Sumo Digital won acclaim in 2004 with its perfect conversion of OutRun2 for the Xbox, demonstrating its mighty technical competence and perfect handling of Sega IP. Since then, the company worked with Sega on a home version of Virtua Tennis 3, and also began work on a Wii-specific version of the game before the project changed direction; Sega asked Sumo to stick some Sonic characters into the game and suddenly it clicked - a tennis game with loads of popular Sega characters would be a much more worthwhile game, and could be put out on all platforms. The result is SEGA Superstars Tennis.
Sumo's conversion of OutRun to console was well received because of the original modes and challenges they developed from scratch. These additions are essential in making a home game more substantial than the quick-and-dirty arcade experience, and it's the developer's proven ability to create a nicely presented, well thought-out console game that boosts this original game. With arguably the best single back-catalogue of characters together in one game, Superstars Tennis has been designed from the ground up by Sumo, with Sega providing whatever help they needed.
