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Tennis
By Leroux

Connors versus McEnroe was nothing more than a battle for third place. Sampras versus Agassi an unforgettable rivalry? They don't even come close to this pair. Throw your Boris Becker's, Bjorn Borg's, and Arthur Ashe's out the window. None of these men even come close to playing at the level of You and Com, the two superstars who lend their names to the NES representation of the sport, appropriately named Tennis.

You was a small Korean boy with the lone dream of becoming a professional tennis player. Inspired by his mother Us and his father They, as well as his late Grandpa Me, You went on the road to achieving his dream of becoming the most successful tennis player ever, or at least the spiffiest, sporting a crew cut, a sky blue shirt and shoes and black shorts. The only man standing in his way was Com, the hard-nosed Russian with a never say die attitude and a mean streak that would make Peter the Great cower in feel. During his day, Com was often called the Madonna of tennis, frequently changing outfits, as well as skin colors. Still though, few could ever deny the sheer brute Com brought to the court, striking the green-yellow circle harder than anyone on the planet, often times causing him to overwhelm opponents as soon as the match started, most of whom never could recover and returned home as just another victim of a Com massacre.

In 1983, Com was at the peak of his success. He had several sexy new outfits and skin colors, and his skills were unmatched. Then, out of nowhere, came the fierce rookie You, attempting to dethrone the powerful brute and claim his title of the number one ranked player. Com did not take kindly to You's challenges, however he always accepted, and a classic tennis match ensued each time. Com usually got out to a quick lead, but that warrior You always managed to storm back, winning the match the majority of the time. As time went on, You would face Com on uncountable occasions, and each time, the two trained harder and honed their skills more until every serve was followed by an intense rally that seemed endless. Neither man would ever give the other a single mental lapse, and after the match, they never embraced. They would eventually meet again. If Com ever lost, he would demand a rematch, and when You lost, he would simply issue another challenge. Soon both competitors becam! e so good that they were in a league of their own, and no one was ever bold enough to risk the embarrassment of being slaughtered just for the chance of pulling a lucky upset. It wasn't worth the chance of shame.

Soon You and Com tired of the Paparazzi that constantly stalked them and the false rumors between the two published in the tabloids. They both soon moved away to a remote island, where it was just them, the clay court surrounded by grass and the mustachioed line judge clad in black. They would pick and choose their onlookers ever-so-critically, as not everyone was fit to attend such a battle. Soon, Com and You became such elitists that the people decided that the cavity searches and thousands of dollars just weren't worth the price of seeing them play. The audiences died and the fame was gone. As quickly as they came, You and Com disappeared.

They say though, that if you sit at center court at midnight of a particular tennis court, that You and Com will once again appear and put on a personal spectacle, recreating each movement of their stunning performances. Until you discover that location though, you can relive the magic of their matches via the NES' Tennis, an amazingly fun tennis game, that while it shows age over all these years, is still a lot of fun to play, and not just for nostalgia reasons.

My Score: 8/10

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