It seems like if you want to succeed at making a sports game, there's two things you have to really keep in mind. The first is that the game's popularity can really take off if it can involve other people, preferably four or more through a multi-unit link. The second is that it has to be fun, or at least offer up something of substance in terms of the sport that's being emulated. A few years ago, Sega hit the jackpot with their tennis game Virtua Tennis, a game that came out unexpectedly and became one of the finer next-generation sports games out there. I mean, any tennis game that can actually draw in non-tennis fans has got something to offer. It truly is a classic in itself.

Since the release of Virtua Tennis, the competition has heated up on tennis games, as developers have figured out ways to hook gamers with the obscure sport. Nintendo struck gold with their Mario Tennis games for Nintendo 64 and GameCube, while Microsoft redefined the genre with their own stellar game, Top Spin, which will soon arrive on the PS2 under 2K Games' care. And now we have the Outlaw series dabbling in the sport, as Hypnotix and Globalstar Games have teamed up to bring us Outlaw Tennis, where rowdy characters take to the court to prove who's the master of the racket.

Hypnotix had some great ideas with their take on tennis. First of all, they've put together a series of drills to help perfect the players' skills while also entertaining in their own little way. One game has you "battling" a robot that fires laser-fueled balls at you to avoid while you hit back normal ones to destroy him. Another has you stopping butchers from taking animals to the carving block. Now what butchers have to do with tennis is beyond me, but this game has some certain appeal.

There's also a mixture of mini-games worth checking out that have their own level of diversity. A Hot Potato game has you playing against opponents with an explosive ball, and once time runs out, the ball explodes on whomever it is in contact with. You might get stuck with being the debris a few turns in, but the game has its moments. There's also Casino, Pinball, Ping Pong, Baseball and Football, which aren't really too far different from each other but do bring something new to the formula of a tennis game.

But all of this is pointless if the gameplay isn't any fun, and, sadly, that's the case with Outlaw Tennis. The Outlaw Golf games didn't play perfectly, but at least the golfing engine had some merit and accuracy to it. Same goes for Outlaw Volleyball, which offered preciseness with its power spikes and great moments of teamwork. Outlaw Tennis wants so desperately to be liked and yet can't raise itself above the tedium that is uneventful gameplay.

What's wrong here is simple- the responsiveness seems off. Players are able to hit a variety of shots with each of the buttons, and can even incorporate turbo into their shots to help speed things along. But their capabilities are hampered by direction, and that's negative in a tennis game. That means you want so desperately to hit a ball away from an opponent but somehow you hit it to the point where they can easily whack it back at you. Worse yet, the computer AI seems unbalanced and able to hit shots that you can't, resulting in a score that's built up heavily against you. There was a good idea going with the serve meter, where you hold down the A button to get a certain percentile and then let it go over the net, but it's lost in the sub-average controls.

That's a shame, because everything else seems about right here. Hypnotix did a stellar job with the graphics this time around, with a solid 60-frames-per-second presentation and some decent character detail, especially on the ladies in the game. There's also a variety of courts available to play on, ranging from a bout on an aircraft carrier (again, having nothing to do with tennis but enjoying the lunacy anyway) to a match made in Hell (what, no John McEnroe?), and each are brimming with details like fans cheering on the sidelines and even the occasional innovation in lighting. The animations may get a little repetitive, but the game still looks like a champ.

As for sound, it has its ups and downs. The character voices can be funny (and even the ninja, one of the new characters in the game, has his moments), but there are times when they come across as downright whiny and annoying. The licensed music is OK but never really grabs hold. Fortunately, you can submit your own customized soundtrack into the game. Lastly, there's the announcer, Stephen Colbert, fresh from The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law. He has a terrific tone that's far better than Dave Atell's (from Outlaw Golf 2), but the script leaves him hanging with too many lame jokes. Too bad Steve Carell (the original announcer from Outlaw Golf and the forthcoming film The 40 Year Old Virgin) wasn't on hand to help out.

Outlaw Tennis isn't completely without merit. The game is a blast against other friends in multiplayer, and is fully supported for Xbox Live play so you can match yourself up against other players. But, really, why plunk down $20 for a sub-par affair when Virtua Tennis and a Dreamcast are easily within reach for about the same amount of money? That's like wanting to put down money on a new pair of leather pants when the old jeans still fit just fine.

If the gameplay just came together a little more on the level like the competition, Outlaw Tennis would be an instant classic and a fun party game. As is, though, it's worth a rental and I'm afraid not a purchase, not even for its $20 price tag. The gameplay feels like it's totally lacking and the whole thing almost feels as if it's trying too hard, like the Outlaw franchise is still trying to chug along even though it's about run its course in the post Hot Coffee-gate era. Apparently, Hypnotix may feel the same, as the company has been picked up by EA to work on a plethora of new extreme sports games. Oh, well, at least it had its moments. Now then...where did I put my Dreamcast?