Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip

Push Square (9 out of 10)

Everybody's Tennis is rooted in repetition, but it's a sports game and that's to be expected. There's plenty of depth to the action, but it's also a pick-up-and-play affair in equal measure. There's plenty of reason to keep jumping back into the game, because there's simply so much on offer here. The single-player's simple yet charming, and you'll want to keep diving back to collect every last piece of head-gear. It's honest fun, and you owe it to yourself to give it a go — particularly if you're a fan of Clap Hanz' other games, or tennis in general. We dare you to play a bit of this and not smile.

Playstation Illustrated (87 out of 100)

I don't like tennis that much, but I enjoyed Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip. It's a lighthearted approach to the sport offering a lot for players. For me, the big draws were the customization and collection aspects, though under the glitz there's still a solid tennis game at play. It's a vast improvement over the first game and at $20, it's hard to pass up.

Cheat Code Central (4.3 out of 5)

Though the RPG gameplay can be a little tedious at some points (again, the innocuous narrative is silly, although the characters are cute and charming anyway) Get a Grip! is a great tennis title. I’m glad we’re finally getting to the point where the poor PSP is pumping out some really strong-looking titles—alongside the gorgeous Peace Walker, Get a Grip! is easily one of the lushest games I’ve seen on Sony’s portable in recent memory (although for completely different reasons). All the mischievous charm of the Hot Shots series has been crammed into this one, too, with all the goofy costumes and accessories you could want (alongside some annoyingly prominent Adidas product placement) and reactive courts (balloons pop, people and umpires fall down or react to being hit with a stray ball, fireworks go off). Prior tennis knowledge aside, if you like Hot Shots Tennis, this one’s an ace.

Gamezone (Germany) (8.6 out of 10)

Die vielen kurzen Matches auf ungewöhnlichen Terrain, die sich jederzeit auch für den kleinen Hunger zwischendurch eignen, die überaus charmante Präsentation, die allerdings nicht jedem schmecken dürfte, sowie eine perfekte Mischung aus Arcade-Tennis mit realistischen Ball- und Schlagverhalten, all dies sind positive Argumente, die ganz klar für diesen Titel sprechen. Darüber hinaus präsentiert man jedem Spieler, egal ob Neuling oder Profi dieses Genres, eine wirklich vorbildliche, weil mit vielen Hilfen und Tipps versehen Bedienung, die eventuelle Startschwierigkeiten von Beginn an vorbeugt, ohne dabei zu simpel zu erscheinen. Sicherlich gibt es auch kleine Schönheitsfehler, das Spiel lebt fast ausschließlich von der großartigen Solokarriere, ein Turniermodus sowie die Möglichkeit auch längere Spiele über mehrere Sätze zu spielen, wird vor allem im Multiplayer stark vermisst.

NZGamer (8.5 out of 10)

If you have a passing interest in tennis, want to try something different, or are a tennis fan with a sense of fun, then I have no problems recommending that you pick up this title. There really is something here for everyone. This is essentially a much more polished version of the game released on the PlayStation 2 a few years ago, and a good step up for those that still love Mario Tennis.

Onlinewelten.de (84 out of 100)

Everybody's Tennis verdeutlicht wohl eindrucksvoll, wie ein Titel für den mobilen Gebrauch auszusehen hat. Die auf wenige Spiele ausgelegten Matches werden in Kombination mit der gelungenen Mischung aus einem Arcade-Titel sowie einer Simulation dafür sorgen, dass Anhänger des weißen Sports in regelmäßigen Abständen zu ihrem Handheld greifen werden – egal ob auf dem heimischen Sofa, in Bus und Bahn oder im Urlaub. Zumal die zahlreichen Gimmicks und Bonusgegenstände dazu einladen, bereits gemeisterte Areale ein weiteres Mal aufzusuchen. Bedauerlich ist im Endeffekt lediglich, dass lediglich überzeugte Solisten auf ihre Kosten kommen werden. Durch die fehlende Modi-Vielfalt eignet sich der Multiplayer nämlich allenfalls für eine kleine Runde zwischendurch und verkommt so zum losen Beiwerk. Schade eigentlich.

The Video Game Critic (B+)

The general look of the game is very busy. The set-up screens are brimming with meters, icons, stats, and control options. That's okay, because Hot Shots Tennis is pure arcade fun. And with quick matches and frequent autosaves, it's also perfect for gaming on the go.

4Players.de (83 out of 100)

Der Hund liegt im Detail begraben, denn so spritzig die Ballwechsel auch sind, so einfach sind die Gegner gestrickt: Viel zu oft sehen sie tatenlos zu, wie der Ball direkt an ihnen vorbei fliegt. Viel zu sehr geht es darum, im richtigen Moment eine Taste anzutippen, anstatt den Ball beim Schlagen aktiv zu lenken. Mir fehlen außerdem weitere Spielvarianten und auch die automatische Charakterentwicklung sowie die zu ausführlich diskutierten Belanglosigkeiten drücken auf Dauer etwas zu viel Luft aus dem bunten Ballon. Ich habe Everybody's Tennis in jeder Minute genossen - es fehlt aber das Gefühl, ganz großes Tennis zu erleben.

gamrReview (8.1 out of 10)

The gameplay isn’t quite up there with Virtua Tennis, and many of the RPG mechanics aren’t quite up there with Pokémon either, but it comes damn close in both respects, which is quite an achievement, and results in a really great tennis RPG. If you’ve ever wished for Virtua Tennis to have a fleshed out campaign, or at least something which meant that its single player offered genuine longevity, then this is the game for you, because the RPG and story elements both succeed brilliantly in keeping you hooked throughout most of the game.

IGN (8 out of 10)

In Hot Shots Tennis, there are a lot of different, good-looking courts, but they all have the same feel and the same method of working an opponent to the front of the net so I can drop a ball behind them. That kind of sucks some of the "OMG I have to play" out of Get a Grip. I'll play for awhile, but it doesn't feel like something crazy is around the next corner. Still, Hot Shots does a lot right to keep you engaged. Ad-hoc multiplayer is supported for up to four players, you can join me for doubles matches in my story mode, and the game even uses the long forgotten "Game Sharing" ability on the PSP so people without the game can try it out with a friend who does.

PlayStation Official Magazine - UK (8 out of 10)

Busy appearance aside, Everybody's Tennis is enough of a challenge to keep us downing the energy drinks and coming back for more. And it means we can stop sending letters to Ana Ivanovic asking her to wear the Santa outfit we sent her. Till next Christmas, anyway.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (8 out of 10)

Everybody's Tennis is the ideal handheld approach to the sport, exchanging realism for lightheartedness without compromising the quality of the tennis. The micro-rewards may have an air of Farmville about them, but the unlocks they feed into embellish the core game, rather than simply decorating it. As a result, Everybody's Tennis is aptly named, appealing the everyman despite speaking in the vernacular of the RPG nerd.

GameFocus (8 out of 10)

The Hot Shots franchise already had a strong presence on the PSP with its Golf series and Get a Grip brings the same enjoyment to the sport of Tennis. The story mode might not be as enthralling as it could have been though it won’t pose too much of a problem for most gamers. The unlockables, easy controls, and deep options do more than enough to keep players occupied. Considering the $20 price-point, getting a friend to play with shouldn’t be a problem and will most certainly lead to some long rallies and plenty of smack-talk.

GameZone (8 out of 10)

Teammate issues aside, Get a Grip is an entertaining tennis game that PSP owners will thoroughly enjoy. It doesn’t have all the mini-games of Virtua Tennis, the lovable characters of Mario Tennis, or contain any groundbreaking content that takes it above and beyond the tennis games you’ve played before. But its gameplay is simple and addictive, and when it comes to this genre, that is really all you need.

Gamervision (7.75 out of 10)

Though there’s definitely a decent amount of fun to be had playing Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip, for some reason it just isn’t anywhere as fun to play as any of the Hot Shots Golf titles. There’s a modicum of multiplayer (Ad Hoc only), but this game is largely a single player experience. The implementation of a story to try and spice up the game’s derivativeness doesn’t really work, but the gameplay is solid. If tennis is your thing, you might get a bit more mileage out of this game than the casual fan, but even then this is hardly a must own title. Hopefully Clap Hanz won’t give up on the franchise, as there is definitely room to grow. As it stands, Hot Shots Tennis is like the Andy Roddick of tennis video games: good, but not a title winner.

Jeuxvideo.com (15 out of 20)

La série Everybody's marque de nouveau des points avec cet épisode portable consacré au tennis. Combinant arcade et simulation dans un univers manga totalement délirant, ce titre grand public séduira tout autant les débutants que les vrais amateurs du genre sur PSP. Sachant qu'Everybody's Tennis permet de lancer des parties très courtes, on l'emportera avec profit en vacances comme dans les transports en commun pour se distraire le temps d'un match ou deux.

1UP (B)

Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip does feel a bit light as an overall package, but the counterbalance is an impulse-level price point of just $20 via disc or download. Still, it's a fresh and generally strong start to a spin-off concept that stumbled out of the gate on PlayStation 2, but makes a case for full-time series status on PSP.

GameSpot (7.5 out of 10)

In addition to the single-player story mode, there is local multiplayer competition. You can square off against a buddy in singles, recruit three friends for doubles, or flesh out the sides with computer opponents. Because the AI is smart enough to keep you guessing, the difference between facing off against a friend and the AI isn't huge, but that certainly doesn't mean multiplayer matches aren't fun. Aside from the lethargic story, just about everything in this game is well done. The on-court action is surprisingly deep and the wealth of unlockables will keep you coming back again and again. A few issues keep this from being the next great arcade-style tennis game, but there's enough to love in Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip to keep you smiling.

GamingXP (73 out of 100)

“Everybody's Tennis“ hat mich wirklich überrascht. Auch wenn manche Einlagen, wie das ständige Springen der Figuren mit der Zeit lästig werden, spielt man hier doch richtiges Tennis. Kleine Einlagen wie ein belebter Hintergrund lockern die Sache zusätzlich auf. Es bringt einem unweigerlich ein Schmunzeln ins Gesicht, wenn im Hintergrund ein Traktor durch einen Treffer auf einmal wie wild herumfährt.

Gaming Age (B-)

It's not hard to like Hot Shots Tennis: Get A Grip. It's everything you'd expect from the series in terms of gameplay and collectability while still retaining all of the character and charisma you love about the franchise. It's easy to jump into and a heck of lot of fun to play, even for those who don't really like videogames. Alas, the inherent tediousness of tennis hinders the experience from reaching a Hot Shots Golf level of excellence, but at only $19.99, you don't have to play it much to get your money's worth.