Stickman Tennis Review

Simple yet fun, Stickman Tennis is a rather fun arcade-style tennis game. One that's frequently tempting to dive into for a set or two when there's five minutes spare.

Keeping things simple, while the scenery might look appropriate for the sport, the players are basic looking stickmen. It's a charming way of doing things, though, and while playing the game, no one is going to be focusing on the looks. Offering a multitude of different options, it's possible to tailor Stickman Tennis towards exactly the kind of game that one could want.

Want the full experience? Switch Manual Running on but prepare to suffer for it. There's a choice of Automatic Running, allowing players to concentrate on hitting the ball and aiming their strokes in a desired direction, but masochists can switch to the Manual variety. I wouldn't recommend it as I found it quite frustrating having to juggle both running and hitting on the small iPhone screen, but it is available. Further options affect the length of each match, as well as the difficulty level.

Three different types of shots can be initiated through virtual buttons on the right hand side of the screen, linked to a lob, slice and topspin move. Power is affected by how long one holds their finger to the screen, with timing important to pull a good shot off. Feedback via a piece of text letting one know if the shot was too early or too late works well in teaching players how to be better.

While there are plenty of tournaments to partake in (64 in all), it's a similar experience throughout, albeit with different scenery. However, that ensures there's plenty of longevity to Stickman Tennis. What doesn't work so well is the slightly iffy collision detection. In particular, when near the net, it's possible to hit the ball before it gets to the player, proving a little too generous at times. Lack of Game Center achievements is also a disappointment.

Despite such issues, Stickman Tennis is still a fine game. It's not revolutionary by any means, but there's fun to be had, nonetheless.