RealSports Tennis

RealSports Tennis expanded Atari's lineup of sports titles in 1982 with a tennis match shown from a side view of the court, similar to a television broadcast, which was a significant step toward a more believable presentation of the sport compared to earlier pong-like attempts. The player controls one tennis player, moves around their half of the court, and tries to hit the ball over the net so that the opponent cannot return it in time. The camera following the action from the side of the court also gave the player a better sense of distance to the net and to the out-of-bounds lines than the previous top-down view.

The game offered single-player and two-player modes, various types of shots depending on the timing of the button press and the direction of the paddle movement, and a clear score following classic tennis rules including sets and games displayed at the edge of the screen. The ability to choose the difficulty of the computer-controlled opponent also extended the game's lifespan even for players without a second friend on hand, allowing them to gradually improve their game against an increasingly demanding computer-controlled opponent. The graphics of the players and the court were above standard for the Atari 2600, the movement of the players and the ball felt smooth, and the game tried to evoke the impression of watching a real tennis match, including the ball bouncing off the net and the out-of-bounds lines, which at the time made it one of the most audiovisually convincing sports titles on the console, and many players remember the game precisely for this elaborate presentation.

RealSports Tennis was among the solid entries in Atari's sports lineup, and for tennis fans it represented one of the more convincing digital substitutes for the sport in the early era of home consoles. Today the controls are necessarily simplified and the pace slower than in modern sports games, but as a demonstration of Atari's effort toward a more faithful sports simulation the game has its historical value and, with a little tolerance, can still be enjoyed today in a contest between two players.

Why play it: For players fond of early sports simulations, RealSports Tennis still offers an enjoyable two-player contest, with some tolerance needed for the simpler controls and slower pace.