Play David Crane's Amazing Tennis Online

Summary

David Crane's Amazing Tennis feels like a love letter from a true tennis aficionado. David Crane, who actually played tournaments and even partnered with Activision co‑founder Alan Miller in doubles, finally decided to turn his on‑court experience into a video game, and the result is a surprisingly earnest simulation.

The game puts you behind the player in three‑set men’s singles matches, letting you pick clay, grass or hard courts and choose left‑ or right‑handed play. You can execute topspin, backspin, lobs and drop shots against a roster of fictional opponents, each with distinct strengths, and a two‑player local mode lets friends battle side‑by‑side.

Beyond the exhibition, there’s a 16‑player tournament mode where you climb the rankings by beating increasingly tougher rivals. The court surfaces stay consistent across both modes, and the handedness option adds a subtle strategic layer.

Critics praised the game’s presentation: Super Play called the pseudo‑3D court “the most realistic yet,” while Nintendo Power highlighted the digitized scorekeeper voice and crisp sound effects. Large, detailed sprites and smooth animation earned high marks, even as the behind‑the‑player perspective sometimes made the far‑side sprite tiny and hard to control.

Retrospective reviews still admire the graphics, but note that the point‑of‑view and occasional unresponsive controls keep the title from being a timeless classic, even though it was once hailed as a leap forward for tennis sims.