What with the season underway and the epitome of Grand Slams Wimbledon not far off, it's about that time of year when the annual deluge of tennis games start getting served up. Heralding itself as the game of the 2004 Grand Slam, the first of what is likely to be many such games is this sequel from Namco, aptly titled Smash Court Pro Tournament 2. Featuring all the official tournaments, as well as some of the hottest licensed players including Serena Williams, Lleyton Hewitt and Juan Carlos ... more >>

What with the season underway and the epitome of Grand Slams Wimbledon not far off, it's about that time of year when the annual deluge of tennis games start getting served up. Heralding itself as the game of the 2004 Grand Slam, the first of what is likely to be many such games is this sequel from Namco, aptly titled Smash Court Pro Tournament 2. Featuring all the official tournaments, as well as some of the hottest licensed players including Serena Williams, Lleyton Hewitt and Juan Carlos Ferrero, Smash Court 2, as you'd expect, gives you the opportunity to step into the pumps of your favourite tennis star and tour the world's most prestigious bat and ball events.

There are six diverse game modes in total, with single and multiplayer offerings for both novices and the more seasoned virtual tennis stars. The main single-player game is Pro Tour Mode, which sees you attempt to work your way up through the rankings, winning tournaments and collecting points, with the ultimate goal of stepping up to receive the Masters Cup. Arcade and Exhibition Modes also feature, offering small tournaments and single games respectively and, for the beginner, Lesson Mode provides a handy step-by-step tutorial to get you up to scratch on the various shots, serves and manoeuvres.

As far as the multiplayer side of things is concerned, Smash Court 2 features support for a Multitap, so up to four of you can take part in a variety of competitions and single games - the epitome of which has to be a good old game of mixed doubles.

Lastly, as is the height of fashion these days, the game also comes complete with an array of mini games, courtesy of Challenge Mode. This requires that several mini games be successfully completed in order to finish each stage - the longer you spend playing, the more challenging stages become available. As such, you're invited to undertake such challenges as repelling relentless ball machines against the clock and continually returning the ball to your coach.
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