Thank you Gamemill Entertainment for sending us a review code!

I've only played Pickleball a handful of times and had fun doing so. For those who have not played Pickleball, it's a mashup of ping pong and tennis. With cooler temperatures outside, Pickleball Smash can bring the excitement indoors with some stylish moves and less sweat. There's not much of a story in this game so let's dive into it!

Upon launching Pickleball Smash you only have Doubles Match and Singles Match available. After playing either of those options, you’ll unlock the Tournament and Minigames options. Before diving into any of the four options, be sure to take a few minutes to customize your character. As you play the Tournament Mode, you’ll unlock more accessories to further customize your character.

Like many titles these days, Pickleball Smash is gender neutral and you have to select your “body type”. You can customize your skin, hair, paddle, ball, and clothes colors. There are many hairstyles to choose from and you can accessorize your eyewear and paddle designs too.

When you play a singles (two player) or doubles (four player) match you get to decide the number of points it takes to win. The choices are 5, 11 (default), 15, and 21. You have to have a two-point lead to be declared a winner. If you’re playing solo or have vacancies for the doubles matches, AI can step in. There are different difficulties available to keep you on your toes. I have noticed that AI will often miss charged shots, but then again, I do too!

There are six different courts to play on and they all have matching tournaments to partake in. The color schemes vary on them and there’s a good amount of variety here. The tournaments last around forty minutes with the default eleven points final score. The final round has a boss level character that is more challenging than their predecessors.

Before your first match you’ll get a run down of the rules of Pickleball. Only the serving team/player can score a point. During a serve, the ball must go into the diagonal court. The ball must be allowed to bounce one time before being hit. The area in front of the net is referred to as “The Kitchen”, and must also wait for the ball to bounce before hitting it back over the net.

The controls are pretty straightforward and you can use the left joystick to move and aim your shots. The X button will hit the ball normally while the O button will add some curve to it. The triangle button will do a drive shot and the square button will perform a Dink maneuver. Aside from the Dink, you can use any of the moves during your serve. As you hit the ball back and forth you’ll charge your special move meter and can use the right trigger or bumper to activate it once the meter is fully charged. The L2 button will make your character dash and the L1 will plant them.

As you serve the ball, you can charge your shot. I didn’t notice any difference between having the meter in the ideal zone or not. The AI sometimes struggled to get the ball over the net, but I never had an issue with that. I like how a yellow circle will indicate where the ball should land on your court. However, if your opponent is using a curve or special shot, that yellow circle will not be accurate.

The asking price of $39.99 is a bit steep. I have seen it on sale for $19.99 and that’s a good deal. If you have family and/or friends that enjoy pickleball, Pickleball Smash is worth checking out. There’s plenty to do if you’re playing solo, but like many games, it’s more fun with friend and family to play along with you!