"This ain't crystal, its pure gold!!"
Graphics (8.0)
The graphics are exactly the same from the gameboy advance series. Even the graphics shown after a smash are the same for most characters. They could have been improved, but everything still looks beautiful, and bright. But with the DS's capabilities, they could have been done much better! This game is very import friendly, and you will know what to do right away.
Sound (8.0)
The music throughout the matches actually does not get repetitive, and it surprises me. The music is the same for the first three matches of a tournament, but its different for the last match. There is so much music, there is even a jukebox that you can unlock in the game! There are also character voices, but again, some are from the past PoT games.
Gameplay (9.0)
The gameplay is exactly the same as the past games, you play tennis. You can select from numerous characters, who are all unique and have very special moves that you can do. There are also many coaches that you can unlock, and they each do special things. There is just so much tennis to play, as there are many tournaments to play in. There are five different modes to play, Singles, Doubles, TR Singles, SV Singles, and Mix Match. In TR Singles you can choose three players to play with, and you can switch between them anytime during the match. In SV Singles you again choose three players, but you only play one at a time and you cannot switch. The games you lose add on throughout the match, so its all even. In Mix Match you choose a team with a doubles group, and two singles players. You face other teams, and the one to get two wins is victorious.There is also a practice mode for you in case you lose a lot. And if its still to hard or easy, there are three difficulty settings for you to set at your liking.
Apart from all the tennis, there is also a store for you to spend all the money you earn from tournaments. You can buy food for your players to improve their doubles abilities. You can buy some supplies for certain characters, which you can see in the bottom screen while others are playing. You can also buy information for new tournaments going on. Still not done, you can buy new courts for practice of multiplayer modes, and, you can buy packs or trading cards that come with the voices for what the characters say. The list goes on and on!
Replay Value (10.0)
This is a game that I still play a lot, and it came out New Years! With so many characters and coaches to unlock, this game will keep you going for many hours to come. Not only that, but there is a multiplayer mode, which allows you to play all of the modes that I mentioned. The only problem is that you cannot download play, everybody needs their own cart, and you cannot find many PoT players in the U.S.
Overall (9.0)
I have to say this is one, if not, the best DS game out so far. But this only goes for fans of the anime series, it most likely won't be as enjoyable if you understood what everything was about. This by far is the best Prince of Tennis game out for the handheld, the only slight problem was that it didn't take much advantage to the DS's features, but other than that, this game is pure gold!
Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/24/05
