Final Match Tennis - the game
On March, 1st, 1991 Human published the supposed all-time-best tennis game. The owners of the PC-Engine, which has never been on European market, could be happy about that amazing game. But you have to have an Japanese version of the video game or at least the JAP->US convertor, because even on the US markets this game has never been sold officially. In Germany's at this time leading computer and video games magazine "Power Play", the game scored 91 of 100 points.
The player can choose between sixteen players, who are adapted to real ones having about the same strengths, with which he could battle in all possible combinations with up to three friends (if he has the four- or five-player tab). Even pure computer matches are possible.
In contrast to hardly all other tennis games on all systems Final Match Tennis offers not just interesting matches versus human opponents. The computer players in the higher levels (available by cheat) play very strong, in addition you need long-time experience and practice to get the needed precision in your strokes.
About one year later Human published "Human Sports Festival" on Super-CD. There you can find "Final Match Tennis Ladies" with better graphics and improved controlling. As the ladies are slower, you have to play even more precise than in the original game. 1994 Human adapted the game as "Super Final Match Tennis" on the Super NES / Super Famicon. This game was still good, whereas 96's "Hyper Final Match Tennis" on the Playstation was not more than avarage and impressed more by the name of game than by the game itself.