Sega Superstars Tennis Xbox 360 Game SEGA Sega Superstars Tennis Xbox 360 Game SEGA

Pros: Not since Fighters Megamix has such a wonderful collection of Sega characters been assembled. The graphics are fantastic, and the mini-games are plentiful. The Richard Jacques soundtrack is great and fitting, particularly the opening theme which will suck you right into this vibrant world of Sega Sumo Digital has created.

The details of the courts do a wonderful job of appropriately paying tribute to a particular Sega franchise. The Sonic the Hedgehog court is a tribute to the first game's Green Hill Zone, complete with computer monitors and checkboard landscape, while the Curien's Mansion court is a fitting homage to House of the Dead. Add in a steady 60 fps, and you have a game which looks amazing on a HD screen.

Cons: Unfortunately, the character roster could be better. Too many spots are wasted on multiple picks from the same game. It's great we have Ulala, but do we really need Pudding? As much as I love Gum, Beat would represent Jet Set Radio fine on his own, and I'd gladly trade her spot for anyone from ToeJam & Earl, Streets of Rage, Phantasy Star, or any of the other abandoned franchises.

Still, it's great to see these disparate characters united under a single game, but it's just sad that I'd rather be playing Sumo Digital's Virtua Tennis 3 port instead. The power shots in the game are pretty wonky, and I find the control slippery. There's not much depth in what's essentially simplistic arcade, and though the mini-games are enjoyable, they fail to sustain the game beyond a few days at most. The simplistic controls make for a nice party game or something to entertain children, but anyone looking for a decent game of tennis or a nice challenge should look elsewhere.

Other Thoughts: I really wanted to love this game being a big Sega fan and getting teased by that amazing trailer, but I can't help but be disappointed with this release. Sumo Digital nails the presentation perfectly, but the game itself leaves much to be desired. Worth a rental at best, perhaps purchasing for those who want what remains a fun "party" game for the 360 or something to entertain kids, speaking of which...

Note to the writer of the "Kids game with objectionable content" review: The girls in bikinis come from Outrun, a famous Sega racing game that begins on a beach course. The girls are hardly doing anything sexualized, and it's a shame that something as simple as some figures in swimwear would be so off putting to a parent looking to shield her child from such a harmless aspect of the outside world. Anyone looking to pick this up for his/her kids, please do a Google image search for yourself to see that the game isn't anywhere near as "objectionable" as the other reviewer believes.

Pros: Good graphics, easy controls, even kids can play most of the levels, nice doubles game option vs computer.

Cons: I don't understant why Sega is forcing images of girls wearing bikinis and very short skirts in the game (they even look out of place); otherwise, it would have been a great family friendy game.