I purchased a Playstation game that emulates 30 of the old Atari 2600
games made by Activision.  The problem is the Tennis game - I am a
very good video tenis player, but am unable to win a single point
against the computer opponent - he never misses a shot.  What
techniques am I missing that will allow me to win at this game?

Hi cmsb705-ga,
   The key to winning at the Atari 2600 Tennis game, is the angle at
which you hit the ball. By hitting the ball near the tip of your
racket, you can hit the ball at a sharper angle. Of course, this also
puts you at risk of missing the ball completely, but that?s the
challenge.

------

   The original manual for the game contained instructions and tips
from the game designed Alan Miller himself. You can find these here:
         - AtariAge - Atari 2600 Manuals (HTML) - Tennis (Activision)
           (http://www.atariage.com/manual_html_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=555)
  An excerpt:
     "Practice moving quickly to the area where you think your
opponent's shot will go. If you can do that, then you'll get a jump on
placing your shot out of your opponent's reach."

     "...Hit a sharply-angled serve off the edge of your racket to
either the right or left side, then move quickly about two-thirds of
the way to the net. If you've anticipated properly, you can nail his
return with a cross-court volley for a winner."

------

  The AtariAge website lists in it's 'Tips, Cheats, and Easter Eggs'
section a 'Super Hit' move for the Tennis game. You can find the
section here:
         - AtariAge: Tennis - Tips, Cheats, and Easter Eggs
           (http://www.atariage.com/software_hints.html?SoftwareHintID=117)
           "Having trouble scoring on your opponent? Try running and
hitting the ball with the far edge of the racket. The ball will fly
across the court!"
           
------

In the words of Alan Miller:
   "...you know the old saying, practice makes perfect. So, keep at
it, good luck and have a great game!"

Hope this helps.
If you need any clarifications, just ask!

Regards,
Theta-ga
:-)


================================================
Google Search Terms Used:
   Activision Tennis Video Game Atari 2600

Great answer, and very fast.  Researcher was able to locate the
perfect links that I could not find myself.