Among the genres that have been somewhat lost over time are arcade tennis games, which once represented a practically fixed offer on consoles and computers, so we approach this one with special interest. Mini Tennis review: Perfect Smash (or Mini Tennis: Clash & Smash in the US edition) which is about a possible return to such playful offerings. Now far from the technological heights at which they were located in the time of Sega and the glorious Virtua Tennis cabinets, or from the "must-have" productions on consoles like the old Family Tennis, titles of this type have become increasingly smaller and niche, but they have not lost their charm, kept alive by the scarcity of offers in the standard market. Obviously, since it is a mechanic strongly based on PvP, it can easily lend itself to free-to-play style proposals with microtransactions and it is precisely this case that we take into consideration, but with frankly surprising results, considering the same uncomfortable premises.
Mini Tennis: Perfect Smash recovers the most classic interpretation of arcade tennis, filtered through a cartoonish representation of tennis players that distances it even further from realistic simulation but without going to excessive extremes.
Il game In fact, it finds a good balance between realistic ball movements and physics and a clearly arcade dynamic, all based on immediate fun and intuitive control. The entire superstructure typical of multiplayer with microtransactions is then applied to this solid foundation, which represents the most critical element of the entire package, since it lends itself to the usual pay-to-win drifts that are very present once reached Up to a certain point. , but it's possible that the lightness and immediacy of the game could overlook this issue, at least for a while.
Tennis at your fingertips
With the court framed in a "bird's eye view", we control our tennis player located at the bottom of the screen, in order to take advantage of a broader vision and a more intuitive interpretation of the movements. HE Controls They are based on the typical virtual sticks and touch keys, but, contrary to what one might think, they work quite well, also because the system seems to allow a certain margin of error in positioning, providing imperceptible active assistance but still capable of doing that the movement and fluidity of the game are more harmonious. As is traditional, it is about positioning yourself in the best possible way and hitting the ball using the classic tennis strokes (top spin, drop, lob and smash), trying to knock out the opponent with the correct direction, power and timing. . to respond in the launches. The games are quite short and based on a single set of 6 points, which forces you to play numerous games in sequence and adapts very well to mobile use.
Il progression system It is structured in the typical way of this type of product: for each victory we get experience points to rise in rank and above all "bags" to open in the form of the typical prize chests, within which we can find virtual money, equipment and new players, placed here in reverse order of rarity.
It's obvious that this mechanism can lead to pay-to-win, even if the system still continues with tiered matchmaking and also takes advantage of bots and asymmetrical multiplayer. The main problem is especially the consumables (accessories that are applied to rackets and sports equipment) that can guarantee temporary bonuses and obviously tend to distort performance a little, but matches often manage to balance out since these increases are marginal and probably included in the matching algorithm.
Conclusions
Tested version iPad, Android 1.0.2 digital delivery app store, Google Play Price Free Holygamerz.com 7.0 Readers (3) 5.6 your voteAlthough the free-to-play structure with microtransactions brings with it the typical problems of a tendency towards pay-to-win and a distorted progression due to the use of in-app purchases, it must be said that Mini Tennis: Perfect Smash works well in terms of of its basic gameplay. Arcade tennis is still a kind of fundamental video game and it is a shame that it has been a bit lost for a few years, so this new reinterpretation already starts from a good base of interest and also gives it its own spin in a positive sense, thank you. to a good control system and convincing game mechanics. In short, before we address the likely dangers of free-to-play, you've probably already provided a few good hours of honest and immediate entertainment.
PRO
- There is always the desire to play the old arcade tennis
- Immediate and immediately engaging gameplay.
- Assisted control system but works well
AGAINST
- Free-to-play with microtransactions in a PvP: the consequences are known
- Progression that can be distorted by the use of consumables.
- Tired in the long term
