The Original Grand Slam Tennis FAQ & Strategy Guide  
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Creation date: June 9, 2009; Last Update: 6/25/09 Below you will find yet another addition to my highly successful series of tennis Superguides If you were a regular visitor during the evolution of my four previous Superguides, you can expect much of the same with this one in terms of updates and organization.  For those of you who are relatively new to the format of my Guides, what you see now for Top Spins 1-3 and Virtua Tennis 3 were written from experience after creating 20+ custom characters (20+ times through the offline career modes) and over 1,100 online matches – which equates to several month's worth of research and experience for each game.  While this guide was started on June 9, 2009, it will be maintained and updated when necessary for up to six months from Grand Slam Tennis' original release date.  The anticipated completion date of this particular guide is August 9, 2009.  If you have any questions about Grand Slam Tennis, please feel free to ask.  The inquiries to my previous guides helped make them a better, more complete source for Top Spin and Virtua Tennis information as I was able to identify what was on people’s minds (i.e. the noted FAQs). Any new questions pertaining to Grand Slam Tennis would undoubtedly improve this guide as well.   Thanks to all of you, The Original Top Spin Superguides are the most complete source for tennis videogame information available anywhere.

All content found on the "Original Top Spin FAQ & Strategy Guides," (aka The Original Top Spin Superguides) including the Virtua Tennis and Grand Slam Tennis sections, is completely original work by the noted author(s).  Content is owned by TheXBFL.com and protected by copyright law.  It is not to be reproduced or redistrihuted in part or in whole without the expressed written consent of the XBFL.  The information and opinions expressed in this here Grand Slam Tennis Superguide are not endorsed or approved by EA Sports, Electronic Arts, Nintendo of Japan, or Nintendo of America.  For all intents and purposes, this Superguide is to be considered "unofficial."

 

Intro:

It is no surprise that EA Sports finally entered a tennis game into the marketplace, though what is  eyebrow raising is how long it took them to do so.  Furthermore, one would think that they'd take more of a hard-core simulation approach when considering their other titles such as Madden, FIFA, and NHL Hockey are all a part of that classification.  Instead, EA chose the Wii with it's last gen graphics (but innovative gameplay) for GST's first platform, and at a time when Nintendo's motion sensing technology has taken a step forward with the introduction of MotionPlus.

EA's propensity to throw cash around in order to obtain exclusive licenses is well known throughout the industry and gaming community, and no exception has been made with their first entry for console racket sports: Grand Slam Tennis.   EA acquired the exclusive rights to the Wimbledon venue, and further complimented the pro-tour with the inclusion of the official Australian Open, French Open, and U.S. Open.   Current pros and legends of the game also appear in Grand Slam Tennis which for an old-school tennis fan like myself, was a very welcome feature.

So, is Grand Slam Tennis worthy of the pro tour?  Or should it remain on the challenger circuit and fall into obscurity?  In this Superguide, I will address all aspects of Grand Slam Tennis, concluding with my opinion of the game.  I will cover custom player creation, training issues, tips on maximizing the efficiency of Wii Motion Plus, advanced control techniques, Career Mode, Training Mode, online play, and much more!  

All three of my Top Spin guides and Virtua Tennis 3 guide proved to be extremely popular with the gaming community; referrals from gaming forums, online leagues, tennis forums, acknowledgement by developers and thousands of individual fans across the globe.  I am hoping to achieve the same success with this here Grand Slam Tennis Superguide. Because this game is drastically different from the other titles I've reviewed, a new format is required - and hopefully will be well received.  Additionally, I've taken a bit more of a "basic approach" to educating about this game, since a younger audience (and possibly an audience new to tennis or videogames in general) will likely be playing this game in addition to the hard-core or mainstream gamers.


Table of Contents:  *Chapter headings are linked to the corresponding topics on this Web page.  Click to advance.

I -  Special Notice Key
II - Court Basics
A - Wii MotionPlus vs. Wii-Mote
     A1: Wii MotionPlus Tips
     A2: Wii-Mote Tips
     A3: Wii-Mote w/ Nunchuck Tips
B - Basic Controls & Advanced Controls
      B1: Groundstrokes
      B2: Aiming Your Groundstrokes
      B3: Serving!
      B4: Advanced Techniques!
C - Getting Started!
      C1: Practice Makes Near Perfect!
D - Creating a Custom Player
      D1: Appearance
      D2: Clothing!
      D3: Equipment!
      D4: Attributes
E - Grand Slam Mode - in progress
     E1: Australian Open and Related Events
     E2: French Open and Related Events - in progress
     E3: Wimbledon and Related Events - June 27 1
     E4: U.S. Open and Related Events - July 6
     E5: Male Player Introductions - in progress 
     E6: Female Player Introductions - in progress
F - Offline Strategies
     F1: Beating Pro Players - July 6
G - Training Mode - June 29
H - Calorie Counter - June 29
I - Wii Wi-Fi Network (Online Play) - July 1
J - Online Strategy - July 8
     J1 - Dealing with Cheesy Gamers
K - FAQs - TBD
L - Game Glitches  - TBD
M - Reality Flaws In GST - August 9
N - Game Review
O - Improvement Suggestions for EA Sports - August 9
P - Wrap Up (conclusion) - August 9
Q - Miscellaneous Links
      Q1 - Tennis-Related Links
      Q2 - Gaming-Related Links
R - The Author (and acknowledgements)
S - Gamer Log


 

I - Special Notice Key:

- Pro Tactic: a technique I developed to improve a scenario found in the game, or, an alternative (and original) way of winning points.
- Pro Strategy: strategy I developed to increase the chances of winning a point.
- Pro Insight: further elaboration on a given subject matter to help clarify a point I am trying to make.
- Pro Tip: a method of using Wii MotionPlus that improves the level of consistency with your shot making.
- Glitch! an in-game glitch or anomaly that I discovered during my experience with Grand Slam Tennis.
- Fun Fact:  an identified part of the game that really holds no perceived value, but is entertaining/amusing nonetheless.

II - Court Basics:

Throughout this Guide, I will use terms like deuce court, ad-court, baseline, etc.  These terms may or may not be familiar to everyone. Below are simple illustrations depicting these areas of the court.

Court Basics: Details various parts of a tennis court: baseline, singles and doubles lines, service boxes, and doubles alley.
Court Basics 2: Illustrates the ad and deuce courts as well as "no man's land."  The term "deuce court" refers to the left service box (and right baseline area when serving).  The term "ad court" refers to the right service box (and left baseline area when serving).

 

A - Wii MotionPlus vs Wii-Mote:
A1 - Wii MotionPlus Tips
A2 - Wii-Mote Tips
A3 - Wii-Mote w/ Nunchuck Tips

Contrary to all the marketing hype by Nintendo and popular belief by those who have yet to try MotionPlus, it is not a flawless system, and there is absolutely no merit to EA Sports' claim of "total racquet control" with Grand Slam Tennis.  As IGN pointed out in their review of Grand Slam Tennis (GST), the game does not provide a 1:1 experience as one would hope for..  I have experienced countless motion "errors" when playing both offline and online where my swings didn't register correctly by MotionPlus.  A few examples are as follows:

-- When playing as Rafa in an offline exhibition match, I was trying to pin my opponent to the corner of the court with top spin shots.  Instead, Nadal was hitting slice.  For seven consecutive swings, I began to exaggerate the top spin motion more and more on each subsequent swing to the point I was looking (and feeling) ridiculous, and Rafa STILL continued to hit with slice on each and every shot

-- On serves both online and offline, my overhead service motion would sometimes result in a soft, second serve being hit despite the very same motion and timing being performed to pull off hard, flat first serves.

--  During a rather intense online match with a former top 50 player (I knocked him out of the top 50 ;-), he hit a shot to me right down the middle of the court.  Despite the swinging of my Wii-Mote, my character, Andy Roddick, just stood there and let the ball pass him.  A game later, the very same thing happened to my opponent;  I hit a ball down the middle of the court, and his Roger Federer just stood there and let it go by.

So, this begs the question: Wii-Mote, or MotionPlus?  Which should you use?   Well, there are pros and cons to using each, and I've highlighted the most important differences between the two:

MotionPlus:

Wii-Mote (no MotionPlus):

So, if you are wondering whether or not to use MotionPlus, my answer is this:

MotionPlus is not needed to enjoy this game; a standard Wii-Mote should be fine. MotionPlus will admittedly enhance the experience a bit, but with that additional playability, there is an infinite amount of frustration associated with it.  Undoubtedly, these problems will cause some hardcore gamers to pack this game away.  So, is an extra $20 for MotionPlus worth it to you?  That's up for you to decide.  For me, I am glad I tried MotionPlus, but for online gaming, I will never use it again when playing GST.


A1 - MotionPlus Tips:

As frustrating as the aforementioned issues are, I suppose they are to be expected with a first-gen Wii MotionPlus game.  You might be wondering, "Is there anything I can do to minimize glitches like this?"  Well, there are a few things that I came up with on my own that work for me, and hopefully they will work for you too.  

To hit flat, simply swing your Wii-Mote parallel to the ground and across the mid-section of your body (maybe slightly above your waistline).  For top spin, start the Wii-Mote a little lower than usual just before you begin the forward swing, swing to the side of your hip, and then up across and finish the follow-through over your shoulder.  You can also add some wrist rotation for extra spin.  For slice, raise the Wii-Mote above waist level and then make a high to low slashing motion, or, allow yourself to be a bit more lazy and just bring the Wii-Mote across your body to the front of one of your knees.  Always remember that the SIDE of your Wii-Mote represents the string bed of your "virtual racquet."

 This works very well for me, and if you are having trouble with your existing form, my personal technique will hopefully work for you too.  Give it a try!


A2 - Wii-Mote Tips:

The Wii-Mote is much less sensitive to movement than the MotionPlus sensor, and it has its benefits in GST.  First and foremost, you can pretty much stop worrying about swings not registering on-screen.  However, the drawback is that you will need to perfect your timing in order to place your shots into the opposite court.

Unlike the MotionPlus sensor, I would suggest you take a more casual approach to GST if you use just the Wii-Mote, similar to how you probably played Wii Tennis (Wii Sports).  You can take small swings or even flicks or your wrist and get similar results to a full "MotionPlus-like swing" in terms of power.  That being said, you will need to be careful because you may not execute the shot-type you were hoping for.

For top spin, you may want to actually swing the WiiMote a little, from low to high.  For added spin, try rotating your wrist as described in section B1.  If you compare the motions and results of using both the Wii-Mote with MotionPlus and without,  you will observe a significant difference in the amount of spin put on the ball, as well as consistency of pulling it off.  

For slices, a simple downward flick of the wrist always works.   For flat shots, a level side-ways flick is worth practicing until it becomes perfectly executed on-screen.

- Pro Tactic: Volleys are the toughest shot to place using the Wii-Mote because more often than not, balls are hit straight ahead and not at extreme angles.  Because of this, I would recommend using "B" when you are at the net so that you can execute an angled drop volley.  Simply press "B" at the time you are flicking your wrist (or swinging) to execute this difficult to reach shot.


A3 - Wii-Mote w/Nunchuck:

As stated in section B4, I would highly advise not using the Wii Nunchuck due to the limited cord length as well as the speed of the game being significantly faster than Wii Tennis.

That being said, if you are playing doubles of any kind, having a Nunchuck for character movement puts you at a significant advantage due to your increased net coverage.  If the CPU controls your net movement during doubles, you will undoubtedly stay in the same position unless a ball is hit near you, and you attempt to volley it.   With a Nunchuck in your hand, you will be able to gain more court coverage, and intelligently cut off attempted passing shots.  

- Pro Strategy: Since most people online play using CPU assisted movement, playing doubles with the Nunchuck enabled will give your team the upper hand.  So many players go for cross court winners (because they are easier to hit than down the line shots).  Using the Nunchuck, you can easily cut off those opposing cross court forehands and backhands and hit a volley winner!



B - Basic Controls:
B1 - Groundstrokes
B2 - Aiming Your Groundstrokes
B3 - Serving
B4 - Advanced Techniques

Unlike previously released tennis titles like Top Spin and Virtua Tennis, you can expect a bit less precision with Grand Slam Tennis since ball trajectory and pace will be dependent on your timing and swing speed, and not movement of an analog stick and button pressing.  Furthermore, there will also be a margin of error with your actual motion and MotionPlus's interpretation of your movement.  Assuming you will be using MotionPlus controls for this game, here are the basics:


B1 - Groundstrokes:

Top Spin:   Using Wii MotionPlus, swing low to high to perform a top spin shot.  You may want to try starting a swing with your Wii-mote hand about waist high, at your side, and swinging up in a true follow through form to pull off this shot with some degree of consistency.  Depending on your height, some modifications may be needed with your back and forward swings until you get the desired results on-screen.  Always follow through with the Wii-Mote to where you want the ball to go.  In other words, if you want the ball to go cross-court, make sure you finish your swing across your body with the Wii-Mote pointing to the corner of the court you are aiming for. 

- Pro Insight:  What is top spin? Top spin is a shot where a player brushes the racquet head across the ball from low to high very quickly on the forehand or backhand side.  When watching tennis on TV, you may notice that some players (most commonly the Spaniards and clay court "specialists") hit the ball with extreme top spin where their racquet head starts at their knees and they finish their swing with a lot of wrist flexing up around the opposite shoulder or head; they often play well behind the baseline too since the ball bounces so high.  This motion (whether traditional or extreme) puts a forward spin on the ball so that after it clears the net, preferably at the apex of the arc, and it dives down to the opposite court and rebounds with a higher bounce than a "flat" hit would provide.  Because of the forward spin imparted on the ball, it will kick up with some speed.  More top spin is required to obtain a more extreme angle.   It is important to note that top spin groundstrokes are not as fast as "flat" groundstrokes.  Typically when pro players go for a winner, they level out their swing to hit a line-drive shot.

Most every pro player hits with some degree of top spin unless they flatten out their groundstroke for an inside-out forehand or a crushing winner.  The only pro player in somewhat recent history to have truly flat groundstrokes was Jimmy Connors, where almost no spin was placed on the ball, especially on his forehand side.

Top spin is particularly effective when trying to create angles to expose the open court on the other side of the net.  For instance, a player on the right side of the court may attempt a top spin cross court shot (to the left) that will bounce shallow (in the service box) and "kick-out" beyond the doubles lane.  This would force his opponent to chase the ball down leaving most of the court exposed for a clean winner should the ball even be returned. You will most likely see heavy top spin used by pros when they are trying to hit from corner to corner (and where the ball bounces close to the service line).  Rafael Nadal has some of the most wicked top spin I've ever seen - - and I've seen an awful lot of tennis over the past 20+ years both in person and on TV.  [VIDEO COMING SOON]

Top spin shots provide a great change of pace to simply thumping flat forehands and backhands which takes more energy.  Top spin is also effective in lobbing - and if done so effectively, would clear an opponent's outstretched racquet, bounce in-bounds deep in the back court, and kick-up with speed towards the back wall making it very difficult (if not impossible) for your opponent to chase down.  

Slice Shot:  This is the easiest shot to execute using Wii MotionPlus.  To hit a slice shot, swing your Wii-mote high to low.  You can either use very good "tennis form" or a simple chopping motion and get nearly the same results.  In Grand Slam Tennis, you will notice that the slice you deliver on-screen has a sideways curve to it, very reminiscent of the very first Top Spin game for the Xbox.  In real life, slice shots typically have straight flight pathsover the net.

- Pro Insight:  What is a slice shot?   Slice is a very underrated ground stroke both in real life and in tennis videogames.  Slice is a shot that counters your opponents power, and returns a slower ball that has reverse spin, resulting in a very low bounce (or a skid on some surfaces).  Patrick Rafter and Steffi Graf were two pros who were well known for their slice backhands.  Slice is particularly effective when returning serves from a powerful player, or as an approach shot when attempting to rush the net for a volley.  When used as a service return, it takes some of the power off your opponent's ball and reduces the risk of  you hitting the ball out of bounds.  Any time Roger Federer plays Andy Roddick, you will likely see Roger slice back Andy's big serve to start the exchange of groundstrokes.  Patrick Rafter was an excellent serve and volley player, and would attack the net after a well placed slice backhand deep near the baseline which would make it difficult for his opponents to get a good swipe at the ball in an attempt for a passing shot.  [VIDEO COMING SOON]



Lob Shot:  A lob shot is nothing more then executing a forward swing as you are pressing and holding the "A" button.  Depending on the proximity of your opponent to the net, you can either attempt a high, deep lob (upward swing while pressing "A"), or a top spin lob (very fast upward swing with some wrist-roll while pressing "A").

- Pro Insight:  What is a lob shot?  A lob is a forehand or backhand that hits the ball very high into the air, and hopefully deep into your opponent's side of the court.  Lobs are effective in two situations:  1) when an opponent is close to the net and attempting to volley, and 2) when you are on the run chasing down balls, and need a moment to recover - - a lob is effective in buying you time to recover decent defensive court positioning.



Drop Shot:  A drop shot is performed with a forward swing as you are pressing the "B" button.  

- Pro Insight:  What is a drop shot?  A drop shot is a shot that takes all of the pace off an opponent's ball, adding a little bit of backwards spin, and hit softly enough so that it just clears the net and bounces very short (and sometimes even backwards too) on the other side of the court.  This is very effective as a change of pace in the midst of a rally, and when an opponent is hitting shots well behind the baseline.  Drop shots are most effective if you hit one from inside the baseline.  Not only does this reduce your risk in attempting a drop shot, but it also takes less time for it to clear the net, making it difficult for your opponent to identify and react to this type of shot.



Volley:  A volley is performed by a quick stab forward with the Wii-Mote to either the forehand or backhand sides.  Depending on your preparation, swing time, and player attributes, your volley may be successful in terms of both speed and angle.  To hit a volley in GST, you can either use a motion similar to proper tennis form, or, what most people will likely do, just flick your wrist in the direction you want the ball to go.  Just make sure your Wii-Mote is out in front of you when attempting a volley.

- Pro Insight:  What is a volley? A volley is nothing more than making contact with the ball before its initial bounce.  Volleys are almost always hit from inside the service line, such as when approaching the net during a rally.  It is always best to attempt a volley when your opponent is chasing down a ball and playing defensively, or after a big serve you just hit so that your opponent's return is likely to be weak, ineffective and PREDICTABLE.  



Overhead Smash: An overhead smash is performed by using the same motion as when serving (see below).

- Pro Insight:  What is a smash? A smash is simply hitting a lob out of the air and above the player's head - very similar to that of a service motion.  Overheads can be hit either before the first bounce, or after the first bounce.  The execution of the smash is an attempt to either hit the ball to the opponent's court so hard that it cannot be returned, or to hit to a vacant spot in the backcourt.  There are advantages and disadvantages to hitting the ball short or deep into an opponent's court, though almost all overhead smashes are hit very hard to prevent any sort of return.


B2 - Aiming Your Groundstrokes:

The following examples are for a right-handed person hitting a forehand.  Being successful in Grand Slam Tennis requires a high level of skill in placing your shots, and in order to obtain that skill, you need to practice your timing.  To hit a ball to the left of the court, you must make contact with the ball early; when the ball is out in front of you.  Your follow through must be out in front to where your swing ends with your Wii-Mote pointing to the side of the court you are trying to hit (i.e. slightly across the front of your body).   To hit it straight ahead, you must time your swing perfectly so that you hit the ball when its slightly out in front of your player with your forward swing ending right in front of you (Wii-Mote pointing directly at the center of your TV)..  To hit the ball to the right side of the court, your swing must be a little late so that you make contact with the ball when it's almost by your side.  Your forward swing should end prematurely so that you have your Wii-Mote pointing towards the right side of your TV.   Again, please note that these tips assume your player is right-handed.  If you are using a lefty, reverse the suggestions above except the straight-ahead shot.


B3 - Serving:

Just prior to serving the ball, I would recommend that you always take two seconds to calibrate your Wii-Mote with MotionPlus.  Simply hold it level in front of you (completely still), and close to your body.  In similar fashion to Wii Tennis, lift your arm above your head for your player to toss the ball, and at the apex of the toss, swing downwards to strike the ball.  I personally add a little bit of wrist-snap in a downward motion in hopes of adding a few more mph to the ball.  You may wish to try this too.  While a hard swing will add some power to your serve, there is actually a limit where any extra effort on  your behalf is not necessary.  Try to figure how much of a swing is necessary to get an effective serve early on with GST.  This will help prevent actual injury during future gameplay.

- Pro Insight:  What is a serve? A serve is the action that begins each and every point in the game of tennis.  A player stands behind the baseline in either the ad or deuce court, tosses the ball, and hits with an overhead swing in hopes of getting their shot into the service box on the other side of the net.   Most pro-players' first serves are hard, flat serves that have a lot of power and little spin.  Second serves in the pro-ranks are typically hit with spin to reduce the risk of hitting a ball long or wide.  In Grand Slam Tennis, Andy Roddick and Pete Sampras have the best serves.


B4 - Advanced Techniques:

Movement -

Initially one would think that using the Nunchuck for player movement would provide the best control over a player, especially since character movement in Wii Tennis was terrible.  However, Grand Slam Tennis plays at 3x the speed of Wii Tennis and with non-precise control (i.e. swinging a Wii-Mote versus using an Xbox 360 analog controller).  Because of this, proper manual character movement using the Nunchuck is particularly difficult.  Furthermore, many gamers may find that the cord connecting the Nunchuck to the Wii-Mote to be about 12 inches too short.  If you swing with your right arm in a backswing, you may pull the Nunchuck and your left arm too.

At least very early on in your experiences with GST, focus on proper form and ball placement, and leave character movement to the CPU.  Unlike movement in Wii Tennis (where it was so slow, you wish you could move your Mii), movement in GST is a lot better, and in my opinion, does not detract at all from the game being fun.

Despite saying all that above, I will highly recommend you manually override default positioning and movement in three specific scenarios:

1) Serving:  When serving, you can use the D-Pad on the Wii-Mote to slide your player to the left or the right in order to increase your chances at hitting better angles.  It also sets your player for a better/stronger serve.

As soon as the ball is tossed, press left or right on the Wii-Mote D-Pad to direct your serve to that location in the service box.  I would like to also point out that unlike Top Spin 3, you can hit the center service line in Grand Slam Tennis.

2) Returning:  When returning a serve, some players may serve right at you - - or, are consistent with hitting the ball to an area of the service box.  Use the D-Pad on the Wii-Mote to slide your person left or right to be in better position to hit an effective return of serve shot.

3) Approaching the Net:  If you have your opponent on the run chasing down deep groundstrokes, you can override the CPU assisted movement by pressing up on the Wii-Mote D-Pad.  You can cancel that motion if your opponent lobs by simply pressing back on the D-Pad.  At that time, the CPU assisted movement may or may not return  your character to the baseline (if it doesn't, it will make your player continue on to the net).  If you change your mind and don't want to charge the net after initiating that action, press down on the D-Pad once to cancel the forward progress, and down again to retreat to the baseline.

Groundstrokes -

Top Spin - Rafa Style:  Want to hit wicked top spin like Nadal?  Then add a lot of wrist rotation on your up swing.  Simply drop your Wii-Mote back at a lower than waist position and quickly swing forward in an upward motion.  Near the top of your swing, rotate your wrist very quickly counter-clockwise (assuming you are a righty).  Keep practicing until you get the desired results.  Remember though, the more top spin you hit, the slower the ball will be.  It's only advised to hit this level of top spin if you are aiming for extreme angles to the corners of the opposing court.  If you hit heavy top spin so that it bounces near the service line, your opponent will have time to chase it down and hit an effective counter-shot.

Top Spin Lobs - Agassi Style:  Unlike the Top Spin and Virtua Tennis games, you can somewhat choose between two types of lobs to execute in a time of need.  One is a defensive lob which is performed by swinging your Wii-Mote low-to-high and holding down the "A" button.  Then there is the top spin lob - which you can do with the same motion as a defensive lob, but with a faster swing rate and with heavy wrist rotation near the top of your swing (the same as what was described in #4 above).  In GST, top spin lobs generally land short, and well inside the baseline, so only choose this shot if you need to hit a lob from one side of the court to the other (cross-court) or if your opponent is standing right next to the net.  If your opponent is not quite on top of the net, I would suggest you hit a defensive lob, or a lob with just a little bit of top spin.

Drop Volleys: To execute a drop volley, press "B" when at the net and use your typical flicky motion or whatever form you use when volleying at the net.


C - Getting Started
C1 - Practice Makes Near Perfect

When booting up Grand Slam Tennis, you will be presented with a few options from the main menu.  They are as follows:

- Practice: I can't recommend highly enough that you start with this.  See my comments in section C1 for more on this particular mode.
- Play Now: Enter in a quick match of either singles or doubles.
- Grand Slam: GST's career mode that puts your custom character through a number of challenges in addition to competing in major tournaments across the globe.
- Online: Play GST over the Wii Wi-Fi Network against players from all over the world.  
- My Tennis: This is where you access your custom-player's locker room to change equipment, clothing, and attributes.  You can also modify game settings here.
- Get Fit: Simple yet fun games designed to give you a light workout.  You can monitor your caloric burn-rate in this mode, as well as the competition modes.
- Tennis Party:  Fun multiplayer mini-games.

C1 - Practice Makes Near Perfect:  Almost everyone wants to just dive into a new game and start playing in either offline or online competition.  When you first boot up Grand Slam Tennis, you have the option to participate in a practice session with a ball machine.  I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that you spend a little bit of quality time practicing the nuances of the game, learning how your swing-types translate into the actual game, proper player positioning for an incoming ball, etc.  

Practice hitting slice, flat, and top spin groundstrokes off the forehand and backhand sides.  When you master those, try hitting MORE top spin from both sides as described in section B4.  When you get your groundstrokes down, try placing them to the corners of the court, and then down the middle. You will find a lot of opponents online who do nothing but hit from corner to corner.  It is as important if not more important to be able to hit straight ahead.  If you are in a cross-court rally, a simple shot up the line will end the point very quickly in your favor.  Learn to hit straight, and you will find yourself winning a lot of points both offline and online.  A good strategy is to get someone pinned to a corner in a cross-court exchange, and then blast the ball up the line you are standing on.  It's tricky to pull off, but certainly feasible with a good amount of practice!

After you master all aspects of ball placement with groundstrokes, work on your serve.  Learn to hit flat or with spin, and practice hitting the ball at the highest point of your player's toss.  Doing so should translate into a hard, fast first serve.  I use the word "should"  because MotionPlus is subject to mis-reads on serves from time to time.

Volleys are nothing more than short swings, punches, or flicks of the Wii-Mote, and those can be practiced during actual gameplay.  In GST, its difficult to screw up a volley.

Your patience in learning the basics of GST will provide a huge pay-off when you enter Grand Slam mode or engage in online competition.


D - Creating a Custom Player
D1 - Appearance
D2 - Clothing
D3 - Equipment
D4 - Attributes

D1 - Appearance:  Unlike games such as Virtua Tennis and Top Spin that offer a plethora of variables to fine tune the look of your custom-made tennis player, GST is very limited with regard to customizable options.  After giving your custom-character a first and last  name, you will indicate the gender of your player, and designate which will be the dominant side (right or left).  The overall look of your character can be made by visiting the following menu options:

- Appearance:  Choose a general look from a list of available templates.
- Complexion: Choose a skin tone from a variety of colors and shades.
- Headshape:  Here, you can choose the shape of your player's head; from fat and skinny, to round or chiseled.  It's all here.
- Hair style:  Choose the style of hair you wish your player to have.  This can be changed later in the game if you choose to do so.
- Facial hair: For the men, you can choose from a variety of facial hair sculpts.  Like the hair style, this too is not permanent and can be changed later in the game.
- Eye color:  Because of the lack of HD output on the Wii, eye color is difficult to see, especially when assigning various shades of browns to your custom character. 

D2 - Clothing:  The next phase of creating your character is dressing him/her.  In the beginning, you will have limited options to the stockrooms of the various manufacturers.  Once you progress through Grand Slam mode, you will unlock additional outfits that are initially designated with a padlock.  The clothing categories in GST are shirts, hats/bandanas, tennis shoes and wristbands.  

The manufacturers present are:

D3 - Equipment:  The final phase in creating your custom-character is assigning them a tennis racquet.  

The manufacturers represented in GST are:

Note that there are some racquets that are locked at the beginning of the game.  Some of these racquets provide "power-ups" if acquired and equipped to your player.  Make note of these as they will be beneficial to your overall performance when made available.

D4 - Attributes:  In your first venue (Australian Open), take note of the challenges you will be facing leading up to each Grand Slam event, and the rewards that come with each.  Some rewards pertain to fitness, others improve mobility, and some enhance a specific stroke such as a forehand or serve.  Depending on what kind of player you wish to develop, you should pay close attention to the offerings, and decide which one would best suit your player.  The four general player types are as follows:

- Offensive Baseliner:  Has powerful groundstrokes, but sacrifices some degree of accuracy.
- Defensive Baseliner: Has a high level of stamina, speed, and accuracy, but lacks powerful strokes.  Defensive players do best on slower surfaces like clay.
- Serve & Volleyer: Has fast reflexes, strong volley skills, and typically a very effective serve, sometimes at the expense of weaker groundstrokes.  Serve and volleyers tend to thrive on grass-court surfaces.
- All-Court Player: Has no real weaknesses, but also no outstanding strengths either except for maybe one particular stroke whether it be a serve or a groundstroke on one side.

Throughout Grand Slam mode, you will face opportunities to acquire new skills based on specific pro-player's strengths.  Through your acquisition of stars (gained from experience/success), you can apply additional skills, up to a maximum of three.  These skills are as follows:

There are 23 abilities in all.  During the early challenges prior to the Australian Open, you will have the opportunity to acquire a bronze level skill.  You will not be able to apply a second skill until you have unlocked two full stars which will come later in the first season.  To have access to the third skill, you will need to have four stars.


E - Grand Slam (Career) Mode
E1: Australian Open and Related Events
E2: French Open and Related Events - in progress
E3: Wimbledon and Related Events - July 1
E4: U.S. Open and Related Events - July 8
E5: Male Player Introductions - in progress 
E6: Female Player Introductions - in progress

Grand Slam mode is GST's version of the standard Career Mode every tennis game seems to have.  In GST, you will begin your career in the outer courts of the Australian Open.  You will also be given the option to adjust the CPU difficulty level before beginning.  I would suggest starting with Easy or Medium for your first time through.  While I haven't confirmed any advantages/disadvantages yet, I've noticed that the challenges/rewards have slightly changed based on the difficulty level I chose during my initial two passes through the first part of the game.  Some rewards also change even if you stay on the same difficulty level and pass through it twice.  I will write more on this as I gain additional experience with the game.

E1 - Australian Open: .  As one would expect, the Australian Open is your first venue in Grand Slam Tennis, however you don't jump into the big event right away.  First, you will face three challenges on the outer courts, and a FOURTH challenge should you win the first three.  You cannot choose the order of these courts, but must play them in order of when they appear.

If you think you  may have difficulty during your first run through at the Australian Open, be sure to check out my Offline Strategy tips.

After you complete the outer court challenges, you will be applied to the main draw at the Australian Open.  Your progress will begin in the round of 32 (i.e. 3rd round).  All matches are a best-of three game format, with a tie-breaker if the score reaches 4-4.  Since this is basically the introductory tournament of GST and Career Mode, the difficulty is not very intense.  That being said, you should expect to see a boost in CPU competitiveness if you are ahead in the score of a particular game, especially if you are about to break an opponent's serve.  Also, there are marginal increases in difficulty as you progress through the tournament.  In my first time through, I faced Roddick, Borg, Hewitt, Djokavic, and Edberg - in that order.  Djokavic was the most challenging of the five players I faced, though any time I had Edberg behind in the score, he would become more aggressive (see Section F1).

After defeating my semifinal opponent, I acquired the second half of my first star, so that it was now complete.

After winning the Australian Open, you will acquire the trophy, additional clothes, and a summary of your matches played, matches won, and how much sponsor swag you acquired.  If you won all 9 matches (including the pre-tournament bonus match), you will have unlocked 18 articles of clothing (called "sponsor swag").  Here is a brief breakdown of what I received over the course of my tournament wins:

E2 - French Open: - in progress

The famed terre battu is your second stop on the Grand Slam tour.  Much like the Australian Open, you will have three exhibition matches prior to the main draw.  Should you successfully complete the three challenges, you will earn the right to participate in an extra singles match to acquire an additional ability before the tournament.  Drop shots are a bit more effective here at the French Open, though not as much as you would probably think.  CPU movement is very quick to the ball, especially vertical movement.  Here is the outline of the pre-tournament activities:

French Open Section to be completed on June 23.



E3 - Wimbledon: - July 1


E4 - U.S. Open: - July 8


E5 - Male Player Introductions

E6 - Female Player Introductions

 F - Offline Strategies

Every tennis game I've ever played has either exhibited specific behaviors in certain situations (aka "patterns"), or, had a glaring flaw where one strategy provided a sufficient amount of success throughout most of the levels.  In the case of Grand Slam Tennis, this sort of programming weakness can be found with the serve and volley strategy.

If you are finding difficulty winning points from the baseline, I cannot recommend more highly that you trade in your forehands and backhands and become a force at the net.  Regardless of whether or not you are creating a version of yourself or a baseline legend like Andre Agassi or Jim Courier, you will make your progression through Grand Slam mode substantially easier, and quicker if you serve and volley.

- Pro Tactic:  In the early stages of the game (Season 1), your custom player will lack speed, power and overall performance.  Forget trying to hit the big serve and starting the point from there.  Simply hit the weakest serve you can and as soon as your Wii-Mote is moving forward to execute the swing, press up on the D-Pad so that your player charges the net.  Nearly 99% of the time, your opponent will return your serve right up the middle, and right to you.  If you are using MotionPlus, it is very easy to deflect the ball to the open court for a winner.  With just the Wii-Mote, it may take a few volleys to punch through a winner.

To add an extra element to your new style of play, try serving out wide to the corners.  In the first season of GST, you can get away with this (you won't have to worry about service returns down the line).  Serving out wide will enable you to have more open court to where you can volley the return.  Just be sure to serve from the default position, and as you are swinging, press right or left on the D-Pad once the ball is tossed, and immediately press forward to charge the net after you make contact with the ball.

A lot of Websites have recommended my plan of action here - - because it works!

If you you want to see a little higher quality of serve and volley tennis, go to the Play Now option on the main menu and choose Stefan Edberg as your player and Boris Becker as your opponent (or the other way around).  Classic serve and volley tennis doesn't get any better than that!


More to come soon!


F1 - Beating Pro Players - July 1


 F1 - Beating Pro Players

Men 

Women 

 G - Training Mode
- June 29



 H - Calorie Counter
- June 29



 I - Wii Wi-Fi Network (Online Play)
- July 1



 J - Online Strategy - July 1


J1 - Dealing with Cheesy Gamers  Just like with all online games these days, you will undoubtedly experience moments where you play against someone who doesn't quite abide by "normal" or expected codes of conduct.  They may try to exploit a glitch or reality flaw in a certain game to gain the upper-hand, or simply play in a manner that is considered by most to be "unsportsmanlike."   There are tens of thousands of gamers who try to cheat or resort to unsportsmanlike gameplay in an effort to win games, and there is no doubt you will face people like this during your time with GST.  In similar fashion to my previous guides, I will address specific issues known to occur in Grand Slam Tennis when playing over the Wii Wi-Fi Network, and how to successfully alter your gameplan to counter this "cheesy gameplay."

Issue #1: Dealing with Gamers Who Lob All of Their Shots:  As pathetic as this sounds, there are already countless gamers online playing GST who hit nothing but lobs.  For a beginning player, this can pose a bit of a challenge as your timing may be off slightly, causing your on-screen player to swing and miss, thus losing the point.  

When you face an opponent who does nothing but lob, change the grip on your Wii-Mote so that you have access to the D-Pad (+ button) with your thumb.  As soon as you hit a shot, whether it be a serve, return, or groundstroke, press UP once on the D-Pad to move your player forward into the court.  If your opponent lobs the ball, the A.I. should direct your player to where the ball will land - allowing you to hit an overhead smash to the open court.

That being said, it is important that you remain right around "no-man's land" (refer to Court Basics above if needed), and some manual fine-tuning may be necessary.  In otherwords, if you serve a slow ball and push UP to move forward, your character may move too far towards the net before your opponent makes contact with the ball.  In this case, quickly tap DOWN on the D-Pad and try to defend no-man's land - - the area that most lobs will land.  If you are too close to the net, you risk a lob going over your head for a winner.  If you are too far back, you risk mis-timing your shot as the lob is about to land in front of you.  Ideally, you want to take that lob out of the air with an overhead smash before it bounces.  If you can successfully pull this strategy off, you will have little difficulty in defeating your opponents who abuse this shot.

Issue #2: Dealing with Gamers Who Drop Shots Their Serve:  This is yet another annoying tactic most unskilled gamers rely on in hopes of getting some free points.  As I've recommended in the past for Top Spin gamers who deal with this, the best counter-move for a drop serve is a drop shot.  If your opponent executes a drop serve/underhand serve, run up to the ball (either manually with the Nunchuk, D-Pad on the Wii-Mote, or let the A.I. move you automatically), and drop shot the ball back by lightly flicking the Wii-Mote downwards and pressing "B."  This will force your opponent to rush forward in an attempt to get your ball.  Sometimes they will, sometimes they won't.  Either way, it will certainly catch them by surprise.  Just be sure that as soon as you hit the drop shot that you either fully commit to rushing the net from your initial point of contact, or, backpedal quickly and cover the middle of the baseline (to cut off any potential angles).



K - FAQs
- TBD



L - Reality Flaws in GST
- August 9



M - Game Review

Overview: When Grand Slam Tennis was first announced, it received very mixed reactions from the gaming community.  Some were very interested in the playability (using the then rumored "MotionPlus" sensor), while others dismissed it as being too cartoon-like, and not a serious tennis game.  For me, I kept an open mind, and was very interested in what the final product would be like.  My only reservation prior to hands-on experience was the fact that EA was the developer, and if you know me, you should be well aware that I am not a big fan of EA Sports.

So, how accurate were Peter Moore's 2009 E3 comments with regard to Grand Slam Tennis?  Does this game provide "total racquet control" to the end-user?  Is it the "ultimate tennis experience" for a videogame?  Read on to find out:

Graphics:  Many people will have opposing viewpoints on the graphics.  Yes, they are not up to spec with that of Top Spin or Virtua Tennis, however they are not meant to be, and to be quite honest, after a little bit of game time with GST, I did not find caricature-like player models distracting in the least.  In fact, I will go on record here and state they are perfect for what Grand Slam Tennis is trying to represent:  an inviting tennis game for gamers of all ages and all levels of experience.

Admittedly, when I first booted up GST, I was a little taken aback by the cartoon-nature of the in-game pros, but after 20 minutes of gameplay, I became more focused on the gameplay and not the apparent lack of realistic visuals.  After about an hour, I actually became to like imagery, especially when characters expressed emotion after certain points.  I appreciate the enhanced size of the tennis ball too, considering the speed of the game and the inputs required to be successful during play.  The various court surfaces are about as expected, though the crowd is noticeably wooden and un-involved.

Character animation is pretty fluid, with pro players showing some of their trademarked forms when serving or hitting the ball from either the forehand or backhand sides.  I did however notice some "frame boosting" when players were at the net, and needing to reach a nearby shot.  They would gain an abnormal speed burst to the ball when it initially appeared to be out of reach.  Something to note:  this was a complaint in EA Sports' Madden 2009 as well - - primarily associated with linebackers.  

All in all, animation is good, and the graphics suit their purpose well for this type of game.

Score: 7.0
Pros: Cartoon nature is inviting to all gamer types.  
Cons: Animation cut-scenes are very repetitive and could have used some additional variations.  Crowd is nothing more than a colorful backdrop.  


Sound: The sound is adequate, though there could have been a few more enhancements such additional sneaker squeaks on the hard courts, muffled thumping of sneakers on the grass, and different tones from the ball making contact with the racquet strings. 

The cheers from the crowd and ambient noise are excellent and definitely create a sense of actually being involved in a tennis game that matters.  While the crowd noises are pre-canned like all other tennis games, their responsiveness to exciting points seems much more realistic than that of GST's competitors.  Player sounds such as their actual recorded grunts were a very welcome surprise, and add an element of realism to this game.

To my surprise, there is quite a bit of voice work from former-player-turned-announcer Pat Cash.  Other than Fred Stolle and Cliff Drysdale, I don't know who else I would have chosen to fill this role as an announcer for GST.  His lines are enjoyable early on, but after a tournament or two, his commentary becomes somewhat annoying due to its repetitiveness.   If I hear one more comment about an "air swing".....

Fun Fact:   When serving, just let your player stand around a while without moving him (or her).  You will hear whistles and new sound effects from the crowd.

Score: 7.5
Pros: Standard sounds of tennis done well, but like Top Spin 3, there are many opportunities for improvement.  The crowd's interactive sounds are some of the best yet.
Cons: Pat Cash's commentary needs more lines of dialogue as it becomes very repetitive early on in the game.   A second announcer would have been a great addition to this game.
 

Controls: I imagine that the EA Sports team took a feast or famine approach to their control design with Grand Slam Tennis.  Either it would be a big hit, or a gigantic miss.  That being said, I honestly do not understand how this game reached store shelves before all of the motion glitches had been worked out. 

There was enormous potential from Grand Slam Tennis, and in my first 30 to 60 minutes playing it, was absolutely thrilled with my experience; so much so that I now realize I was blinded by the newness of the game, and the novelty of being able to vary the degree of top spin on my shots.  Sure, I noticed some glitches early on, but I now admit that I was guilty of overlooking them.  It wasn't until I really sat down with this game and tested all aspects of it did I realize just how flawed it truly is.

This game was advertised as having "total racquet control," and also compared to playing real  tennis in some marketing pieces directed at end-consumers.  This is hardly the case.  How can there be "total racquet control" when I am swinging my Wii-Mote and my character just stands still like an idiot as the ball passes him by?  Or, how can it be like real tennis when my player is about to return a serve and his arm is held out wide to the side instead of a ready position due to faulty MotionPlus calibration?  I could cite several other examples, but it comes down to this:  There is an enormous control issue with GST, and so much so that it essentially ruins what could have otherwise been a fantastic game.

I should have been skeptical a week prior to the game's release when I saw Peter Moore and his associate on stage at the 2009 E3 convention.  Mr. Moore and his colleague were having noticeable issues (if you paid attention) serving and hitting the ball where they wanted to.  Later, as Moore was still playing and hyping up MotionPlus, Pete Sampras joined them and played out a few points.  Unlike Moore who was awkward with his arm swings, Sampras was using mostly wrist movements in a very nonchalant sort of way.  One of his points resulted in an ace....with hardly any effort on his behalf.  Really?  This is what MotionPlus is all about?  And this game takes advantage of MotionPlus technology?  And this clumsy exhibition was meant to be  a selling point?

Because this game can be played both with and without MotionPlus, I am offering two sets of scores below:

MotionPlus Score: 5.0
Pros: Impressive ability to control the amount of top spin on a shot (when it works).  Improves the ability to direct shots to various parts of the court (when it works).
Cons: Inconsistent responsiveness, that of which can essentially influence the outcome of a game regardless of a gamer's skill level.

Wii-Mote Score: 5.5
Pros: Consistent response from controller.  Save yourself $20-$25 by not buying MotionPlus!
Cons: Timing of swing to place shots is more critical without MotionPlus, not to mention much more difficult.  The inability to direct volleys as desired is significantly more difficult without MotionPlus.


Playability Offline:  Grand Slam Tennis offers one of the more shallow offline career modes that I've experienced in a game.  As the title suggests, this game is all about performing in the Grand Slams.  Nowhere to be found are the Masters events or smaller venues.  Everything surrounds the 4 major tournaments which you must play through and win in order to max out your custom-player with five stars and three attributes.  Gaining experience through Grand Slam mode enables you to add three of 23 skillsets available, thus customizing your player to your preferred style of play.

 EA Sports attempts to lengthen each season by providing exhibition matches outside of the Center Courts, though for me, didn't feel like enough of an effort to make each pseudo-season feel very engaging.  Some of the exhibition contests are reasonably fun, while others (like Champs) can be frustrating.  Should you win all three skill challenges preceding each tournament, you will have the opportunity to participate in an exhibition match in an attempt to acquire a new skill.

One of the unique offerings in GST is the ability to define and re-define your character by swapping out earned abilities after defeating opposing pro players.  In otherwords, you can change your custom player's top spin forehand, slice backhand, and fast serve skills to something completely different, thus enabling you to fine-tune your player to a style that suits you best.  In GST, you aren't locked in to any existing design as you would be with other tennis games.

Prior to entering Grand Slam Mode, you are required to design your own unique player.  Unfortunately, create-a-player mode is too simplistic. I found that there weren't enough customization options to create a decent cartoon version of myself or former tennis heroes of mine.  Head shape, eye color (which is almost not even noticeable once applied), skin tone, facial hair and hair styles are the five primary areas used to customize your player.  You can't choose a serve style, nor can you select a single-handed backhand or two-handed backhand to begin your pro-career.  Equipment manufacturers are well represented with most of the major contributors being present.  Racquet models and clothing styles are mostly generic, and don't reflect anything currently used on the pro-tour

Get Fit is a nice option for individuals who like to count their Wii gaming as exercise time, or at least want to believe there is some benefit in doing so.  After each match, you can view the calories burned, though you must use the aforementioned custom-created player in order to monitor your progress over the course of a given time period.  Your level of activity cannot be measured in Get Fit if you use a pro in an exhibition match.

The Party Games are fun, especially with friends or family, and offer just enough variety to extend the replayability of this game.

The CPU A.I. in Grand Slam Tennis is about what I expected it to be.  Opponent's respond in predictable patterns which is commonplace to simplified tennis games.  At the time of my writing this review, I can't recall ever being surprised by A.I. shot making.

All in all, offline play in GST is just "okay."  I wasn't blown away with the offline modes, particularly with Grand Slam where the seasons were too short and seemingly too repetitive.  Unlike Top Spin and Virtua Tennis, Grand Slam Tennis' campaign was very short , and a custom player could be maxed out from start to finish in under a couple of hours.

Score: 5.0
Pros: Creative exhibition matches prior to each tournament offer the potential to strengthen your character before the big event.  Party games can be fun in family/friend gatherings
Cons: Grand Slam mode is ridiculously shallow.  Offline career mode has about two play throughs (approx. 4 hours) worth of fun.


Online Playability:  One of the strongest points of GST is the ability to connect to the Nintendo Wii Wi-Fi Network and engage in online competition both quickly and easily.  

Prior to any online competition taking place, you must first register with EA Sportsworld by creating a new login ID and password.  If you have a pre-existing account (e.g. through other Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii EA Sports games), you can apply your information towards GST.  From there, you can create a new identity just for Grand Slam Tennis.

 I've played several online matches and did not experience any sort of lag, though feedback from others tells me that it does exist from time to time.  The pre-canned comments you can send to your previous opponents are reasonably generous, and you can string words together to actually create short sentences.  Adding a "friend" to your GST friends list is a huge plus too, and is easy to accomplish.

Unfortunately, that's where my praises of online gameplay end.  Using MotionPlus, you will undoubtedly experience non-responsiveness from your controller (i.e. you swing, but your character won't), calibration issues (most noticeable just prior to receiving a serve), and glitches (where your opponent will hit a shot out,  but it will be called "good").  It's unfortunate, but the outcomes of matches can literally be decided by MotionPlus glitches.  Sure, you can forego MotionPlus and just use the Wii-Mote, but while you will gain better consistency with your swings registering, you will be sacrificing precision when trying to place your shots, or, getting the desired outcome from your selected shots.  There are significant trade-offs for whatever you decide to do; use MotionPlus or no MotionPlus.

Because of the glitches when using MotionPlus (which this game is specifically designed to take advantage of), I can't really endorse the game for online play.  Quite simply, the game is "broken."  That being said, for the casual gamer, or the gamer who really enjoyed the original Wii Tennis - - Grand Slam Tennis is a huge upgrade.  If you have friends who play this game and you can compete with them online, this game will still be tremendous amounts of fun online.  However, if you are a tennis-fan or a hardcore gamer who takes online gaming seriously - - the bad experiences will far outweigh the good ones, thus making Grand Slam Tennis more frustrating than it's worth.

Score: 4.5
Pros: Simplistic log-in and set-up.  Messaging and buddy lists are easy to utilize.   World Challenge option is a pretty cool and innovative idea.
Cons: Inconsistencies with MotionPlus essentially ruin online gaming.  Glitches present where shots hit wide counted as being in-bounds.
 
 
Overall Conclusion:  Grand Slam Tennis has some shining aspects to it, including the roster of both current pros and legends from the past, as well as the improved online interface.  However, the control scheme is too inconsistent for GST to be enjoyable from beginning to end, both online and offline.  Essentially, the control flaws make this a "broken game."  

The offline campaign mode is very short, and can easily be played through with a serve and volley approach to beating the in-game players.  The party games are fun and the fitness option is a plus, but those add-up to mere afterthoughts when looking at the overall experience that GST provides.

Despite my negative focus on Grand Slam Tennis, I can leave you with this:  If you were a fan of the original Wii Tennis, or are a casual gamer, you will likely enjoy Grand Slam Tennis.  If you are a die-hard fan of tennis, a fan of the Top Spin or Virtua Tennis series of games, or a  hard core gamer in general -- this game is likely not for you, and would only be worth picking up as a rental, or perhaps at a discounted (e.g. pre-owned) price.  

I had high hopes for Grand Slam Tennis, but my expectations weren't unreasonable.  Had this game actually have functional controls, I would rate Grand Slam Tennis a 7 or 7.5 - right up there with the big boys of tennis games.  Let's hope that EA Sports pays close attention to consumer (and critic) response regarding GST, and takes the proper course of action for improvement.  I hope that a GST 2 is in the works, and that the controls will be thoroughly repaired.  As for Grand Slam Tennis as it stands now, it's a solid foundation for what COULD BE an exciting future for the franchise.  

Overall Score: 5.5

Pros:
- Offers an exciting and innovative way to play video tennis.  
- Great selection of pros from the past and present.  
- Ease of logging in for online play.  
- Inviting graphics and a control scheme that had good intentions behind it.

Cons:
- Control scheme and responsiveness of MotionPlus detract from what otherwise could have been a solid tennis title.  
- Super short and shallow career mode diminishes replay value.  
- Create-a-player mode is light on options, cannot create a reasonable likeness of self or former pro players.  
- Questionable inclusion of some pros in the game (i.e. Nishikori).  
- Where is Yannick Noah, Mats Wilander, Ivan Lendl, Jim Courier.,  Michael Chang,  Patrick Rafter,  Jimmy Connors, and Andre Agassi?  EA flaunts their money quite often when it comes to license acquisitions, so there shouldn't have been a problem getting a few more of these legends.

Final Word:  Had it not been for the broken control scheme, this game would have easily scored a 7.0.  With an improved campaign mode too, I'd consider giving it an 8.0.



N - Improvement Suggestions for EA Sports
- August 9



O - Wrap Up (Conclusion)
- August 9



P - Game Glitches
- August 9



Q - Web Links
Q1 - Tennis-Related Web Links
Q2 - Gaming Related Web Links   

Below you will find links to Websites of establishments, products, gaming leagues or news sources that I personally endorse - all of which pertain to either the sport of tennis, or videogames in general.   Please do not email me requesting that your site or gaming league be posted here.  I've only endorsed products/services/Websites that I personally have had experience with, and that have consistently provided quality material either through their products, services, or general content through their respective Websites.

Q1 - Tennis-Related Web Links

ATP Tennis: The official site for men's tennis.  Features profiles, schedules, results, etc.

Tennis Warehouse: One of the best places to buy the latest and greatest in tennis attire and equipment.  I buy my tennis clothing from here.  Consumer reviews can be helpful if you are ever indecisive on purchasing anything from racquets and strings to tennis shoes, etc.  Reasonable shipping rates are a plus too!

Mid-West Sports Supply:  It's ironic that I purchased my first Donnay Pro-One back in 1990 through Mid-West when I lived on the East Coast, and now I live within reasonable driving distance from them. Excellent service for mail orders, though I choose to buy my equipment and supplies directly from their store to save on shipping.

Fran Johnson's Nevada Bobs: Back when I lived in the East Coast, this was the place I visited several times a month in hopes of scoring the latest and greatest Agassi/Nike Challenge Court items.  A professional and helpful staff made this place a great place to shop and/or ask questions.  They also have a great selection for golf equipment as well.  I miss shopping here.

Tennis Legend On DVD: Are you a fan of Andre Agassi?  Do you wish you could see (or see again) some of his classic matches dating back to early in his career?  If so, this is the Website to visit.  Probably featuring one of the largest 1st generation Agassi libraries in the world, Tennis Legend offers classic Agassi matches at very reasonable prices, and typically of better quality than most of what you'd find elsewhere with VHS to DVD transfers.  Available matches go as far back as 1988, and are as current as Andre's latest televised exhibition matches.  Agassi-related clothing, equipment and artwork can also be found here from time to time.  Due to the 2007-2008 USTA crackdown on non-authorized recordings of U.S. Open events, Tennis Legend on DVD proactively removed its U.S. Open listing of Agassi matches.

Sports Tutor:  The Tennis Tutor is my ball machine of choice due to its portability, ease of use, and performance.  I received exceptional customer service when debating on which model to buy, as well as during the purchase process.  After owning one since 2003, I have no regrets. 


Q2 - Gaming-Related Web Links

1Up:   Run by Ziff Davis, publisher of a multitude of gaming and PC magazines.  EGM (the best console gaming magazine in my opinion) used to be a part of 1Up.com before it ended circulation last year (2008) due to the poor economy.

EA Sports:  The publisher of Grand Slam Tennis

EB Games/Gamestop: One of the better gaming retail outlets.  Often publishes updated release schedules and announcements for pre-orders.

Gamespot: Another one of the better gaming websites, and features HD video content. 

IGN: A very good source for gaming news, previews, and reviews.  Their coverage of gaming news tends to be more comprehensive than most others.  This has quickly become my favorite site for gaming news, previews, and reviews.

SecretIdentityPodcast.com:  There are undoubtedly hundreds of podcasts discussing the world of comics, movies, TV, and games - - but none can compare to the wealth of information that Secret Identity provides on a weekly basis.  Join Matman and Brian twice a week as they discuss and share their opinions on the latest comic releases, movie and TV news, RPGs, and videogames.  They have an impressive network of contacts in the industry, which translates to timely and accurate information. Additionally, they have an excellent community found on their message boards.  Do you have a love for the aforementioned subjects but are tired of all the flaming and immature behavior found on other boards?  If so, then look no further than Secret Identity!  Their podcast can be downloaded directly from their Website, or through I-Tunes. 

TheXBFL:  One of the longest running (if not the longest) online sim-football leagues on Xbox Live!  The XBFL serves as the "home" for the Top Spin FAQ & Strategy Guides.  Formerly a strong supporter of the 2K Football franchise, the XBFL now runs Madden leagues exclusively. The league's focus is primarily on quality sim-gaming, sportsmanlike competition, and a community-based environment made up of passionate football fans. 

Xbox Live!: Check out game-specific forums and learn what other people are saying about your favorite (or not-so-favorite) games.  You will need to log-in with a .Net username and password to gain access to the forum area.

XMG 360: Formerly XMG (Xbox Mature Gamers). I was introduced to this exclusive group of gamers back in 2003 during my initial writing of The Original Top Spin FAQ & Strategy Guide (TS1).  XMG features an excellent community of informed gamers who share tips, reviews, and general gaming news (amongst other things).   They also set up weekly events and tournaments spanning all gaming genres.  XMG 360 is the ideal place to join for those who are tired of all the nonsense and immaturity found on Xbox Live. 



R - The Author & Acknowledgements

"Mr Fett" (Xbox Live gamertag)

GST Online Records:
Andy Roddick:
Patrick Rafter:
Andre Agassi:

Win/Loss Total:
Win Percentage:


S - Gamerlog

June 17, 2009:  Played a few more matches online, and suffered my second loss due to bogus online glitches.  At break point, I was engaged in a very long rally with a guy using Federer.  He hit a backhand that landed well into the doubles alley and I fully expected the delayed "OUT" call, but it never came, I had already put my controller down for a brief second thinking I won the game.....well, actually KNOWING I won the game.  But the point continued and though I was quick enough to recover for the next shot, he eventually won the point.  I was pretty ticked off about that incident.  He eventually won that game, and a few points later when it was 3-3, the very same thing happened.  He hit a shot completely wide of the singles sideline and it was never called out.  A few points later the ball landed in, and it was called out.  ?!?!?  This happened several more times including in our tie-breaker when he won 7-5, and again, one of his shots landed out but was never called.  ?!?   To add insult to injury, a few online matches later, my online record became corrupted some how.  A few losses were applied that never existed.  One minute it was correct, then after a match, it wasn't.  ?!?!?  What's going on here?

I played another online match that was again, completely bogus.  On game point, my opponent hit a shot right to my forehand.  I swing my Wii-Mote only to see my player hold his racquet up in the air as if he was going to swing, but he never did.  He just stood there.  ?!?!?  Is this a MotionPlus issue or an issue with the software?  I've seen similar instances happen with other people so I am beginning to wonder.  Regardless, I am returning my MotionPlus sensor either tomorrow or Friday.  So far, I am seeing absolutely no benefit or increased control using this add-on.  Maybe mine's defective?  I have no idea.

Because of issues such as what I've just described, I really am getting to the point to where I can't endorse this game.  As excited as I was in the beginning, I am seeing more and more evidence of control issues essentially "breaking" Grand Slam Tennis.  I just got an email from Gamespot a short while ago announcing their review of GST.  I can't wait to read it.  If they put in a fraction of the time I've invested already, I am sure it will highlight many of the issues I've experienced and described here.  Already, I am thinking that IGN's scores are inflated, and not enough online playtesting was done before their final scoring.  I believe that their score of 8.5 is too high.  My review of GST will be posted around the middle of next week.

June 11, 2009:  Played a handful of games tonight, and in my first match alone, I recognized that my MotionPlus was not responding as it had the other night.  Too many times had I initiated a swing only for my player to just stand there and let the ball pass him by.  Furthermore, a dozen or more serves ended up being weak floaters despite my form being perfect enough to initiate what should have been a hard first serve.  This "glitch" caused me to lose for the first time.  The guy was undoubtedly good, but he was given three consecutive winners due to the crappy second serve my player was giving him. The third point broke my service game.  I have no doubt that had my serves been hard shots (as they should have been based on my movements), I would have likely won.  So far after three days, I am not very impressed with Wii MotionPlus.  A friend of mine tried compared GST with the MotionPlus and without, and came to the conclusion that for simple gameplay, the difference is negligible.  Perhaps my MotionPlus add-on is defective?? The delivery and execution using MotionPlus is not consistent enough for me to get excited about based on my experiences thus far.  Maybe with a slower-paced game like Tiger Woods 2009, it would be as good as it's hyped up to be.  Right now, for me it's like playing the game, swinging the Wii-Mote, and HOPING that the shot will register correctly with MotionPlus.  When technology limitations can affect the outcome of a game - - that's simply not good, and can easily ruin a gaming experience.  

Last night, I also experienced my first bout of unsporting behavior......in four out of my first five matches!  The first guy I played went by the name of Nike23.  I broke him on his first service game with relative ease, and on his second opportunity, he began underhand serving.  Out of instinct (from my experience with Top Spins 1-3 and Virtua Tennis), I immediately dropped shot his underhand serve.  He was not prepared for that sort of response, and I was winning points fairly easily with that tactic.  That being said, he got lucky on his third try which gave him some sort of false confidence to continue hitting all of his serves underhand.  ?

My next match was against a gamer who went by the name Ttojr21.  Wow - what can I say other than he lobbed every shot back to me.  I'd serve, he'd return it with a lob.  I'd hit a ground stroke, and he'd return it with a lob.  I had to take manual control of my player to position him in no-man's land so that I could hit overhead smashes or high volleys.  Despite his losing lots of points with the lob tactic, he stayed with it throughout the entire match.  I mean seriously, if you are going to play like that, why even bother?  Why even buy the game?

I played another guy who after he was broken in his first service attempt, began lobbing all the time too.  He went by the 'tag of Huddman.  Seriously guys - - why do you even bother playing tennis?  It would be like me buying Forza 3 only to race backwards on the track, ruining the experience of everyone else.  

The last match I played was against a guy who started resorting to unsportsmanlike gameplay (underhand serves, and some unnecessary lobs) -  but he was beaten down fairly easily, and I don't recall his name.  He was from another country - - so I was able to contribute some points to Team America.  Go USA!

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