Tennis 2K2

"Perhaps the greatest tennis game ever!"

Gameplay 10/10

At its heart, Tennis 2K2 is an arcade game. One word: ADDICTIVE. The buttons are pretty simple. A is to return/serve and B is to lob, you can control the direction the ball is headed depending on where you point the joystick/D-pad when you hit it. Very, very, very simple. The gameplay changes from the previous game are very significant. The infamous ''diving'' animation has been totally revamped. A solid gameplay engine's flaws has been fixed to make an even more solid engine with now less flaws is what I'm trying to say. The addition of female players only adds to its appeal. The only downturn is the lack of customizability just like the previous game. Why can't I play a Singles match with a female vs. male? Why can't I play a Doubles match with 2 females vs. 2 males? Regardless, it takes nothing away from the overall fun factor. Some of the bigger names in tennis aren't there. Sampras, Agassi, Hingis, and Kornakova just to name a few. But I don't think this detracts at all from the game. I mean, is NBA 2K2 a bad game because it doesn't have Michael Jordan? And the addition of the create-a-player is a fresh one. So if you're a freak about it, go ahead and create them. The players are supposed to have differing stats, but really, when you are playing multi-player, the stats have little to no effect, which is actually a good thing so that people won't choose the ''same exact players every time.'' Although, you will find yourself a ''favorite'' that you just enjoy using the most every time at some point.

Audio 9/10

The audio is upbeat music. I mean, you never really notice it when you're playing. It's ''ok'' music, nothing epic, but what do you expect? It's an arcade game! The sound effects are what comes through. The grunts and the tennis to racket effects are great. With a game like this, those are the sounds you'll hear the most, it's good to know that every time the sound never gets annoying or tiresome.

Video 9/10

There are not that many animations, but you just never get tired of it or are probably having too much fun to notice. The cutscenes in between have been greatly improved, players no longer look-like dead zombies like in the previous game. And you can definitely tell that more textures were improved and ironed out. Unfortunately, that jag-filled net is still a major problem. But overall, the graphics are terrific and are still the best in its genre even today.

Replayability 10/10

The single-player isn't something to scream about, but the mini-games are fun and playing the tournaments to discover hidden items and whatnot will keep you occupied. But without a doubt the best feature is the multi-player, this is why you will probably want to keep your DC out during parties for years to come.

Rent or Buy?

Without a doubt, BUY! Even if you have the original, there are enough new improvements and elements on this version that warrants a ''must-have'' purchase.

Overall 10/10

It's the greatest tennis game ever, it deserves no less.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/26/02, Updated 07/26/02