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PLAYER AND COURT FAQ
FOR THE PLAYSTATION 2 CONSOLE
WRITTEN BY TIMMYVERMICELLI (JOHN STUBBS)
VERSION FINAL
-----------------------
| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
-----------------------
Section 1: Introduction
Section 2: Version History
Section 3: Players
I. Jan Laval
II. Diego Berizzo
III. Tina Arquette
IV. Serge Bulgakov
V. Johannes Schumann
VI. Akira Kitano
VII. Brian Jones
VIII. Benny Buckley
Section 4: Courts
I. Hard
II. Clay
III. Lawn
IV. Indoor
Section 5: Closing / Contact Info
Section 6: Copyright / Disclaimer
Section 7: Credits
------------------
| INTRODUCTION |
------------------
Welcome to my FAQ on the Players and Courts in Hard Hitter Tennis. My name is
John, and my username on GameFAQ's and GameSpot is TimmyVermicelli. This is
my first attempt at a guide so I advise you, don't be expecting wonders. It
aims to help you find the best player to suit your game and your favourite
court. With this knowledge on your back, you will wallop computer AI and your
friends too, so read on.
Quick Note: This guide is based on the UK version of Hard Hitter Tennis called
Centre Court: Hard Hitter but the differences, if any, will be very slight.
----------------------
| VERSION HISTORY |
----------------------
Version 1.00 - FAQ finished. All main sections included.
Version 1.50 - Full Graphical overhaul. ASCII Header added to replace written
header. Grammatical and spelling mistakes rectified. Templates changed.
Disclaimer and Copyright notices updated. Contents changed.
Version 1.51 - Changes to Copyright Notice.
Version Final - Last version of guide. Please do not submit any more updates.
Thank you.
-------------
| PLAYERS |
-------------
I. Jan Laval
============
This French player is one of the hardest to control in the game, and is
recommended for experts only. His main characteristic is Hard Hitter; this
means he has an almost unreturnable smash, and very powerful, lengthy strokes.
However, his shots sometimes lack direction and accuracy, meaning he is
very inconsistent in performance. He is a good volley player, but again lacks
direction and accuracy. If you master his unpredictability, he can be a
rewarding - if random - player.
Difficulty: Pro
Strokes: Inconsistent, Average
Power: Very Good
Volleys: Decent
Direction: Poor
Speed on Court: Good
II. Diego Berizzo
=================
Diego Berizzo is classed as an all-rounder, but is more skilful is some areas
than others. He has an average serve, good power and he is a skilled volley
artist. However, he is quite slow on the court and is often left trailing in
rallies. His only big weakness is height. Diego drives the ball into net quite
frequently, mainly on rising balls and backhand strokes. As a rule, try to get
him into volleying position quickly. He is good for beginners and more
advanced players.
Difficulty: Beginner
Strokes: Average
Power: Good
Volleys: Good
Direction: Average
Speed on Court: Poor
III. Tina Arquette
==================
Tina is the only female in the game. She is classed as a stroker and that is
where her strengths lie. Her backhand stroke is like the devil to return
and she uses a lot of spin shots, making her a difficult opponent and a very
technical player. She does have a couple of disadvantages though. She isn't
very strong, and has little power. This means you will need to use spin more
than often. She also has a very inconsistent, slow, serve. She is best suited
to more advanced players.
Difficulty: Amateur / Pro
Strokes: Very Good
Power: Very Poor
Volleys: Average
Direction: Good
Speed on Court: Average
IV. Serge Bulgakov
==================
The Russian, Serge, is another Hard Hitter in the same mould as Jan Laval.
However, in contrast, Serge has incredibly accurate strokes and is very good
at directioning his shots. He is also very good at returning rising balls,
and rarely hits the net. However, he has an inconsistent serve and is very
weak and volleying and close - net play. He is also quite slow. Serge is good
as a first pick to introduce you to the game.
Difficulty: Beginner / Amateur
Strokes: Very Good
Power: Very Good
Volleys: Very Poor
Direction: Good
Speed on Court: Poor
V. Johannes Schumann
====================
Johannes is classed as a net player, but he is generally good at everything.
His main stand-out point is his incredible volley skills. If you can get him
to the net, your opponent won't stand a chance. He also has a pretty decent
flat stroke, making him the best choice for Doubles games. He has a handy,
powerful serve too. The only two downers are his slow speed on the court and
his power, but Johannes is still a great beginner's character and one of the
best on the circuit.
Difficulty: Beginner
Strokes: Good
Power: Poor
Volleys: Very Good
Direction: Average
Speed on Court: Poor
VI. Akira Kitano
================
Akira, a Japanese stroker, has a variety of strengths and weaknesses. He is
very fast on the court, and using this and his great strokes he can be a very
difficult opponent to overcome. He also has a good volley skill and a
formidable smash. His serve is quick and flat and he is consistent. His
downside is the fact he doesn't have a lot of power, he hits the net regularly
and his directional skills could be better. Overall, he is a decent choice
but is best suited for more skilled players.
Difficulty: Amateur
Strokes: Very Good
Power: Poor
Volleys: Good
Direction: Poor
Speed on Court: Good
VII. Brian Jones
================
Brian is firmly a net player. He has decisively good volleys, and every one is
deadly powerful, accurate and devilishly hard to return. He is also very good
at spin on the ball too. He does have a lot of disadvantages, however. His
regular stroke speed is slow and easily returned, he is very slow on the court
and he is best suited to veteran players.
Difficulty: Pro
Strokes: Poor
Power: Average
Volleys: Very Good
Direction: Average
Speed on Court: Very Poor
VIII. Benny Buckley
===================
This African all-rounder is a good beginner's player. His strong point is his
slicing and spin shots. He executes drop and lob shots with ease and accuracy.
He also has a good amount of power. His serve is fast and low, which is hard
to return, and his stroke and volley are both decent. However, he is quite slow
on the court and he sometimes has difficulty with direction. It is also easy
to hit the net with his powerful, flat strokes.
Difficulty: Beginner / Amateur
Strokes: Good
Power: Average
Volleys: Good
Direction: Poor
Speed on Court: Average / Poor
------------
| COURTS |
------------
I. Hard
=======
Hard courts have one characteristic - balls bounce a lot higher than normal.
This is great in a combination with Hard Hitter's, as powerfully striking the
ball with enough pace means the opponent will have a real laugh trying to
return it. My personal favourite on this court is Serge Bulgakov.
II. Clay
========
Clay's courts' main characteristic is the balls are slower than normal. This
has an adverse effect on serves, smashes and spin shots as they slow as soon
as they reach the surface. The other feature is the ball bounces a little lower
than normal. The effect is almost unnoticeable however. My favourite on this
court is Akira Kitano and the strokers will have the best time here.
All-Rounders are decent here too.
III. Lawn
=========
Lawn has two big characteristics - the ball bounces lower than normal and
travels fast. This is a haven for Net Players and Hard Hitters, as the ball
is very difficult to return when it is struck low and hard. Rising shots are
also very commonplace on this circuit - making it a no-go for some players who
have low rising ball skill. Lawn is best for players of little experience and
is a great venue for Versus matches.
IV. Indoor
==========
Indoor looks a lot like a hard surface, but it is actually a carpeted surface.
The carpet sinks the ball in it, reducing it's bounce slightly. The main
characteristic of this surface is, however, the ball speed. It travels very
fast and slides along the surface. Good spin players are the best bet for this
surface, and strokers like Tina and Akira wouldn't be a bad choice either.
This is the worst surface for fair Versus matches, and it is very hard to
complete Season mode on this surface too.
---------------------------
| CLOSING / CONTACT INFO |
---------------------------
I hope you have enjoyed reading my first FAQ. Please remember, this FAQ is
meant to be brief and to the point. I hope it's helped you.
If you have any questions, contributions, or queries that you would like
answered please e-mail me, at:
stubbs306 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Please also make sure you have put "Hard Hitter Tennis" as the subject. Any
e-mails from people I don't know without this subject will be deleted.
Thanks for reading.
----------------------------
| COPYRIGHT / DISCLAIMER |
----------------------------
This document is Copyright (c) John Stubbs 2005. All copyrights and trademarks
contained in this document are copyrights and trademarks of their
respective owners. You must not use this guide without my permission. This
includes, but is not limited to, hosting my FAQ, making links to it or
claiming it as your own without my written consent.
All websites below have permission to do the above:
GameFAQ's (www.gamefaqs.com)
IGN (www.ign.com)
SuperCheats (www.supercheats.com)
My Homepage (www.freewebs.com/timmyvermicelli)
-------------
| CREDITS |
-------------
Thanks to all the following people and sites:
dtroi50 - For the useful copyright notice and Contact Info templates.
http://www.network-science.de/ascii/ - For the ASCII header.
-END OF DOCUMENT-
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