"Fun in the early NES days, but now..."

I used to own Tennis for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Back then, I didn't get games that much, and the games I did get I played all the time. I replayed them constantly and knew them inside and out. Back then Tennis was a very fun experience that kept me happy for a long time. Now however, it leave a bit to be desired.

Story
As this is a sports game, there isn't really any story to speak of. But you may entertain yourself by creating rivalries between you and the computer players.

Graphics
The Graphics for Tennis are mediocre. The courts are all one color and don't really vary at all. This isn't too important though because you will be following the ball. The ball is a little small but over all it works fine and you wont have a problem seeing it. The crowd is just a bunch of little dots mashed together but that's to be expected. The player sprites for your opponent are different with each level you choose, but your character always looks the same. The animations of the sprites are passable and aren't exactly anything special. Something I have always found extremely funny is the way the opponent will shake his butt while they wait for you to serve ^_^. All in all the graphics are nothing to really talk about though.

Sound
The sound for Tennis is pretty non existent. At the title screen there is a short little jingle that is fairly catchy but that's all the music there is. The only other sounds are the sounds the ball makes. It makes a normal beep when you hit it but when you hit a loop shot it makes a longer bloop. Nothing really special.

Controls
In the game you use the diagonal pad to move back and forth and up and down. You use the A button to hit a normal shot, and the B button to hit a long, looping shot. The controls work great but they are hard to master. At first you will have trouble keeping up but once you learn how to change between long shots and short shots by where your opponent is standing, you will be fine. You can also spike the ball is you run to the net but it's sometimes hard to execute this. The controls work great in this game.

Options
You have the option to play a single game, or a doubles game in Tennis. In the singles game, you just play yourself against the computer but you can decide what level they are at. Level 1 is the easiest and level 5 is the hardest. It's good to work your way up as you learn to play and then just always play with level 5 because that offers a good challenge. When you play a doubles game, you and a friend play against two computer players in a normal double match. You have the same difficulty choices as the singles mode.

Fun Factor
I used to have a lot of fun making tournaments with my sisters and with friends, and this game is very entertaining. Compared to newer games it lacks many things but it does have a very old school fun element to it. It's pretty simple and with a little practice anybody can play. I really enjoyed playing doubles matches with friends also and you get to use lots of teamwork. When I go back and play this game now I still have fun and I think you will like it.

In conclusion, Tennis for the NES does have some problems and it hasn't aged extremely well but it is a very entertaining game. I think you would really enjoy it. Besides buying the NES game, you can also find it on the Nintendo Gamecube game Animal Crossing, and on the e-cards for the Gameboy Advance. However you find this game, I really suggest you play it as you will have a lot of fun.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/14/03, Updated 03/14/03