Jimmy Connors Tennis

I believe I did read a short review on this game before, and it was described as being rather plain. True, the in-game graphics are somewhat plain, but I don't see how it could get any better. After all, it IS a tennis court. The digitized picture of Jimmy is well done and even animated.

Gameplay is pretty much standard. The only real thing you have to be aware of is that the "B" button is the backhand, "A" is the forehand, and OPTION 1 is for overhead smashes. The game uses a system of squares which appear on the court and tell you they best place to stand to hit the ball. Black is for overheads (rare), red are for hitting a ball before it bounces, and yellow for hitting after it bounces. There are also different modes of play including a practice mode where it's you vs. a machine, doubles, and any combination of Link-up modes. You can even change the surface from grass to hard court, but I didn't notice too much of a difference. I wonder why clay wasn't included?

What certainly sets this game apart from other tennis games is the license. Jimmy Connors is my all-time favorite, and his voice is all over this game. From "You gotta be kidding me!" to "I look forward to your challenge" and my personal favorite, "Whoa!" Jimmy lends his vocal talents throughout the game. He's actually encouraging you to play better and climb the ladder to face him. In addition to his speech, there's the obligatory announcer who calls every point, let, and fault made. Other sounds are the "thock!" of hitting the ball, and the intro music.

The only real shortcoming of the game is the controls. It can be tricky to position yourself on the squares in time to hit the ball as the characters tend to slide around a bit.

If you own a Lynx and are a tennis fan like me, you owe yourself this game. Forget the cartoony, unrealistic Mario Tennis games. This is a great portable tennis game. And it's great for road-trips!