Centre Court: Hard Hitter - PS2

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Viewed: 3D Third-person, over the shoulder Genre:
Sport: Tennis
Media: CD Arcade origin:No
Developer: Magical Soft. Co.: Midas
Publishers: Midas (GB/GB)
Released: 15 Mar 2002 (GB)
14 Mar 2003 (GB)
Ratings: 3+
Accessories: Memory Card, Analogue Control Compatible: all buttons
Features: Vibration Function Compatible

Summary

Midas’ Centre Court: Hard Hitter is the first tennis game to emerge on PlayStation 2, and we can say only this. Why have we had to wait so long? We’ll have to wait a little bit longer for the likes of Actua Tennis or Virtua Tennis on the platform, so Hard Hitter will no doubt go down well with PS2-owning tennis fans, starved until now, of their fave rave.

Lacking an official license of any kind, the world of Hard Hitter is very much a fictional one. Players can take control of any of eight female and male characters, all of whom have their own strengths and weaknesses, of course.

Hard Hitter contains the usual range of playing surfaces – Hard court, Grass, Clay and Indoor. There are also a wide range of moves to perform to help you in your quest for victory, including lobs, smashes, slices and volleys, helping to make Hard Hitter at least a technically accurate game.

Hard Hitter is also extremely customisable. Players are free to create their own professional players, who can grow and become more talented with practice. This is done through a system where characters gain experience and improve their skills by competing in a series of tournaments. There are skill levels to suit any characters, so you needn’t worry about being stuck with a ‘beginner’ tag next to your name.

Players can enjoy a frantic multi-player experience though the use of a multi-tap in a fantastic four-player mode of doubles or singles tennis.

With a simple control system, training modes, and some tough computer opponents, Hard Hitter is indeed a game that’s easy to learn, but difficult to master.