Tennis games for the PC are not a dime a dozen.  In fact, there really aren't that many tennis  games out there when compared to game franchises based on other sports.  Even with the limited  selection of available Tennis based video games, the offerings are mostly hit or miss in terms of  actual play value.  In all seriousness, how do you make a tennis game that doesn't feel like another variation of the classic video game "Pong"?

Enter Tennis Elbow 2009 by Mana Games.  This little gem of a Tennis game brings almost everything a fan of the sport and video game could possibly want.

Before I start though, be warned, Tennis Elbow is difficult and much like the real sport itself,  requires plenty of practice.  The learning curve isn't extremely steep but there is a learning  curve, and until you come to grips with the tight mechanics and precision that will be required  in order to progress to the final round of even the easiest tournaments you'll probably find  yourself losing more often than winning.  With that said, the game does push you to become better, much like a racing game pushes you to get a better lap time than your previous laps each time you play, Tennis Elbow pushes you to improve your movements, shots, and precision.  The AI, while beatable, can be extremely punishing and if you plan on winning any of the large Tennis  Opens in the World Tour mode you'll absolutely need to practice.

This particular sports title has multiple control options including keyboard, mouse, gamepads, and dual analog  controllers.  The response time is actually pretty good for each but I found the game played best  with a controller, although it doesn't actually help lower the AI's difficulty any.  So no matter the control scheme, the challenge stays the same.

Players are able to make drop shots, lobs, apply top-spin or slice the ball and even make high  precision shots.  Even though you could just return the ball without using any sort of technique  you won't actually win any matches until you've mastered at least some technique.  If you simply  return the ball back to the computer controlled opponent they'll reward your laziness by making  you run all over the court to try and return the ball eventually leading to you losing the point.   At the same time, making cross-court shots to get the opponent running across the court won't  always work either.  Players will have to mix it up a little by keeping shots long or short and  occasionally going for a volley or even a smash.  In this regard, Tennis Elbow does a great job  of keeping the sport a game of mental strength as well as physical precision and timing.

On top of the basic modes of Training, Career mode or World Tour, there are all kinds of other  options that give Tennis Elbow lasting appeal.  Besides playing against the computer, players can  get a friend and play a match of doubles or even play against each other.  If that weren't  enough, there's also an online option which players can use to play people around the world.  Finally, the player is given the option of customizing their character including anything from  the gender of their player, to their hair color, the service style they use, even the color of  socks that they're gonna wear.  When you're ready to prepare a character for the World Tour mode  you'll then have to decide your characters strenghts and weaknesses by adjusting their attributes  with experience points that you can distribute between things like Service Strength, Forehand and  Backhand precision, Speed and Stamina, etc. etc...  They all play a simple yet significant role  in how your character will play out their tennis career and each match.  Your computer controlled  opponents also have similar strengths and weaknesses which you'll have to take advantage of if  you truly want to win a Tourney of any level.  The different court types also affect the gameplay  as well but the affects are subtle and aren't as noticeable once you get the hang of the controls  and learn some of the technique needed to master the game.  The different court types do play  into the speed of the game though including how much more bounce the ball has. Having all of  these options and features make Tennis Elbow feel like a complete package.  The developer must  have put a lot of thought and care into the game.

The graphics in Tennis Elbow aren't ground breaking but they are polished.  The courts are kind  of generic and lackluster but that's because the focus is on the tennis players themselves.  The  character models are fairly detailed but the animation is impressive.  Honestly though, the only  things you'll see moving during gameplay are the players and the ball, and that's how it should be.   It might be nice to see more of the audience or even the umpire make some more subtle gestures and movement such as having the umpires head follow the ball as it moves back and forth across the court, but these points are all minor.  At least there is nothing to distract gamers from  the core gameplay.

The sound and music are toned down to a minimal degree but this is Tennis, a sport where  concentration and focus are necessary to achieve greatness and just like the real sport you won't  hear much aside from the squeak of tennis shoes and the bounce of the ball between points.  The  umpire delivers all of the calls and the sound of ball against racket is authentic.  There might  not be much to speak of in the sound department, but what is present works.

With such slim pickings of decent Tennis games for the PC you really owe it to yourself to give  Tennis Elbow a try if you're a fan of Tennis, sports games, or are even slightly interested in  being given a genuine challenge in a sports game.  Tennis Elbow 2009 has the look, feel, and even  sound that one should expect from a tennis game.  If you have the patience to learn the game  mechanics and the technique needed to play the game well, you'll find your game and skill  improving over time which is a great reward in itself.  Just be prepared to practice, practice,  practice.