C&VG


Passing Shot
By Image Works
Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #95

Passing Shot

Woah! Don't put your Fred Perry shorts and Boris Becker wig away yet! Wimbledon might be over, but the tennis goes on, this particular ball being in Image Works' court.

Teque (Blasteroids and Thunderbirds) have programmed the conversions of this Sega coin-op which lets you play in a world grandslam tournament against teams of computer players, with or without a human doubles partner.

After selecting one of four computer skill levels, it's straight down to the court, where you get a 3D Dan Maskell view of the action. Press the fire button to launch the ball into the air, then push up on the stick to hit it across the court.

Passing Shot

After you've served, the screen switches to an overhead view, which scrolls to follow the ball. Just like the real thing, the point of the game is to hit the ball back at your opponent. To make it even more realistic, your racquet-play extends to a host of different shots - lobs, drop-shots, volleys, forehand and backhand smashes and the eponymous passing shot - all selecting by holding the stick in a certain direction as the ball is hit.

The standard rules of tennis apply, and there's even an umpire presiding, who lets you know why your opponent's trouncing you. Funny this is, though, some of his decisions seem to be the sort of rulings that even Bjorn "Ice Cool" Borg could get justifiably miffed with - like calling aces after the ball's only bounced once!

That, I could just about live with, but far more annoying is this: The screen doesn't show enough of the court at any one time, so by the time it's scrolled far enough for you to find your player it's often too late, and you're too far away to reach the ball.

Passing Shot

This is a shame, because aesthetically, Passing Shot is quite competent - detailed and well-animated sprites and passable music. Unfortunately, the gameplay is so annoying that before long the disk is sure to go the way of a McEnroe racquet!

Amstrad

Not as good looking as the ST version of course, but suffers similar problems. Added slowness gives the impression of playing an action replay.

Atari ST

For all its super-realistic options, a ropey court display and the dubious umpire make Passing Shot a bit of a disappointment.