Tennis Rocks Review

It's strange to think that tennis, a gruellingly long and sweaty affair, used to be played exclusively by well-to-do folks clad in what can only be described as impractically spotless attire. Even the fabled Fred Perry and Henri Lacoste would look decidedly over-dressed next to today's Federers and Nadals.

Of course, tennis is a much more serious event these days. The high drama of modern professional tennis is completely at odds with the polite, 'no sweating, no exposed flesh and no grunting please' matches of yore. Which is a good thing, because if tennis had remained a fusty sport, we would probably never have had the pleasure of playing Tennis Rocks (though Wimbledon would be much funnier to watch).

Rather than going down the licensed route of so many of its competitors, Tennis Rocks opts for a collection of fictional characters, each of which is brimming with attitude and personality. Fundamentally, the focus is on charm and a reasonably robust (for a tennis game) background narrative which has been cleverly threaded throughout the matches.

So after you have chosen your character (of which there are three) you're challenged to a match by a cocky young player who wants you off his (quick, duck – pun incoming) turf. After winning this game, you're promptly spotted by a talent scout, starting your lengthy battle to the top seed status.

The tennis itself is pretty standard stuff, though it achieves more than many mobile tennis offerings have before. You move with the thumbstick or using the '2', '4', '6' and '8' keys, with '5', '1' and '3' assigned to straight shots, lobs and smashes respectively. It all moves very slowly, which to begin with feels awkward and flawed.

After a few sets, however, it's clear that in slowing down the action, eFusion has been able to include a multi-directional control scheme that works (after a bit of practice) with mobile's potentially ill-suited interface. It's an elegant solution to the problem of fiddly mobile controls, and one that pays dividends, as long as you're prepared to persist through the first two or three awkward sets.

After you've gotten to grips with the main event, it is the polish and pizzazz that really give Tennis Rocks a lift. The narrative persists throughout the game between sets, adding some hoopla to the proceedings and driving home a light heartedness that smacks pleasingly of camp anime. Imagine Phoenix Wright, but with tennis, and you're in the right ballpark (sorry).

The presentation is also noteworthy, with some lovely animated menus and plenty of detailed stats to let you know which areas of your game need improving.

There are flaws, though. Serving is a bit of a hit-and-miss-affair (warning, the puns only get worse) and there is the feeling at times that opting to forgo the lengthy structure of a tennis match in favour of quick-fire 'best of three' set matches could have suited the style of the game and the platform a little better.

As it is, these lengthy matches will suit some tastes so it would be unfair to deride the game on that score. By and large, Tennis Rocks is an enjoyable tennis game and provides a refreshing alternative to some of its more deadpan contemporaries.