BABY FELIX TENNIS (PS)
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Publisher: LSP.
Developer: Spark. Released: November 2002. Genre: Tennis. Posted 27th June 2013. By Tom Clare © 2013 |
As the PlayStation ambled towards a well-earned and relatively dignified retirement in the early part of the 21st Century, bargain-bin releases became something of a necessity for loyal gamers. Amidst the minefields of mediocrity were a few genuine hidden gems, so when Baby Felix Tennis, an encouragingly sprightly-looking sports game emerged, it was met with a measure of hope. Born from the license of a spin-off of the granddaddy of all feline-based cartoons, Felix the Cat, Baby Felix Tennis delivers a cheerfully unrealistic interpretation of the sport in what is a competent but ultimately lightweight baseliner.
BFT offers three modes of play to get your tennis juices flowing. Exhibition consists of single matches against the computer on a court of your choice, with a view to unlocking new characters; Multiplayer is fairly self-explanatory, whilst the Tournament sees you playing six matches back-to-back, unlocking new courts along the way and facing the legendary Felix himself at the end.
For a budget release, the tennis mechanics are okay. The lack of slice and drop-shot options are a disappointment, as they limit the game’s scope and leave less room for tactics and general cunning. Still, lobs and groundstrokes will mean younger players will have a few tricks in their locker. The ability to add spin to your serves and strokes with either L1 or R1 is a nifty trick though, and certainly keeps the A.I. guessing.
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The movement of the players deserves some credit also as it takes into consideration the manner in which the protagonists must turn before running in opposing directions, whilst time must also be allowed for them to stop after running and all-told, the controls are solid and responsive. The most noticeable problem gameplay-wise is its severe lack of pace; the serves are ridiculously slow and consequently, by running to the service line, you have the ability to put your opponent under immediate pressure with a crunching groundstroke. So much for the advantage of serve.
Another trouble Baby Felix Tennis is lumbered by is that once you’ve worked out a weakness in your opponent’s game, winning becomes a chore, as points can be engineered to expose them in more or less the same way every time. Of course, this is as much a legacy of the hardware limits and tennis games in general as it is the fault of BFT. Making truly effective, adaptive A.I. in such games has been an enduring conundrum for the genre, and it isn’t something Spark have managed to crack here. As a consequence, BFT’s one-player proves too easy, an issue that’s further highlighted by the lack of difficulty levels. It does however allow you to customise the length of your matches and, unlike some tennis titles, it does at least have the option to play matches longer than one set.
Unlockable characters are relatively generic and unlikely to excite anyone unfamiliar with the Baby Felix universe. They do at least vary in both performance and appearance, though in truth these differences are fairly nominal. The courts are perhaps the most pleasant element of BFT’s design, with five locations offering suitably contrasting environments and surfaces, including a grassy garden with quick bounces; a school playground; a gym; and even a space court where the match is neatly played out in low-grav slow-motion, an illusion that’s carried out surprisingly well.
Another trouble Baby Felix Tennis is lumbered by is that once you’ve worked out a weakness in your opponent’s game, winning becomes a chore, as points can be engineered to expose them in more or less the same way every time. Of course, this is as much a legacy of the hardware limits and tennis games in general as it is the fault of BFT. Making truly effective, adaptive A.I. in such games has been an enduring conundrum for the genre, and it isn’t something Spark have managed to crack here. As a consequence, BFT’s one-player proves too easy, an issue that’s further highlighted by the lack of difficulty levels. It does however allow you to customise the length of your matches and, unlike some tennis titles, it does at least have the option to play matches longer than one set.
Unlockable characters are relatively generic and unlikely to excite anyone unfamiliar with the Baby Felix universe. They do at least vary in both performance and appearance, though in truth these differences are fairly nominal. The courts are perhaps the most pleasant element of BFT’s design, with five locations offering suitably contrasting environments and surfaces, including a grassy garden with quick bounces; a school playground; a gym; and even a space court where the match is neatly played out in low-grav slow-motion, an illusion that’s carried out surprisingly well.
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It is vividly presented and, without ever appearing truly pretty, the graphics are nevertheless bold and colourful. The loading screens and menus are really nice to look at and painless to navigate, whilst in-game the characters may lack the cartoon finesse of a Crash Bandicoot, but the courts themselves are distinctive and fairly well-realised, even if there is the odd bit of tearing here and there.
The audio side of things is of a similar quality to the rest of the game, as it is simple and inoffensive. The menu music is perhaps the best featured within, as some likeable ditties patter along in the background and fit nicely with the tone of the game. There is no speech at all though and the children's cheers after each point does start to grate rather quickly; hitting 'mute' won't see you missing much.
The audio side of things is of a similar quality to the rest of the game, as it is simple and inoffensive. The menu music is perhaps the best featured within, as some likeable ditties patter along in the background and fit nicely with the tone of the game. There is no speech at all though and the children's cheers after each point does start to grate rather quickly; hitting 'mute' won't see you missing much.
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Whilst the fact you must play both Exhibition and Tournament modes to unlock everything is a smart move, the ease and rapidity with which you’ll complete the game is a serious concern, and it only took me two relatively brief sessions to find everything. Anna Kournikova's Smash Court Tennis masked a lack of challenge through an involved and engaging career setup with a huge roster of players, racquets, special features, tournaments and a superb two-player mode. Sadly, BFT fails to emulate it in any of these areas and, as a consequence, is over in a flash.
It is of course targeted at a younger audience, but would young children like it? Well, perhaps. The characters are cute 'n' cuddly (if somewhat unfamiliar) and it is easy enough to pick-up-and-play. By budget game standards, it’s certainly sturdy enough, and what Baby Felix Tennis does, it does relatively well – there are no crippling gameplay issues and its presentation is of a decent standard. The serious lack of long-term play and hyper-simplistic nature prove a bit of a deal-breaker though, so if you're after some PSone tennis with a bit of retro-chic, then Smash Court Tennis beats it in straight sets.
It is of course targeted at a younger audience, but would young children like it? Well, perhaps. The characters are cute 'n' cuddly (if somewhat unfamiliar) and it is easy enough to pick-up-and-play. By budget game standards, it’s certainly sturdy enough, and what Baby Felix Tennis does, it does relatively well – there are no crippling gameplay issues and its presentation is of a decent standard. The serious lack of long-term play and hyper-simplistic nature prove a bit of a deal-breaker though, so if you're after some PSone tennis with a bit of retro-chic, then Smash Court Tennis beats it in straight sets.
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VERDICT
Visual: 6/10
Audio: 5/10 Gameplay: 5/10 Longevity: 2/10 OVERALL: 4/10 |