Outlaw Tennis

The Outlaw series has been on the verge of something great since its inception, and it seems like the game could easily achieve greatness were it not for the chronic compulsion to be all Jerry Springer. If you can get past that, though, Outlaw Tennis is a great value--from both a single-player and a multiplayer perspective--and it introduces some genuinely unique spins on the sport of tennis.

The Outlaw series has been on the verge of something great since its inception, and it seems like the game could easily achieve greatness were it not for the chronic compulsion to be all Jerry Springer. If you can get past that, though, Outlaw Tennis is a great value--from both a single-player and a multiplayer perspective--and it introduces some genuinely unique spins on the sport of tennis.

Outlaw Tennis is more of the same for the franchise - a solid game, with an inspired (if a bit overdone) presentation. The gameplay variety makes it worthwhile, and the online multiplayer gives it good replay value as well. Besides, with Global Star giving it a budget price tag of $19.99, you could definitely do worse with a purchase. Somewhere, Poochie the Rockin' Dog is smiling, as the simple premise, a liberal dose of humor, and a smattering of killer curves make Outlaw Tennis a case of "extreme" marketing you can live with.

The humor in Outlaw Tennis evokes the uncomfortable feeling of watching a rookie comedian bomb in front of a large crowd. Fortunately the gameplay and plethora of options combine to make for a fairly competent sports title.

Tennis fans you owe it to your gaming selves to pick up a copy of Outlaw Tennis. This budget priced game is well worth the low price. The humor might not be for everyone, but if you like outlandish characters, crazy game modes and bad, but good jokes and tunes then you'll love Outlaw Tennis.

If you're a fan of the series, Outlaw Tennis might just be the game you're looking for. However, if it's top quality tennis you seek, there are better options on both PS2 and Xbox.

If you're a fan of the series, Outlaw Tennis might just be the game you're looking for. However, if it's top quality tennis you seek, there are better options on both PS2 and Xbox.

Even at $20, the crudeness of the game is too much to just let slide. It mars what would otherwise be an interesting take on tennis for non purists, much like what Hot Shots Golf does for golf. I could see regular gamers going out to pick this up and play it online if only the guys at Hypnotix scaled back the junior high school humor, and put more innovation into the different gameplay modes, level designs, and fixed up the controls. As it is though, if you can get past the cheap humor that gets no laughs (even the mighty David Spade would have said "no mas" after 2 of the character designs.) the gameplay is good enough to make this a keeper. However, I think the style and the substance in this case are too intertwined to allow for the majority of the public to partake in anything more than a rental.

"Outlaw Tennis" acerta em suas bases. O sistema é bem planejado e reproduz bem as sutilezas do esporte, além de ter atletas com personalidade. Infelizmente, a resposta de comandos um pouco lenta destrói as ambições do game em almejar um lugar melhor no ranking do tênis virtual. O intuito pode até ser uma paródia do esporte, mas acabou saindo um game bastante agradável, até para os puristas. E ainda tem a atração do preço módico.

In a final stroke of futility, Outlaw Tennis can't even strain spaghetti like a real racquet, so what's the use?

In a final stroke of futility, Outlaw Tennis can't even strain spaghetti like a real racquet, so what's the use?

With the crucial problems, this one should be impossible to recommend. As usual, the variety saves it, with wacky modes of play like football (every point gains "yardage," while missing a shot turns it over). Baseball involves moving runners, and betting puts a dollar amount on every play. Career mode inserts a few of these, but you'll mostly be playing basic tennis. Doubles play is also available, which makes for an open online experience. Sadly, you'll need to deal with an unrefined engine, sloppy controls, and plenty of frustration to make it through any of these modes. This is the only game in this series that does not deserve a sequel.