Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.

What the Game's About
Grand Slam Tennis ushers in a new era for the Wii. Making use of the Wii Motion Plus, the game tracks your movements 1:1 as you volley with the biggest names in tennis. Create your tennis player and take to the courts with legends like John McEnroe. With the Wii Motion Plus, get ready for a tennis experience like none other before.

What's Hot
Forums are filled with fanboy tirades that the Wii isn't an HD graphical powerhouse. On paper, the Wii can't output 360 or PS3 level visuals but that doesn't mean games have to look like GameCube titles. Grand Slam Tennis doesn't try to compete on that level but opts for a stylized look at the sport that is something more suitable for the casual crowds and looks good to the hardcore scrutinizers. The pseudo-cartoonish look compliments the Wii exceptionally well and once you start swinging around the Wii-mote, you won't care.

The reason you won't care is when you have the Wii Motion Plus lodged securely in the Wii-mote, you'll be in for a real treat. Since the 1:1 tracking is fact, not fiction, watching the game is motion – you controlling the motion – is something really cool. Slicing or lobbing the ball will directly impact how the ball will bounce and travel over the net. Just make sure you have plenty of room in front of your TV because it is easy to get into the game. This is just the tip of the ice berg when it comes to Motion Plus opportunities but with Grand Slam Tennis, it shows there is plenty of potential in the device and that this is a wonderful gameplay device for the sport of tennis.



What's Not
The technology of integrating the 1:1 tracking isn't perfect. There will be times the Wii-mote will freak out and you'll hit a bad shot at no fault of your own. You can mitigate some of the missed shots by getting familiar with the quirks and intricacies of using the Motion Plus but it won't completely eliminate them. If you have some tennis background, you'll be leaps and bounds beyond someone whose experience is Wii Sports Tennis

Much of the game hinges on the ability to play with the Motion Plus. If you are not using the Motion Plus, some of the brilliance of the gameplay will be lost in the translation of using the stock Wiimote. The immersion factor of being a tennis star should have been boosted, specifically in the music/voice department. Commentary did repeat itself fairly early on in the game. Other than that, Grand Slam Tennis is fairly smooth sailing with a dynamite features list with gameplay to back it up.

Final Word
Grand Slam Tennis will be a rising star in the sports realm once gamers get their hands on this one. The 1:1 tracking is more than a gimmick because it is integral into the way you control your shots. Hiccups aside, there is so much to enjoy about this game. Grand Slam Tennis rejuvenates the entire tennis genre across all platforms.