In case you missed the memo, the Dreamcast was a fantastic little console that had oodles of fantastic titles available for it. Unfortunately, most people didn't find that out until after the fact, and are now scouring bargain bins and online auctions to try and flesh out their DC libraries. Given this rediscovering of the gems in the DC roster, it's perhaps not too surprising to discover that Virtua Tennis has made its way to the PSP. More a retooling than a straight port, Virtua Tennis World Tour manages to squeeze a high-quality console sports title into a pocket-sized package, and throws in one or two extras, to boot.

Sneakers not included

Virtua Tennis World Tour takes the best aspects of both Virtua Tennis and Tennis 2k2 and combines them into one sleek package. Players can choose from a sizeable roster of both male and female tennis stars, including Andy Roddick, Venus Williams, Roger Federer, and Maria Sharapova. (In case you don't know who she is, she's the hot blonde tennis player who can actual win a game every now and then. Take that, Kournikova!) The character models have been cleaned up for this release, and while they were always pretty darn good, now they're practically flawless. Tennis fans will be able to recognize their favorite players not just from their faces, but from their favored outfits and gestures, too.

The usual gameplay modes are on hand, including the most literally named Quick Match I've ever seen. You don't get to choose your player, the surface, nada. Just fire it up and try to win. Exhibition is like Quick Match with a bit more control, as you can select the type of game you want to play, as well as actually choose what tennis whiz to embody for a short time. Given the PSP's wireless capabilities, Multiplayer mode isn't a surprise, but is certainly welcome and works well. Tournament play is a five-stage arcade-style endeavor encompassing both singles and doubles matches, but most of your time will undoubtedly be spent on the World Tour. Players can create their own racquet jockey, though the customization options are a bit on the limited side. Still, this is a portable game, so the fact that there are options at all is still pretty impressive. World Tour is structured the way most carreer modes in sports titles are: take your player from venue to venue as you try to work your way up the tournament ladder, until you have the skills to challenge the movers and shakers in the world of tennis. If you find your game a bit rusty, a fun assortment of mini-games will help you get yourself back into Wimbledon shape in no time. It's hardly reinventing the wheel, but it works well, so why mess with a proven formula?

And I thought John MacEnroe was hard to control

Although just about every other aspect of gameplay made it from the Dreamcast to the PSP without a hiccup, something control-wise got lost in the translation. Although both Virtua Tennis and Tennis 2k2 offered crisp and precise analog control, World Tour's analog control is wild, loose, and a huge handicap when trying to play. Fortunately, you can use the D-pad instead, although your game is likely to suffer a loss of finesse as a result. It's a minor complaint, and definitely something to which players can quickly adapt, but it can be frustrating to lose point after point because you just barely missed the ball. And lose point after point you will, because World Tour offers a surprisingly—and refreshingly—high level of challenge. Players looking for easy to master arcade style tennis best look elsewhere, because in World Tour, success requires effort and dedication. (But no actual sweat or exertion, so it's still fun.)

Although there are some minor loading glitches, such as split-second freezes while navigating the map, World Tour's loading times, usually the bane of a PSP owner's existence, are swift and painless. If it weren't for the sloppy analog control, Virtua Tennis World Tour would be flawless, but as it is, it's merely excellent. Graphically gorgeous, and sporting more than enough game modes, players, and courts to choose from, it's so good that even if you don't know a fault from a forehand, you're sure to enjoy it.