Smash Court Tennis 3

Perhaps we've cut our teeth on too many arcade-style tennis matches, but even our noggin was spinning afterSmash Court'slengthy tutorial. It's all a lot tosoak in, especially given the PSP's small screen.We'd like to see Namco offer a little more in the area of visual cues to help newbies absorb all the intricacies of what's shaping up to be one of the most engrossing games of tennis on any portable system, ever.

Odds are most Americans will overlook the authentic representationby actual tennis pros like Roger Federer or Justine Henin, but that's where Smash Court 's customization comes in- to baptize you in all things tennis. Of course there's the ability to create a character of your height, weight, and likeness, along with a variety of clothes and racquets. But then the game goes one big step further by allowing you tomold a variety of other nuances, such as your receiving stance, how many arms get involved in your backhand, all the way to whether or not your player plays better up to the net or retains a vicious overhand.