Are you ready for a digital version of the classic crossminton sport out on PS4? Learn more about it in our eCrossminton review!

 

Crossminton is a cross between badminton, tennis, and squash. The sport was created back in 2001, and it was first known as shuttleball. The name was later changed to speed badminton, before being changed one final time to crossminton in 2016. The sport is played on smaller courts and does not have a net. It’s you and your racquet against your opponent, either played in singles or doubles.

 

Instead of a shuttlecock or a tennis ball, you get a speeder, which is a bit like a shuttlecock but designed differently to give it more speed, hence the name speeder. The rackets are similar to the ones used in squash but feel a bit lighter. This sport, in particular, is regulated by the International Crossminton Organization (ICO), which was founded in 2011, and there are currently 26 national associations. It’s definitely a new sport when compared to other beloved activities like baseball or football, but I do think that since it can be played in a smaller space than tennis and is a fast-paced activity, it might end up being a viable option for the Olympic Games.

 

Upon booting up the game, I suggest that you first get acquainted with this sport and its rules by doing the tutorial. I do have to mention that the tutorial is a good one, and it’s easy to follow. If you are a left-handed player, that is not an issue since the speeder can be placed on the left side so that left-handed players can enjoy the game as much as any right-handed gamer. For the tutorial, you’re looking at around 15 minutes or so to see everything it has to offer. You should then play a test match against the AI or another human player in Quick Play before you dive into Arcade Mode and Tournament More.

 

In total, there are four modes available. You can go into Quick Play, which is pretty self-explanatory. As you start the mode, you get to choose Singles or Doubles and pick the bot skill level depending on the challenge you want to face, and then pick the number of points for each set, as well as the number of sets you will end up playing through. Splitscreen is available if you want to go down that way. Quick Play is great for beginners just to get the hang of things, similar to a practice mode in other games.

Arcade Mode is where much of the fun is before you take on Tournament mode, here you can unlock courts, new players and more, The arcade mode takes you up a ladder of events that increase in difficulty as you win, Arcade mode alternates how many sets need to be won before being able to progress through the game, o some events may be shorter or longer than the rest. The shorter matches are not going to be that short since you’re going to spend around 10-15 minutes going at it. As you complete events, you can unlock new players and new courts to play in.

Tournament mode is kinda like career mode. It’s fully customizable, and you can change how characters look and play with bots or human players – it’s totally up to you. The rules and mechanics of play are not different from what you will do in Arcade mode, but it does offer an overall longer set of matches, and completing this, as well as some extra clean-up work, will be required for you to add a new Platinum trophy to your collection.

Now, for a complaint about the game: despite having splitscreen and co-op options available for all to enjoy, eCrossminton does not have an online component, so you’ll need to have some friends over to play in multiplayer, or add some bots to your game – especially for the multiplayer trophies on the list. This might be a deal-breaker for some of you out there, but trophy hunters are probably happy about there not being an online component since that would make the trophies take forever.

This is a good first attempt at a digital take on a brand new sport. I have enjoyed playing eCrossminton, and aside from a few negatives such as the isometric view, and maybe no online component, the game is good. eCrossminton game that is worth a try for fans of this relatively new sport.

Disclaimer
This eCrossminton review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy provided by Daydream Software.