Your Sinclair


Konami's Tennis

Author: Pete Shaw
Publisher: Imagine
Machine: Spectrum 48K

 
Published in Your Sinclair #11

Konami's Tennis

It takes a lorra bottle to release a game like Tennis onto a market that already has countless versions. But you'd have thought, if anyone could pull it off, Imagine could. And I'm afraid you'd be wrong. Imagine seems to have lost that advantage point.

Where a tennis game succeeds these days is in the 3D views, graphics, sound and use of colour. Second nature to good ol' Imagine you'd have thought, wouldn't you? First off, the play area is green, naturally, but the players are both white. White on green makes it extremely difficult to follow the action, especially when you're desperately trying to keep up with the ball. The graphics themselves aren't so hot either - which makes it thirty love against Imagine. And for a forty love advantage the title screen displays one of the players making a V sign! Hardly good public relations, unless it's supposed to be John 'I know I'm a failure now, but at least I married her' McEnroe.

The big selling point of the game is that it's the first tennis simulation to let you play doubles. A great idea, and a clever bit of programming, if only the graphics were clearer.

All that apart, the speed and authenticity of the game is good. And if your heart is set on a spot of on-court action, this one may offer you that little something that I couldn't get out of it.

Game, set and match...

Pete Shaw

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