand Slam events, including Wimbledon, and that’s a first as well. As you’re going through the career, you can complete certain challenges which will build up the stats of your player, as you get ready to take on the very best.

Also showing up on this one is a party play mode where you can get several people involved in twelve different games. Whether you’re going it alone through the career, playing head-to-head against a friend, or turning things up with party games, there’s an option for every mood.

This one is completely addicting from the moment you pick it up, and with the career mode, building up your player, and variety of other games, it has a lot to keep you hooked. At the Season Opener, you were not getting people away from this one.

It is, however, the kind of game that doesn’t benefit all that much from simply throwing more explanation at it. You’ve got to take a look. So, here are a couple videos showcasing the game. Also, be sure to visit EA’s homepage for the game here.

I really encourage you to watch this next one. This is Thomas Singleton, producer, walking you through several aspects of the game. He was at the Season Opener, and if he had five minutes with you, he could sell it to anyone. He is, however, uncharacteristically calm in this video.