Super Tennis (super_tennis_manual.txt)

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                       SUPER TENNIS© FAQ v 1.0
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Written by Arun Kishan
E-mail: kshriniu@margarita.engr.ucdavis.edu

NOTE:
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This FAQ is in no way copyrighted, so feel free to distribute
it amongst your friends. I do ask, however, that you do not edit this
file in any way prior to distributing it.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
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A. Introduction
B. How To Play
C. Techniques
D. Tips and Tactics
E. Conclusion

INTRODUCTION:
-----------------------
Hello all, and welcome to my Super Tennis® FAQ. This FAQ
serves as both a manual and a FAQ, in that it covers everything
necessary to play the game and it provides some extra pointers.
Sometimes these pointers, tips, and secrets are regarded as
spoilers by many, so I have collectively grouped these tips
and tactics into a group (cleverly named "Tips and Tactics").
Reading this section is entirely up to you. With that said, I shall 
begin the FAQ without further ado!

B. HOW TO PLAY:
------------------------
The references found below are indeed references to the standard
Super Nintendo Entertainment System® controller. By this I mean
that "A" refers to button "A" on the controller,
"B" to button "B" on 
the controller, and so on.

The Control Pad serves to move the player around and change
ball direction.

The A button has a variety of uses. It can be used to toss the ball
during service, hit a slow serve during service, slice the ball, or
hit a light volley at the net.

The B button is very similar to the A button. The only difference
is that the B button will hit a fast serve during service, hit a strong
volley, and play a solid ground stroke.

The Y button hits a lob.

The X button hits a top spin shot.

The L button offers a left spin on the ball.

The R button offers a right spin on the ball.

The Start button displays a set up screen which allows you to set
such features as ball color, activate music, turn the indicator on/off,
etc. The screen is displayed only if the button was pressed prior to 
service. 

The Select button displays a data screen which displays various
game statistics such as the number of service aces, % of first
serves in, number of double faults (D.F.), etc. The screen is
displayed only if the button was pressed prior to service.

Now that you've mastered the controls, you are ready to play!
The Singles mode offers either 1P vs. COM (you against the
computer) or 1P vs. 2P (you against, for instance, your friend).
The Doubles mode offers 1P+2P vs. COM (you and your friend
against the computer), 1P vs. COM (you and a computer buddy 
against a computer controlled duo), or 1P vs. 2P (you and a
computer buddy against your friend and his/her computer 
buddy). The Circuit mode lets you take on the worlds best
players in several grueling tournaments. There are two different
circuits: the men's and the women's circuit. The latter is
generally easier.

In either the Single or Doubles mode, you'll be allowed to choose
which type of surface you wish to play on: Hard, Lawn, or Clay.
"Hard" is the standard court and is perhaps the easiest to play on.
On lawn courts, the ball doesn't bounce nearly as well as on the 
other two types. On clay courts, the ball loses a tremendous 
amount of speed after it bounces.

Now, playing Super Tennis® is quite easy if you have some idea
of how tennis works. If you don't, here is a quick overview:

One player starts with the ball. He/she serves the ball diagonally
across the court into the appropriate box on his/her opponent's
side. Then the server switches sides and serves again. This 
continues until one party wins the game, and the serve is
turned over to the opponent. If the game was an "odd" game
(i.e. it was the first, third, fifth, etc. game played), the
players will switch sides. In the diagram below, "S" represents
the server, O the opponent, and P the partner (in doubles only).
"X" marks where the serve should land.
---------------------------------------------------
|-----------------------|--------------------------|
|	 | P             |		|             | S
|	 |	     |		|             |
|	 |------------ |--------------- |	|
| O	 |XXXXX  | P		|             |
|	 |XXXXX  |		|             |
|------------------------|-------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------

Doubles is almost exactly like singles except the long alleys along 
the sides are considered "out" in singles and "in" in
doubles.

A point in tennis is won when one of the following occur:
- You/your opponent serves incorrectly twice.
- You/your opponent hits the ball out of bounds.
- You/your opponent hits the ball into the net.
- You/your opponent don't hit the ball before it bounces twice.

Normally you are allowed two chances for a serve. However,
if one of your serves bounces off the top of the net and lands
in legal territory, it is called a let, and does not count as a
fault. The second time you do it, however, it does. 

Zero points in tennis is known as "Love". If you win a 
point, your score goes to 15, then 30, then 40, and if you
win one more point, you win the game. However, if you
reach 40 points and your opponent also gets 40 points, this
situation is referred to as a "deuce". To win, you must score
two consecutive points. If you win a point, and then your
opponent wins a point, however, the score is reset to deuce.

A set is won when one party wins a total of at least 6 games.
They must have won at least two more games than the other
party. This means that the final score of a set can be 6-0, 
6-4, but not 6-5. The winning score must be 7-5. If the game
is tied at 6-6, a tie breaker game is played and the winning
score will be 7-6. A match consists of either 1, 3, or 5 sets.

C. TECHNIQUES
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A ground stroke is either a forehand or a backhand that
is usually hit from near the baseline of the court. A volley
is a powerful "punch" that is hit in the general vicinity of
the net. A top-spin shot adds spin to the ball, and a slice
glides through the air and bounces low. A lob is very high hit
used to counter aggressive net play on your opponent's
behalf. If executed properly, the ball will land behind 
and beyond the reach of your opponent. Occasionally,
your player may hit a powerful smash if the ball is situated
directly above his/her head. 

The trick to mastering Super Tennis® is to learn where
control pad motions hit the ball on the tennis court. You
can virtually aim the ball with the control pad prior to
contact with the ball once you get accustomed to the game.
Furthermore, the rate at which you press the button affects
where the ball will go on the court. To win every match, it
is important to quickly master these combinations. You should
practice these techniques against a wall (i.e. a non-existent
second player) before playing any real (or should I say
"virtual"?) matches or tournaments.

Of all techniques a player has, perhaps the serve is the most
important. After all, it is the serve that begins the game and
it will do you no good to keep hitting double faults. Practice
your serve and learn how to use the combined action of the
control pad and the L&R buttons to create devastating serves.
Once a play has begun, try to close in on the net and volley
your opponent's hits. However, be sure to ready to react if
your opponent decides to hit a lob!

D. TIPS AND TACTICS
------------------------------

Here are a few tips and strategies to help you win at Super
Tennis®:

- Try to hit a curve shot down the line (use L if you are on
the right half of the court, R if on the left half) during your
service. This will usually cause the computer to dive to hit
your ball, and it will be a high flying ball which (in singles)
would land in the alley and be counted as out. To be
really fancy, run quickly over to the net diagonally across
from where you served. Now, intercept the ball before it
lands in the alley and slam it diagonally across the court just
as your opponent gets up off the ground. This really impresses
spectators. I've found that this little strategy works best when
you are on the top half of the court.

- Try to hit a curved serve using the same control pad motions
and spin buttons (i.e. use left and L or right and R) to hit a
corner shot. Sometimes this will easily ace your opponent.

- Return your opponents hits with a top-spin while holding
down on the control pad. This will cause the ball to bounce
earlier than your opponent will expect, and you will usually
win the point. This works best if both of you are at the base
line.

- Try hitting the ball (on a serve) when it is high in the air.
When you combine this little tip with the above mentioned
tactics, you can create an extremely hard to return serve.

- Try winning all the major tournaments. If you do so,
you will be awarded with a special surprise. Remember,
if you need to stop playing, take your password at the 
earliest chance you get. I know that they are unnecessarily
long in Super Tennis®, but after you've beaten 3 tournaments
or so, you'll be glad that they're there.

E. CONCLUSION
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Well, that's about it. If you enjoyed this FAQ, found something
useful in it, found something wrong with it, or have any suggestions
in general, please send me an e-mail at the above mentioned
address and I'll be glad to respond. 

Super Nintendo Entertainment System® is a registered trademark of
Nintendo of America, Inc. Supper Tennis® is copyright 1991
Tokin House and Nintendo.
















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