Visually, Summer Heat is just okay. On the plus side, player models look really nice and feature a real emphasis on sexy walks, moves and the all important 'bounce'. I especially liked the variety in character designs, even if they are a tad generic. But, as is the case with most of the game, with every plus comes a minus. Though a majority of the game's animations are nice, there was more than one occasion where animations felt a tad stilted and almost robotic -- especially when transitioning from one animation to another. Player models also feature an unnatural, almost plastic-like sheen. Each of the game's courts is really nice looking at first glance, especially the night court. But upon closer inspection, the lack of any sort of detail is rather obvious. Fortunately, most of this oversight is made up by the game's excellent special effects, such as sand being kicked up and some sweet lighting effects.
Musically, Summer Heat features a nice blend of pop and hip-hop that help convey the 'fun' atmosphere of the game. Artists such as Pink, Kylie Minogue and Sum 41 make up a really good soundtrack that provides at least one song for nearly every taste (unless your tastes leans toward speed-metal or Yanni -- then I can't help you). I did notice that the game does tend to get stuck on playing one track more than another at times (unless, my PS2 is slowly showing signs of sentience and becoming a Kylie Minogue fan), which can get annoying if its a song you don't like. Aside from the great music, Summer Heat is a flop. The announcer is terrible, but kept to a minimum and the only other sounds you're likely to hear are random grunts and 'got it' from teammates.
