Fans of Virtua Tennis know that Sega is capable of making a very solid tennis experience. While that game may serve as the groundwork for Sega Superstars Tennis, this is a very different offering. Featuring 16 Sega mascots (some more well known than others) and 10 courts, there is plenty of fan service that Sega loyalists well salivate over, but having interesting locales and lovable characters doesn't necessarily translate to an exciting game of tennis.

The DS version is the least visually attractive of the bunch, but it does offer a new control scheme, using the touch screen to move the character around and hit the ball. Having to maneuver your characters with the directional pad is functional, but not satisfying, especially when you have to move quickly from one side of the court to the other to lob the ball. Using touch screen controls does provide another method of play, but it too feels a bit awkward, since it's not always 100% responsive for movement, and hitting the ball almost becomes too easy.

All the standard ways to lob a ball over the net are present, using the face buttons to execute the moves (if you opt to not use touch controls), but what sets this game apart are the superstar moves. Assuming you play a decent game of tennis, your superstar meter will begin to fill up. Once full, you're able to unleash special moves, which are extremely fast and over-the-top in their presentation, sending your ball flying through loops and zigzagging across the screen before they reach the other player. This is very effective if you want to stump your opponent, but they are equally hard for you to take a swipe at should they come your way. These moves are interesting, but really defeat the purpose of having a strategic game of tennis, as they disrupt the normal flow of the game.

There are 16 playable characters, hailing from such games as Sonic, Space Channel 5, Jet Set Radio, Super Monkey Ball and others, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but beyond speed and power variations, the changes are more cosmetic than anything else. There are also a host of courts that are stylized according to popular Sega games, but they don't factor into gameplay.

Within the game you have your standard single player matches, tournaments (which help unlock new characters and courts) and a host of minigames. There are also some simple multiplayer options (over local Wi-Fi, assuming the other player has the game). The minigames are the real standout, though. Not all of them are good, but the Chu Chu Rocket, Space Harrier and Super Monkey Ball games are a blast to play and offer innovative twists.

The presentation is about as expected, with 3-D character models over two-dimensional backdrops. All of the characters animate well (using their signature animations), and the courts transport you into the character's game world. The sound is minimal, with simple catch phrases uttered by the characters and musical tracks from the represented games. There isn't much to it, but it suffices in giving the game the appropriate ambiance.

Given the lack of unique DS additions to the game (the only notable ones being that each half of the court gets its own screen and optional touch controls), it's hard to recommend this version unless you're dying for a wacky tennis game on the go. The basic controls and lack of an interesting single-player story mode do little to differentiate it from other arcade-style tennis games. The minigame collection, while not very large at only eight games, does add greatly to the nostalgia factor, but they aren't enough to keep the game from getting old quickly, which is ultimately the Sega Superstar Tennis' greatest downfall.