World Tennis Stars is a whimsical take on the competitive sport with its collection of cartoon-like characters and curious courts, including a beach, stone courtyard, disco, urban street, Mayan temple, and lawn. The angled perspective is set high above the net so players can see the entire court at once. Players compete against the computer or a friend, the latter via Game Link Cable, in singles matches. As players guide their onscreen character on the court, they can perform forehand or backhand swings as well as smashes or lobs. Game modes consist of a single contest against any of the available characters and a structured tournament against all characters -- on their home courts -- to decide the true World Tennis Star.