by Blending a borrowed approach from Mario Tennis with elements from Sega’s own Virtua Tennis franchise, Sega Superstars Tennis is an entertaining bit of fan service that delivers on-the-court action plus a bevy of racquet-based mini-games with Sonic the Hedgehog and compatriots in tow. Recently ported to Mac by Feral Interactive more than five years after its debut on console systems, this colorful affair serves up simple and approachable tennis action, and is decent fun for fans of Sega’s back catalog.
Like Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing – which itself earned a Mac release earlier this year – Sega Superstars Tennis borrows a page from the Nintendo playbook with this breezy sports simulation, which features courts and challenges inspired by classic Sega games. Each location bursts to life with vibrant colors and memorable sights and sounds from the source material, with games like Sonic, Jet Set Radio, Super Monkey Ball, and The House of the Dead providing the basis here. Naturally, the 16 playable characters – half of which must be unlocked – are likewise all pulled from classic games, with Sonic, Tails, Ulala, and Amigo available within the set.
The primary attraction here is the Planet Superstars mode, which splits its action between several game-inspired map nodes that each include numerous mini-games, plus occasional single matches and tournaments to conquer. It’s here that you’ll unlock the hidden characters, stages, and music, and you’ll do so primarily by playing through the themed diversions – such as knocking back oncoming zombies with tennis balls, hitting Monkey Balls into gates, and completing familiar graffiti tags from Jet Set Radio by snagging spray paint cans and precisely placing balls into the outline on the other side of the net. Beyond that mode, individual matches and extra mini-games are available from the main menu.
Sega Superstars Tennis isn’t quite as entertaining as its kart-based companion, in part because the homage isn’t quite as richly jubilant or especially exciting. The courts are nicely rendered and the mini-games are solid diversions, but some of the classic games get a lot more attention than others, and there’s nothing quite as exhilarating here as whipping through a Samba de Amigo-based technicolor tunnel of delight. The simplistic nature of the tennis also does wear thin after a while, and the two-button approach means additional shot types beyond “fast” and “slow” require button combos to execute. Also, the lack of the online mode from the console versions is a sad omission, though local four-person multiplayer remains intact.
The bottom line. For Sega and Sonic the Hedgehog aficionados, Sega Superstars Tennis is a solid blend of simple sports action and glossy fan service.
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