Coo

As far as the gameplay goes things don't get much better, particularly if you're involved in a match featuring a CPU player. The control system is clumsy and unresponsive, the animation is laughable and what goes on in the heads of those CPU players is anybody's guess. Mind-numbing rallies which are occasionally reminiscent of Pong are broken up only by occasions when your CPU opponent decides either to stand rooted to the spot as the ball flies by or, as is more often the case, make a heroic leap towards the ball about two seconds too late. If you're playing against a CPU doubles partnership you'll frequently witness the two of them diving headfirst towards each other if you place the ball between them. While this is mildly entertaining for a short while it doesn't exactly make for a good tennis game as it's more like a three-second clip for Auntie's Sporting Bloomers.

All of the usual exhibition, tournament and season options are present and correct but to be honest you're unlikely to be tempted by any of them once you've endured your first couple of matches. Even when you're on a winning streak it's difficult to derive any sort of satisfaction from All Star Tennis 99, and the closest you'll come to realism is when you throw your controller to the ground or break it against the side of your foot in frustration. If you're after a tennis game you'd be far better opting for Anna Kournikova's Smash Court Tennis from Namco - it's a little cutesy as far as the graphics go but it provides a lasting challenge and has loads of cool bonuses to earn.