Namco Tennis Smash Court

Namco Tennis Smash Court is a tennis game developed and published by Namco, and the first entry in the Smash Court series. Players take control of a tennis player and compete in tournaments, singles and doubles matches, with a good selection of characters, 2D cartoon-style graphics and gameplay that is easy to learn but takes time to master. Up to four players can join in using the Multitap.

The PAL release landscape is small but geographically wide. Two variants are catalogued, both Original releases, with the earliest dated 1996-12-15. Between them they cover the UK, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and both are English language only. One variant serves the UK, France and Germany, while the other is aimed at the Scandinavian market, with the UK also appearing on that edition.

Both use the Multiway Jewel One Disk case, contain a single disc and carry no hologram, which is typical for a very early PAL release. The two editions share a single serial but are distinguished by their barcodes and country listings.

For collectors, it is an early Namco PAL title from the first wave of European PlayStation releases, and comparing the two regional editions makes for a neat small project.