"Better celebrations than Racket Attack"

After devoting a good three weeks to playing solely Racket Attack, I was looking forward to seeing one of the earlier attempts at a tennis game. You know, the ones with the sticker drawn in fake digital pixels. While I was at first shocked and appalled with the lack of realism in this classic ''digi-stic'' game, I soon became addicted to its fast pace, smooth handling, and merciless taunts and celebrations. If you're looking for a realistic tennis game, go for Racket Attack. However, if you're looking for a great super fast coop game, in which teammates glide around the court as if on hockey skates and paddle their asses in celebration, this is the one for you. There are very few options in this game. No tournament, no player selection, no court selection. However, it is a great two player game, and with a decent imagination, you and a friend will definitely get into the game and the post-point celebrations, such as ''synchro de mayo,'' ''counter-clockwise swirl,'' and of course, the hockey celebration.

Graphics: 5
Not much to speak of in terms of graphics. At least the players look like people and you can tell what kind of shots they're taking. Sometimes the opponents look like cavemen with clubs instead of rackets. Play it and you'll see what I mean. And look out for Mario in the umpire's chair. He's very liberal with the out of bounds calls!

Gameplay: 10
Again, not very realistic, but lots of fun. The players move ultra quick and the balls move even quicker. Contrary to some reviews, it is really not that hard to line up your racket with the ball. And there is a surprisingly wide array of shots to take, especially when you're dualing at the net. I recommend skipping to level 3, and working your way up to level 5. So fast!

Replay:7
This is definitely not the best one player game. However, on level 5, teammates can have sustained fun for quite a while.

Sound/Music: 4
No music, unless you count the opening theme, which, if you get started fast enough, will play for a couple of seconds during the game. Try setting up three tv's and three nintendos with Tennis, Baseball, and Pro-Wrestling playing at once to hear the opening theme in surround sound. After that, it's fun to listen to the pitter patter of the running feet, and to the slide whistles as the ball gets lobbed. Very basic sound effects.

Overall: 8
While not perfect, this game is fun for two players, and worth checking out. It's so much fun that I give it an eight.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/28/01, Updated 05/28/01