The PS2 has been around for a few years, and by now, you would think developers would have a good idea at how to make a good looking video game. Think again. Player models in the tennis sim Agassi Tennis Generation are blocky, and besides a bald head on our 'cover boy', there's no realistic depiction of the players, not that it really matters (more on that later). The player animations are just as woeful, basically because they're so slow. Power slams and serving aces all have to do with speed. Instead, everything in Tennis Generation is slowed down to the point that a three-year-old could play it. Meanwhile, you can make the case that the courts look good, but how difficult is it to draw up a tennis court?

Following a theme, the sound effects are just as bland as the graphics, and things aren't thought through either. Example: shoes will squeak on all surfaces, including grass. Oh well, at least there is color commentary. Wait, that's even worse than the sound effects. One just gives the score, big whoop! The other idiot seems to have three similar phrases, all of which say something to the point of 'Wow, what a great play!'. Believe me, the mute button is your best friend in this department.

I'm not much of a male tennis fan, but I do know the big names in the sport. However, Agassi Tennis Generation seems to only contain one real tennis star: Andre Agassi. I'm guessing the other 31 players are either the bottom feeders of the pro-ranked world, or a bunch of made up characters. I'm pretty sure it's the latter. Meantime, there are three different modes to play with: Quick Match, Arcade, and Tournament. Quick Match is as advertised, where you get to set up the opponents, court, and whether it's a singles or doubles match. Arcade lets you choose your player, then take on a bunch of computer-selected opponents. With Tournament, you play as Mr. Agassi, and go through the rigors of ten different tournaments.

As I mentioned earlier, the gameplay is slowed down in every aspect of the game. In the event you're playing a friend in this, the only way you'll serve up an ace against them is if they've put the controller down in total disgust of the game (which may actually happen). Also, when you're waiting for the ball to finally arrive so you can actually hit it, your player will wind up as if the computer will do it for you. Don't be fooled, you still have to hit the button.

The AI varies completely in Agassi Tennis Generation. Depending on your computer partner/opponent, they may or may not hit the ball. Apparently, it all depends on their mood. The mood definitely varies between the difficulties of Easy, Medium, and Hard. Still, the true difficulty is trying to play this game for a second time.

Here's the best part of Agassi Tennis Generation -- the game wouldn't work on my PS2. When I tried booting it up, all I got was cannot read disc. My PS2 model number is SCPH-30001. However, it did work on a friend's PS2, and he has the exact same model number! I can't explain it, so I guess it'll be a crap shoot if you rent/purchase this game. Meanwhile, the controller configuration wasn't a big problem. Each button has a different type of shot. When the game does load, it doesn't take an exceptional amount of time. And, the best news is, in the event you want to save your progress, your memory card will be spared.

Agassi Tennis Generation is just another of many poor attempts of a tennis sim. By far, Sega's Virtua Tennis franchise is worth the price of admission. If you're still bent on trying this game out, please rent with caution.