Family Table Tennis Review for the Nintendo Wii

System: WiiWare	Review Rating Legend
Dev: ARS System Works	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Aksys Games	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: May 27, 2008	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

The biggest selling point of Family Table Tennis is certainly its price: you can download this game for just 500 Wii Points ($5.00). It's one of the cheapest WiiWare games currently available, and at the same time, it's just as fun as some other, more expensive downloadable titles. If you're expecting a deep, intricate game, then Family Table Tennis will definitely be disappointing. But if you're just looking for a fun, easy-to-play multiplayer game, then it's hard to go wrong with this title.

Family Table Tennis screenshot

The presentation of the game is also fairly impressive for so cheap a title. The cel-shaded graphics are simple but well-done and are generally nice to look at. They've got more aesthetic appeal than Miis, at least -- I don't know about anybody else, but I'm getting kind of tired of my appendage-less representation. The music is less impressive but it's not that big of a problem, as it really just serves as background noise while you play the game.

All told, Family Table Tennis is probably the biggest surprise I've encountered with WiiWare thus far. It's by no means a great game, but it really exemplifies the pick-up-and-play attitude that seems so prevalent with the Wii.

That said, it's still fun for the more hardcore gamers out there, and it's a great way to get non-gamers into video games. Essentially, Family Table Tennis is a cheap, enjoyable multiplayer game -- if that's what you're looking for, then this is a title you should definitely think about downloading.

By Joseph Catalanotto
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.3

Graphics
Simple, cel-shaded visuals don't do much with the Wii's graphical capabilities but still look quite nice.

4.2

Control
Intuitive movements with the Wii Remote make it fun and easy to pick up and play this game

2.5

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Very basic sound effects and simple background music are very forgettable.

3.4

Play Value
For five bucks, it doesn't get much better than this: good mini-games and a fun multiplayer mode

3.4

Overall Rating - Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Go head-to-head against a family member or friend in a simple yet enjoyable game of table tennis.

A variety of table-tennis-themed mini-games ensure fun even when there's no human opponent for you to challenge

Fun, simple cel-shaded graphics make this title look fun and cheerful.

Great fun for the entire family.