"Nintendo serves up a double fault on this one."

First off, let me say this is without a doubt the worst of the Nintendo sports series (well, except 10-yard fight could be worse). Golf was great, as was baseball. But just not this. When I first bought Tennis a few years ago, I had high hopes for it, since I had played many other tennis games. But Tennis only disappoints. Read and see why...

Graphics/Visuals
The visuals look about par for a NES title of this era. The characters look a little too blocky, and there is no difference in the players, except for their shirt color, that is. There are no court options (clay, grass, etc..) so it is just the same green court, the same players. The one cool thing is that Mario, wearing a blue hat, appears to be the referee. But, this is nothing important, and it does not help the game.
Score: 5/10

Audio
Not much to say here, but lame, forgettable music and beeps. It can get repetitive quickly and it is really annoying. You will probably be better off if you turn off the sound.
Score: 2/10

Gameplay
Here is how the single player mode works: You first select a player to play against, from a skill level 1 through 5. The color of the shirt dictates his skill level. You then play a 3 set match against your opponent. If you win, great. If not, you repeat against that same opponent. There are no rewards for winning, so the is no desire to play. The two-player mode is a bit different. You can play with or against a human opponent. This is the game's only saving grace.
Score: 4/10

Features
This is a tennis game, so there is no story, obviously, but there are also no fantasy, career, or season options. This hurts the game. It doesn't even keep win-loss records. Shut the game off, and all you have accomplished is lost. This is another problem with the game.
Score: 1/10

Buy or Rent
Well, since you can't rent this game anymore, you'll have to buy it. You could probably find it for five bucks. If you like tennis a lot, and I mean a lot, go ahead and pick it up. But if not, don't bother.
If you have another system, and crave tennis action,you should pick up Mario Tennis (N64) or Tennis 2K (Dreamcast?)instead. The are both excellent games and are better than this turd.

Final Score: 4/10

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 10/20/03