Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first choice is a player, and sixteen different options leave room to find a comfortable favorite. Familiar tennis personalities sit behind the fictional names, giving the roster a little more character than identical opponents in different colors.

Grass, clay, and hard courts offer recognizable tennis settings. The cosmo court supplies the surprise, moving the match into outer space with astronaut ballboys beside the action.

Exhibition play suits one match against the computer or another person. A singles tournament can involve up to eight players, while World Tour stretches the competition across an entire year.

Graphics

The courts are colorful and plainly outlined, with small players moving across an easily read playing surface. The space court exchanges the ordinary tennis surroundings for a much stranger backdrop.

Story

There is no dramatic career narrative to follow between matches. The immediate business is the player across the net and the next point.

World Tour supplies the longer journey through its annual schedule. Progress comes from playing the competition rather than watching a story unfold.

A password lets that tour continue after the machine has been switched off. Returning to the circuit gives an evening of singles a little continuity.

Overall Experience

The choice of players and courts gives a short tennis game enough variety to invite another match. The stranger surface is a welcome change when familiar venues start looking too comfortable.

The absence of doubles is a real limitation for a game with Family in its title. Its multiplayer choices concentrate on taking turns through singles rather than sharing one side of the court.

A quick exhibition is the easiest way in, with the tour waiting for a longer commitment. Family Tennis works best when the next rally is enough reason to keep the controller nearby.

Retro Replay Score

7/10