Motion Tennis is a unique blending of your iPhone and AppleTV
Motion Tennis (free for a limited time) is a clever interactive tennis app that has some attributes of the Nintendo Wii for playing motion-based games. You'll need to have a 2nd or 3rd generation Apple TV and the Motion Tennis app running on your iPhone (4S or later) in AirPlay Mirroring mode. You can play at several levels against the computer opponent, or play with a second iPhone opponent.
You start with a wide view of the tennis court, your opposite at the top of the screen, while you are near the bottom in a 3D perspective. By moving your phone you can simulate forehand and backhand shots, and it's easy to slice and lob. The sensors in your iPhone make it all work. Like a tennis pro, you have a choice of grass, clay or synthetic courts.
I was a bit skeptical, but the game works pretty well. There is a little lag on your first serve, but after that the game stays in sync with your motions. I tested the app by doing nothing when a ball came my way, and it zipped right by me giving my opponent the win.
A couple of things to think about if you try this: First, if you let go of your iPhone during exuberant play you just might fling it through your expensive flat screen TV, so get a good grip or work out some kind of lanyard that is robust. Also, I didn't feel like I had really precise control of where my ball was going, but it certainly went in the general way I aimed it. (Now that I think about it, I have the same issues in real tennis.)
Motion Tennis is a great demo of what creative developers can do to bring two pieces of Apple hardware together. The graphics are pretty slick, but not going to rival a Playstation or high-end game console. This is a great game to try while it is free, and even the regular US$7.99 price isn't too high for the work that went into this app.
The app is optimized for the iPhone 5 and requires iOS 6 or greater. Just don't let go of your iPhone! That could be an expensive serve.
