DESCRIPTION

Anna Kournikova's Smash Court Tennis is, not surprisingly, a tennis simulation featuring the beauty of the tennis scene: Anna Kournikova. Born in 1981 in Moscow, Anna's reputation went through the roof when she became the World Junior Champion at just the age of fourteen. Other credentials include semifinalist at Wimbledon in her debut for the tournament, Australian Open Doubles Champion in '99 and being rated in the top-ten women's single player in the world (to date as of 1999).

In this game, players have three choices on return or while serving (weak, strong, and Supershots) and have the ability to direct the ball where they want it to travel (or in the general direction). Lobbing the ball is simply a matter of pressing a button, which can also be switched to automatic for those having problems with timing. Also, pausing the game at any time brings up the scoreboard.

Anna Kournikova's Smash Court Tennis offers an anime look at the sport of tennis. With the exception being Anna Kournikova herself, all players are unlicensed. However, they include female players Davies, Taylor, Celine, Summers, May, Mai, Alyssa, Jasmine, Jordan, Akiko and Viki, as well as another twelve male player counterparts. Each player is rated in terms of which hand they prefer to play with, whether they can dive for volleys as well as the ability to serve, volley, smash, speed, and stroke.

Modes include Exhibition (single match mode without the hassles), Tournament (a series of competitions), Smash Blast (a special multiplayer party game) and Practice (shot training or warm-up). If players select Tournament mode they are introduced to either Street Tournament or Grand Slam modes with the former providing easier options. Players can also check their records and equipment in this mode, as they will be rewarded with rankings and equipment after piling up victories. Smash Blast is a unique game where players choose five characters and duke it out with a ball that is actually a bomb. The objective is to blow up all of your opponent's characters by getting the ball to bounce twice near their players.

Options in Anna Kournikova's Smash Court Tennis include button configurations, ball marker, sound, background music toggle, vibration toggle, and adjustment of the screen. Dual Shock, memory cards, and Multi Tap devices are also supported, allowing up to four players to play simultaneously. ~ Brad Penniment, All Game Guide