Superb tennis game (Virtua Tennis (DC))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Virtua Tennis (DC)
Date:	03/09/09 (3 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great visuals and gameplay

Disadvantages: Not much to it

Virtua Tennis was arguably the first tennis game to really make the series any popular - prior to this, there were a few overly serious tennis games that never really made an impact on the PS1, but Virtua Tennis fully exploited its arcade-style aesthetic to give the game a real sense of fun, and a sense that has transpired over into numerous sequels on the PS2 and PS3.

The gameplay is obviously very simple - you can either play a singles game, or a doubles outing, meaning you and three other players can all plug in controllers and whack balls at each other. What's more worth describing is the campaign mode, which is downright strange, but admittedly a lot of fun. Whilst the bulk of the campaign sees you travelling across the world and competing for various titles (and therefore unlocking all of the arenas if you win!), there's a vast number of training levels that require you to perform a number of strange and inventive tasks, such as hitting tennis balls at machines, avoiding being hit by fruit, and playing bowling with your tennis ball.

Most remarkable perhaps is the game's visuals - when I bought the game back in 2000, I was utterly stunned by the graphics, and today they stand up very well. The character designs are very realistic, and although the tennis arenas themselves don't require much detail, there are plenty of little touches that make everything seem authentic. What's perhaps the best remark about it is that the PS3 versions haven't really improved all that much graphically.

For a genre that was at the time not really well established, Virtua Tennis opened the gates up, making a game that's fun whether you're playing by yourself or with mates. It's great fun with a few beers, and I've had a lot of fun with three friends playing doubles games (although it sucks if you get stuck with a poor player!)

Summary: A simple but fun game