Unlike most tennis games, Dream Match Tennis is controlled primarily through the use of rather than simply the directional buttons. If a player wants to hit a cross-court shot, they have to hit the ball slightly early. If they want to hit the ball in the opposite direction, they have to hit it slightly later (i.e., when it's going behind the player's character). The directional buttons can be used to get extra angle or direction; for instance, the downwards directional button makes the ball go short, and is useful for hitting angled cross-court shots.