Oxygen is one of the industry's up and coming publishers with a promising future, and the release of Perfect Ace for PC is a good sign of things to come.

There is a respectable number of tennis games available for consoles, and with regards to sports, the game is one of the most loved genres since Pong. But sometimes you have to wonder… can each tennis game or simulator really be that different from the next? In concept, no, but as a game, absolutely.

Before we talk about gameplay in P ... more >>

Oxygen is one of the industry's up and coming publishers with a promising future, and the release of Perfect Ace for PC is a good sign of things to come.

There is a respectable number of tennis games available for consoles, and with regards to sports, the game is one of the most loved genres since Pong. But sometimes you have to wonder… can each tennis game or simulator really be that different from the next? In concept, no, but as a game, absolutely.

Before we talk about gameplay in Perfect Ace, let us stress just how accomplished the PC version of the game looks. Graphics card permitting, the PC version of this tennis sim wipes the floor with its PS2 counterpart. Provided you have a good set-up, you can enjoy the luxuries of anti-aliasing and several other effective features we so rarely see on PS2.

In fact, the only thing the PC version is lacking over its console counterpart is a decent control method. Finding a genuinely good analogue controller for PC is no small task, but once you find one, it plays like a dream. But to its credit, the mouse also does a great job.

First off, Perfect Ace prides itself as a simulation game, demonstrating realistic ball physics and player movements, thanks to trusty motion-capture technology. But developer Aqua Pacific has gone to great lengths to make the game look as real as possible too. The game features 32 professional tennis players and each and every one of them has been modelled using digi-masked faces enabling the use of facial expressions as well as lifelike appearances.

But ultimately it's a game, and the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. One strong aspect of a tennis game, any tennis game, is that they are easy to pick up. The same is true here. Typically there's a button to lob and a button to slice, and the ball can be directed across the court by tilting the analog stick. These are fundamental aspects of all tennis games that have been in use for decades and they still work brilliantly today. But Perfect Ace isn't a walkover - it's very difficult to master and this is compounded by some very competitive computer opponents. Persist though, and you'll do well.

Perfect Ace is a polished and complete tennis simulator, featuring singles play, doubles play, Tournament mode and an Arcade mode. A good all rounder. << less