After Sonic’s recent lackluster performance in Mario & Sonic
at the Olympic Games, you’d be forgiven for having low expectations for
Sega’s next sports game to feature mascots: Sega Superstars Tennis. The
characters aren’t all A-listers and the tennis isn’t great, but the
game’s interesting court designs, minigames, and classic Sega tunes make
for a good package.
Sega Superstars Tennis features 16 characters from classic Sega
games. Each player is rated for speed, control, power, spin, or
all-around ability. The eight characters that are unlocked from the
start include: Sonic, AiAi from Super Monkey Ball, Nights, Ulala from
Space Channel Five, Beat from Jet Set Radio, Amigo from Samba de Amigo,
Tails, and Dr. Eggman. The unlockable characters aren’t quite as
interesting and mostly consist of lesser characters from the same games,
though Gillius from Golden Axe and Alex Kidd are worthy additions to
the lineup. The courts on which you play and the music you hear while
you play are inspired by the game’s characters and are sure to please
anyone who has enjoyed Sega’s games over the years
.