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Wimbledon. A name that is revered around the world. Why, just the very mention of it strikes up thoughts of - Wombles. Yes, those secretive little rodents that tidy up the Common for us clumsy, hairless apes. Making a use of the things that they find, things that the everyday folks leave behind. Ha ha, what busy little chappies they are, dressed in their little bowler hats and tartan shawls and led by dear old Uncle Bulgaria. Why do we love them so much? Who knows, perhaps it's because they all sound like Bernard Cribbens. Then again, perhaps not. Whatever the reason, you can rest assured that when there's litter to be picked, the Wombles of Wimbledon are always on the job.

But of course, Wombles aren't the only thing that Wimbledon is famous for. Note, there's tennis too. Every summer, the finest sponsors of instant coffee from all over the World travel to England in an attempt to win the most prestigious tennis title there is, the Wimbledon Trophy. And now Sega have released the official Wimbledon Tennis game on the Megadrive, licensed by the All-England Tennis Club itself. So grab your rackets, because it's time for Wimbledon!

Wimbledon is a game based around the world famous tennis tournament of the same name.

Hit the ball over the net. The other player tries to hit it back. This goes on until one player fails to return the ball. Then it all starts again.

There's tennis and there's Wimbledon, the most famous tennis tournament in the world. Sega's Wimbledon Tennis lets you take part in the championship against seven other opponents. Each has individual strengths and weaknesses in such departments as serve power, footwork, forehand and backhand control.

Starting in the quarter-finals, the game progresses to the semi-finals and then, finally, the centre court showdown. There's even a password option so that you can take a break from the tournament whenever you wish.

To add to that realistic Wimbledon feel, the programmers have included a number of neat little touches. For instance, the audience claps at a shot, players break their rackets in irritation or prance around in joy and there are even those Robinson's Barley Water-drinking ball boys on hand to collect stray balls. What's more, the players ever break out in a swear when they take a smash right in the goolies! Kooyay! New balls please!

Most tennis games have a two-player option and this game is no exception. However, Wimbledon Tennis actually allows up to four-players to join in a game. Through the use of Sega's soon-to-be-released Sega Tap, a game of doubles can be played with four real players taking part. Beware though, four players may quadruple the action, but it can also cause severe trauma as you helplessly watch your inept partner spoon a vital shot.

It seems like a pretty daft idea bringing out a Wimbledon licence months after the tournament. Still, it wouldn't matter if the game was great stuff. Unfortunately, it isn't.

The problem is that it's just too slow. The players feel like they're dragging their heels and the ball sometimes drifts like it's in low gravity. Also, the movement of the screen is particularly bad and often the player at the bottom of the screen becomes cropped making it very difficult to receive the ball. And to top it all, the collision detection tends is a bit ropey. Many's the time when the ball is quite obviously out, but the Umpire (with his Davrosesque voice) fails to notice it.

Overall, the game isn't that bad. The graphics and spot-effects are okay and it is fairly playable. There's already a better game available, Davis Cup. Buy that instead.

Tom's right. Wimbledon has a lot of faults sinister ball control, Master System style graphics - I could go on forever. However, the game is better than Agassi Tennis, in that hitting the ball is pretty straightforward and all manner of cunning shots can be executed with ease.

The problem is that rallies last forever with the computer players having superhuman responses. In the end, what's the point of releasing this? Wimbledon is now long gone and Davis Cup (even without the four-player option) is loads better.

Presentation 78%
P. Some smart selection screens and an array of good game assistance features.
N. Not enough in the way of options.

Graphics 72%
P. Good-looking playing surface.
N. Sprites with nervous disorders and some bad screen cropping.

Sound 58%
P. Some good ball effects and audience sounds.
N. Cuddly tunes and the umpire sounds like Davros, mastermind of the Daleks.

Playability 70%
P. Fairly playable. The on-court assistance features make it easier to get into.
N. Screen cropping can spoil play. Dodgy collision detection.

Lastability 74%
P. Adjusting the skill of the players will prolong the challenge and there's the four-player option too.
N. Lack of fast-paced action soon dulls the fun.

Overall 72%
A reasonable tennis game marred by a few flaws. However, Davis Cup is a far more attractive purchase.