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The ball was in, you pits of the earth stupid computer! That and other similarly delicate comments will be gracing the homes of many an ST-owning tennis fan with the release of Passing Shot, a conversion of the Sega coin-op, from Imageworks.

The game opens with a screen showing the countries in which the tournament is to take place; France, Australia, the U.S. of A and Old Blighty. Also shown are two portraits of the players you control, only one of which is used in the single-player game.

After selecting single or doubles and the difficulty level (four options ranging from easy to hard), it's on with the match.

Play begins with service which is always viewed from just behind your player and looking into the court. After that initial shot the game's perspective changes to an overhead view until the end of the volley. The screen scrolls vertically following the ball, the height of which can be judged by its size as it falls into and out of the screen with a 3D effect. Though your player is sometimes lost off of the end of the screen while the ball is in the opposition's court, the knack of moving into that all-important returning position soon becomes second nature and Passing Shot's playability begins to bite.

Four types of stroke are available to your player - Flat, Slice, Topspin and Lob - with each accessed by a simple flick of the joystick. But at first with the sheer panic of trying to play the ball you'll be relieved just to have reached it to worry about how successfully it's returned.

Sound in Passing Shot is limited to naff tunes and a bouncing ball effect. Graphics are competent, though nothing to write home about. The scrolling is fast and smooth.

Its unique game style and easy of play make it one of the most addictive tennis sims out, especially in the two-player doubles mode. It's a lot of fun to play, even if you aren't a tennis addict.