Side by Side is a video series on local multiplayer games. This is episode 1 of 15.
This week Joel and Gregg take a look at TENNNES by Jan Willem Nijman. Watch the video here or direct on YouTube.
- We played the alpha build that was released for Sportsfriends Kickstarter backers
- We did not figure out some of the game’s cheatin’ tricks
- We did not try out the night and storm modes
- An AI opponent is available for practice
The series theme is the delightful “Adventures in your sleep” by The Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra.
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I played TENNNES against the computer and… didn’t really find myself engaged.
Perhaps I could encourage AJ to join me in a Virtua Tennis 2009 vs. TENNNES face-off?
Yeah, this game is really designed for two human players, so you can’t grok the fun of it, the bluffing and desperation, against the AI. I’m sure you suspected as such. Rallies feel *insanely* good.
Though I hadn’t thought about it at the time, my comment likening TENNNES to Wii Sports is because Sportsfriends is pretty much a unique indie version of it, and of course TENNNES is part of Sportsfriends — albeit as more of a bonus or extra. The thing is, just like Wii Sports, it isn’t something you’d really play on your own because a huge part of the experience comes from the drama that emerges in front of the screen with other players. Same goes for Nidhogg and a lot of the other games we’ll be covering in this series!
And yes, rallies do feel insanely good. I could have played TENNNES for a lot longer!
You guys are such adorable nerds.
Armand, I think you only lurk around here so you can call us nerds =)
I would liked to contradict my erstwhile colleague and highlight that TENNNES was only a Sportsfriends backer reward and is not part of the Sportsfriends package. It is now available standalone for $20 from itch.io.
Ahh, silly me. Slip of the tongue. Joel’s right: it was a backer reward and not part of the package. It totally should have been though.
Shaun, from the TENNNES itch.io page:
“Disclaimer:
You’re really going to need 2 gamepads to play TENNNES. The game can be played by/against AI, but that’s absolutely not the intended experience.”
Grab AJ and 20 bucks!
I do love the itch.io site.
Absolutely delightful! Those are two adorable nerds who’d be welcome playing TENNES in my home any time. Just give me some advance warning so I can tidy up a bit.
Well done, HM! A clearly complex experience distilled into a few minutes; that’s no easy task in video work. Love the theme music, too.