Family Table Tennis
Encyclopedia
Family Table Tennis is a table tennis
video game developed by Arc System Works
for the Wii
. 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
. In the PAL regions, it was released on March 13, 2009 at a cost of 800 Wii Points.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
video game developed by Arc System Works
Arc System Works
is a video game developer and publisher based in Yokohama, Japan. It was founded by Minoru Kidooka in 1988. Arc System Works is best known for its arcade 2D fighting game, Guilty Gear and its sequels.-BlazBlue series:...
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
. It was released as a WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
launch title
Launch title
A launch game, or launch title, is a video game released to consumers synchronously with the release of its respective video game console, meaning they are the only available games at the time of the console's launch. Several of these games are also packaged with the console...
in Japan on March 25, 2008, and on May 26, 2008 in North America at a cost of 500 Wii Points
Wii Points
Nintendo Points are a currency that Nintendo uses for its Wii and Nintendo DSi systems through the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop respectively...
. In the PAL regions, it was released on March 13, 2009 at a cost of 800 Wii Points.
Gameplay
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 SportsWii Sports
is a sports game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch title for the Wii video game console , and part of the Touch! Generations. The game was first released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and was released in Japan, Australia, and Europe the following month...
tennis, the movement of the character on screen is controlled by the computer, with the player swinging the Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
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.
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
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
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. 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.
However, Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
'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.