@Snaplocket There's no reason it shouldn't be an option, though. It has been for every past Mario Tennis game. My brother and I used to do full-length rallies like that, and it could get pretty intense and was a lot of fun. He's not an avid gamer; he's more of a sports guy. So the Mario sports games have always been a nice compromise for us to come together. Unfortunately, this current setup just isn't nearly as fun for us, and playing with him was one of the main reasons I was looking forward to the game. It's a real shame and it would be such a simple fix on Camelot's part.
Edit: Also, most multiplayer games have a random stage option along with a regular stage selection screen. I don't see how this is better.
Yep, I would love to be able to play a
local match longer than 2 games..its too short.
Cant understand why its not an option, a very silly omission imo.
Its absurd that a quick 'match' consists of a single tie break. LOL
I wanna be able to play a proper 3 or 5 setter. Geez I hope Camelot fix this.
Amazing game though!
Adventure mode is great fun.
I'd agree there are a few questionable design decisions peppered throughout the game; not only the omission of minor but standard elements, but also the structuring of content too. The lack of any sort of character unlock system (outside of monthly tournaments) stifles the feeling of progression, and doesn't really compel the player the experience or appreciate what is actually an impressively diverse roster.
The game should be strongly commended for being the first in the series to introduce genuinely meaningful mechanics to the base game of tennis. It's a really strong, innovative, and satisfyingly tactical tennis game. But I feel a lot of the 8s it's been getting could have been 9s if it were more open in its options, fuller in its campaign, and better paced in terms of unlocking content.
Even the least story-driven games benefit from some sense of 'flow' in how they open up and reveal content to the player. By dumping so much at the player's feet, they've lost a lot of potential 'prizes' that are half of the 'challenge->reward' system which underpins most games.
NintendoLife reviews are pretty much pointless at this point when they don't answer questions. So I'll try to ask this question here instead.
Can anyone tell me how long the story mode is (roughly)? If I'm getting it, it's mostly for the single player mode. If it's quite short, I don't think I'll buy it right away.
@Maxz : I don't know about the majority, but I certainly don't miss character unlocks. There are far too many games and too little time, and I would hate to fire up a game for a quick multiplayer session only to have half the roster locked because I haven't invested 20 hours into it. I don't particularly have a yearning for any sense of "accomplishment" when playing a game. It's a pastime after all. If I wanted to feel like accomplishing something, I would do something productive. There is a time and place for things, and I think people who turn to games in order to feel a false sense of accomplishment are absolutely delusional (which is why I am opposed to having an "achievement" system in place).
I think Mario Kart 8 Deluxe got things right by making car parts/bodies unlockable, but having the complete roster available from the start (barring Gold Mario) for those who seek a sense of progression.
I'm also dreading Smash Ultimate for the same reason as there area a ridiculous number of characters but only 8 or so available at the start. I certainly hope that it won't take too long to unlock them all.
@Maxz Unlocks are always a tough debate for multiplayer focused games. Like look at Smash, Smash 4 took the approach of having few unlocks which made it more in line with other fighting games meanwhile Smash Ultimate only has a starting roster of the 12 fighters in the N64 game. Unless there's going to be some awesome Subspace Emissary or Adventure style mode, unlocking all the fighters in Smash Ultimate is going to be a massive grind.
@Silly_G It's more about pacing to me than just being patted on the back and told I'm a good boy for ticking a random checkbox. I'm not a fan of integrated achievement systems or the sort of inane tasks that fill them up either, but I do appreciate something that bookmark key points and challenges in a game is.
Ultimately, playing games is an inherently delusional activity. In this one, you're not actually playing tennis; it's a pretend court on a screen. And even if you were playing tennis, it's still an utterly contrived activity - as are all sports; running around trying to satisfy some fabricated objective. But that objective provides challenge, and we typically play games for the sense of achievement in overcoming that challenge.
The idea that 'pastimes' are incompatible with a sense of accomplishment is ridiculous. It's precisely because of a sense of a accomplishment that most pastimes even exist. When someone finishes a cross-stitch, they feel a sense of accomplishment. When someone finishes a cross_word_, they feel a sense of accomplishment. When someone scores a goal in a game of football, or similarly in any other sport, they feel a sense of accomplishment. It's because of this feeling that these otherwise inane, contrived, and pointless activities were created and continue to be done. Denying the link between pastimes and a feeling of achievement is more delusional than anything.
I'm not saying people should stake their entire sense of self-worth on playing pretend sports on a TV. Keeping a sense of proportion is as important as with any other hobby - and people do lose this sense of proportion often enough to be noteworthy. And while 'accomplishment' can mean many things, I think it's a broad enough concept to be applicable to 'personal hobbies that ultimately don't matter very much', as well as more noble pursuits.
My main point is just that it's not delusional to desire some sort of progression system that helps a game feel like it's unfolding progressively as you work through the content. At certainly no more delusional than playing pretend TV tennis to begin with.
You've put forward a solid argument for why using characters as prizes has drawbacks for those who just want to jump into the game with friends and have the full experience. But I feel your post comes across as a bit too dismissive of reward systems in general, despite being a core part of the drive and pacing of most games. And I feel the extent to which a game delivers a sense progression when playing through it is a perfectly legitimate element of game design to discuss.
@Octane
Just a few hours. Probably don't get it until a sale.
@Not_Soos
Totally a valid complaint. Seems like something easy for them to patch in, though. And I do think they will be adding A LOT to this game. Just my hunch. But this has the makings of a "game as a service" written all over it. New characters, new courts, new modes, etc. all locked behind Nintendo's paid online when it launches in the Fall (if not also locked behind paid DLC).
That's just my very negative crystal ball reading.
Anyway, I'm enjoying the game, though. I've put a few hours into the online matches and I can see myself sinking dozens more in. Reminds me of Mario Kart and how I'll have 30 hours into the online before I even finish the single player. This is the game where the gameplay is so solid that you can spend a long time getting better and better.
I'm only on the second world in single player, too. So no true complaints from me in terms of stuff to do YET. I probably won't complain, though. I know I'll easily get 60+ hours out of this.
Daaang, i can't believe the level of difficultly in the single player game.... It's unreal and often frustrating.. very nes era design. #WimbledonSouls
I'd agree there are a few questionable design decisions peppered throughout the game; not only the omission of minor but standard elements, but also the structuring of content too. The lack of any sort of character unlock system (outside of monthly tournaments) stifles the feeling of progression, and doesn't really compel the player the experience or appreciate what is actually an impressively diverse roster.
The game should be strongly commended for being the first in the series to introduce genuinely meaningful mechanics to the base game of tennis. It's a really strong, innovative, and satisfyingly tactical tennis game. But I feel a lot of the 8s it's been getting could have been 9s if it were more open in its options, fuller in its campaign, and better paced in terms of unlocking content.
Even the least story-driven games benefit from some sense of 'flow' in how they open up and reveal content to the player. By dumping so much at the player's feet, they've lost a lot of potential 'prizes' that are half of the 'challenge->reward' system which underpins most games.
Agreed. With the rackets you unlock in story and at least one skin Mario, Wario, Waluigi, Luigi and "X" has, you would have expected tons of skins for this game. With how it currently is, it reminds me of Overwatch when it released, but minus all the skins. A solid game, but no incentive to play outside of being a content creator, when you're bored, or if you really like tennis...plus that character balance and matchmaking, oof.
I don't know if anyone else has uncovered this, but after a lot of testing, I have uncovered a lot of stuff about Trick Shots. Some of this is a bit obvious, but useful nonetheless.
Side Trick Shot - Slice
Forwards Trick Shot - Dropshot
Back Trick Shot - Flat
Use the L-Stick to control shot angle.
If the opposing shot is too strong when you trick shot it, the ball will rise into the air, making it easy for your opponent to return with a lot of power. This is especially devastating with power characters, who can cause the shot power disparity without charging in some cases. Hope this helps to further your knowledge on Trick Shots!
Just your everday ninja, who may also be an ace trainer.
A solid game, but no incentive to play outside of being a content creator, when you're bored, or if you really like tennis...plus that character balance and matchmaking, oof.
Or, uhm... if you like the game?
Funny you mention Overwatch, because I was there at the beginning, too, and I really didn't struggle to find a reason to play. I just played it because it was fun.
<looks around>
Or has judgment already been passed? I mean, the game has been out for 3 days so, yea, silly me - you've probably seen absolutely everything it has to offer and mastered its every nuance.
Yet another example of why our hobby is heading for a cliff. If a new game doesn't include a laundry list of pointless-yet-"expected" things, people say it offers nothing to do. If it doesn't have mind-numbing crafting, animal pelt collecting, Chia pet gardening, 10+ hour single-player campaign even for a multiplayer game, and fifteen dozen unlockables, it's not engaging/worth the money/going to do well/etc.
@NinjaAceTrainer
Cool info. I need to get better at Trick Shots. I started using them by doing the double button tap, but that leads to issues with drop shotting and lobbing sometimes, so I need to practice doing them with the right stick instead.
@rallydefault Judgement hasn't been definitely "passed", but it's natural that people list their impressions on a game as play through the first few days of its release. I think most people agree it's a great tennis game.
Anyway, to be more proactive about this idea of 'bringing structure/incentive/whatever' to the game, would anyone be up for organising a NintendoLife Tourney? It seems like the tournament infrastructure isn't available for playing with friends (!) but we could quite easily keep track of things.
EDIT: Does anyone know if the rankings were ever published for the Online Tournament Demo?
I'm pretty terrible at this game. Most of my wins online have come against complete beginners. I can tell right away if I've got a chance, or if my opponent will crush me... I actually prefer simple class, without the gimmicks. I have a better record in that mode, and the matches there tend to produce more exciting rallies, from my experience. Unfortunately It's not as popular as standard class, so it can be difficult to find an opponent at times.
@Snaplocket Not really, there used to be plenty of games that were clearly multiplayer focused yet still had a lot of single player content. Nowadays multiplayer focused generally means virtually no single player.
Why does motion control always turn itself on automatically sometimes? This is really annoying and can ruin a match. Even though I deactivated it in the menu it's still active sometimes. Can anyone help?
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