Smash Court Tennis: Pro Tournament - PlayStation 2

The PS2 clearly gives the developers more scope, and they've quickly taken advantage of it. The graphics, front end and audio are all that bit smarter, while the choice of players and tournaments has likewise been broadened. Indeed, the expanded single-player game, complete with extra bonus challenges such as point targets for a certain match, is a real delight to play. Naturally, in multiplayer, things are even more fun, and it's well worth buying a multi-tap to enjoy the game to maximum effect with four players.

If there's one thing that slightly holds the game back though, it's the quality of the competition. The game lacks some of the pace and energy of Sega's excellent Virtua Tennis 2, and while Smash Court Tennis is more than enough fun in its own right, it's not quite the number one seed.

Yet, replete with official tournaments and players, Smash Court Tennis is a very easy game to get into, and one that offers a significant challenge. Its predominantly arcade-style approach ensures that it can be enjoyed by fans of the sport and more casual players alike. And it really is worth buying simply for being one of the most compelling multiplayer games to date on the PS2. --Simon Brew