Family Table Tennis
| Family Table Tennis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Arc System Works |
| Publisher(s) | Aksys Games |
| Platform(s) | Wii (WiiWare), Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo eShop) |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
Family Table Tennis (Okiraku Ping Pong Wii in Japan) is a table tennis video game developed by Arc System Works for the Wii and Nintendo 3DS. It was released as a WiiWare launch title in Japan on March 25, 2008, and on May 26, 2008 in North America at a cost of 500 Wii Points.[1] In the PAL regions, it was released on March 13, 2009 at a cost of 800 Wii Points.
Gameplay
[edit]Family Table Tennis is a simplified table tennis simulation with the player controlling a member of a family, consisting of a mother, father, pre-teen son (Billy) and daughter (Sarah), against another in a game of table tennis. Similar to Wii Sports tennis, the movement of the character on screen is controlled by the computer, with the player swinging the Wii Remote like a paddle to serve and return the ball. The player can choose from four courts to play on, including a beach, a forest area, an amusement park, and a more traditional tournament hall.[2]
Three minigames are also available outside the main game, including a rally mode where points are scored according to the number of returns in the current rally, a target mode where the player must aim the ball at certain points on the table, and a game where you must hit specific types of fruit.
Reception
[edit]IGN was not impressed with the game, giving it a 2.5 out of 10 and citing ugly graphics with "heinous" character designs, a constrained presentation and "boring and shallow" gameplay.[3] It fared slightly better with Nintendo Life, which thought the game's simplicity makes it suitable for younger children, but is otherwise lacking substance for the average gamer.[4]
However, Wired's Chris Kohler thought it offered the best value of the Japanese WiiWare launch titles, calling it a "standout" while also taking into consideration the low price. The only person to verifiably beat the game on its hardest level to date is Brian Lovejoy Phillips.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Two WiiWare Games and Two Virtual Console Games Added to Wii Shop Channel". Nintendo of America. 2008-05-26. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
- ^ a b "WiiWare Impressions: Okiraku Ping-Pong". Archived from the original on 2008-09-20. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
- ^ "Family Table Tennis Review". Archived from the original on 2012-07-29. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
- ^ Family Table Tennis (WiiWare) Review