I have a new-found interest in tennis games lately and after playing the enjoyable Hot Shots Tennis on the PS2, I was looking for something similar on the Xbox 360.
I owned (and still own) a previous version of the Virtua Tennis series on the PS2 known as Sega Sports Tennis. It was a fun and addicting game with horrible, jaggied graphics and unfortunately, a sequel was never released on the PS2.
Many years later (over 6 to be exact), I find myself enjoying the sequel I never got on the PS2. Virtua Tennis 3 for the Xbox 360 is nearly the same game with much better graphics, online play, more pro players and tweaked gameplay. It also corrects one of my biggest complaints with Sega Sports Tennis, you can now keep your player/camera view at the bottom of the screen when you’re not serving – this small detail bothered the hell out of me with Sega Sports Tennis.
Some might be disappointed that the gameplay hasn’t changed much in all these years, but I’m a firm believer in “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The simple gameplay mechanics also mask a solid game of tennis. You basically have three types of shots mapped to the face buttons (top spin, slice and lob) with timing, position and aiming playing a major part in the speed and direction of the ball. What this does is give you a real sense of control without overwhelming you with complex controls – something that EA’s NHL series accomplishes too.
The graphics won’t blow you away but they’re certainly acceptable for a next-gen game while the players sport many animations and move realisticly. The courts and stadiums look good with subtle details all around.
The sound is farily standard and luckily VT3 offers the option to turn off the out-of-place rock music that plays during the matches. Many of the grunts and groans (especially from the female players) have been toned down. You can even choose what language the judges make their calls in.
The game offers the standard single & multi-player exhibition matches, tournaments, online play and a career mode. I just started my career and hope to post some more info soon. I haven’t had a chance to try out the online play yet either and hope that it doesn’t disappoint.
The gameplay is quite fun and while the players make more diving shots than their real-life counterparts, it doesn’t hurt the realism of the game. I’m also seeing a fair amount of shots that are hit out. The only thing I’m not seeing is balls hitting the net during serves or volleys. Hopefully, I’ll start seeing this as my career progresses. In the meantime, I’ll keep enjoying the game I hoped for many years ago on the PS2.