Virtua Tennis 3 (Xbox 360)

 

 

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Wow is this game addictive! Okay, those who remember or have played any of the previous generations of this series won't be blown away by any of the changes for this outing, but everything truly has been improved however slightly.

The graphics are better (although all the previous versions were always excellent and ahead of their time anyway!). The motion capture is fantastic and each animation does seem to be individual to the character under your control! Service actions are truly amazing in their accuracy.The music i must say is still awful and players will either want to use music from their hard drive or mute it completely i would guess!

The improvements also include small additions which manage to push the game that much closer to perfection. There are now more mini games which are fun and addictive (brilliant multi player madness) and for the first time, multi-set tennis! now okay everyone will say, its about time, but its still been added so credit where its due this is what we've all been clamouring for and now we have it!

This game has also been ever so slightly tweaked on the difficulty on court. Where in previous versions, within a couple of hours of beginning your play you could become a master simply by holding down the button for as long as possible, this version does not let you do this. You will find bitter disappointment trying to play this way, as your player will simply end up diving all over the court. This time out you are required to move around the court much more before setting your player and hitting a winner!

I think with the incredible multi player fun and the easy to pick up but hard to master nature of this game will make it an instant hit! BUY THIS NOW if you are a tennis fan or fan of games that grab your attention and keep you coming back for more.

VIRTUA TENNIS 3 is the latest instalment in Sega's famed series. Not having been familiar with the previous games (well, not for playing anyway) I thought I'd rent this game out, and I'm really glad I did.

Singles and doubles games are all possible, with up to four players on the same XBox 360, and you can set the number of sets within a game if you think the standard number is too long. There are four difficulty levels for CPU players, and the latter two in particular will call for some good play. In exhibition matches you can select from a selection of world-renowned players of both genders including Tim Henman, Venus Williams, Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova - and not only do they look a bit like their real-life counterparts, they reportedly tend to play like them, too. If you have a custom player created in the career mode (see later) then you can use him/her instead. Some genuine courts like Wimbledon are also present, with different ones having different surfaces, causing the ball to behave differently when it bounces.

In the career mode you actually get to design a tennis player (including hair colour, gender, what they wear, eye colour, face shape etc) and go through a 20-year career in which you try and have a successful career by entering tournaments and using the intervening time to balance rest with training to improve various attributes of your player. Rest is important so that your player doesn't lose so much stamina that s/he gets exhausted -- or, worse still, injured. If you do well enough your rank increases, which in turn gives you more choice in which tournaments you can enter, and you can also get upgrades to your wardrobe and racquets if you're lucky.

The training sections are kind of stupid from the outset, but they are genuinely fun to play. I won't spoil the surprise, but they actually work better than you might think for a game that otherwise faithfully represents tennis.

This game is an absolute joy to play. It's straightforward enough to pick up and get good rallies and shots, but (if you have a suitable difficulty setting) challenging enough to give you a bit of a run for your money. You get three different kinds of basic shots, but the power is determined by how long before your player actually whacks the ball you press the button relevant to the shot you wanted to play - and you use the movement stick to determine where to hit the ball. Dives, backhanders etc are all done for you only if the situation calls for them, so make sure that you aren't so far away from the ball too often that you keep diving to return the ball or you may not get up in time for its return!

The game's graphics, animation, sound, gameplay and overall atmosphere are all incredible. It's beautifully presented, and plays so amazingly well that you just know that you are playing a classic of its kind.

Quibbles are minor. If I had any, (a) there seems to be a bit of a jump from difficulty level Easy to Hard (the two intermediate ones); (b) the music got on my nerves before too long, so I had to go into the Sound settings and lower its volume to almost nothing - I kind of wished that the music wouldn't play during actual matches because I feel that it ruins the atmosphere and reminds you that you're playing a videogame, thus detracting from the feeling that you're really playing at Wimbledon or whatever; and (c) quite frequently the action replays (you usually get one after the point that won a player a set) are not shown from a particularly good angle - it seems to be the greatest of fortune if you get one where you get a good slow-motion view of the action without it simply being a close-up of where the ball landed and just seeing the ball whizz past the camera without being able to fully admire your handiwork and the opponent's vain attempt at recovery.

This is easily among the best tennis games I've ever played in my life. Take a look.

What a game! - its fun, quick, addictive and even the missus wants to play.

The graphics are great (especially with an HDTV) and the gameplay is fluid. The characters look like their real counterparts and the courts and surrounding extras (crowd, linesmen, ball boys, etc) all act correctly and sound great.

The season mode is very addictive with the mini games being the high point of the game. - Very simple yet very hard to master fully.

Its a game taht you cant put down and will leave you saying, "just one more tournament and then i break into the top 50!".

Take note - put it down, breathe and go down the pub to remonstrate to your firends how you just beat Federer.

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5.0 out of 5 stars So addictive!
This game is great! I've had so much fun playing it. The World Tour feature is just like career mode in other games. You create your own player and then you start your career. Read more

Published 17 months ago by BatmanBoyNJ

4.0 out of 5 stars Good until you get good at it.
This game is brilliant until you get to the "very hard" level.
Its frustrating when you can win easily every time on hard, but have absolutely no chance on very hard. Read more

Published on 9 Jun 2008 by andy

3.0 out of 5 stars good but not so fun
I am not a pro gamer. So this review is for fun loving, part time gamers.

pros:
1) good graphics
2) fun playing in doubles
3) mini games and... Read more

Published on 26 April 2008 by A. Mahale

4.0 out of 5 stars An awesome tennis experience
I am not really a person who plays sport games a lot. I did however absolutey adore Virtua Tennis 1 & 2 on the Sega Dreamcast and felt it was one of a few (crazy taxi, shenmue and... Read more

Published on 1 April 2008 by Rob

2.0 out of 5 stars There are surely better tennis games than this
I purchased this game after reading quite a lot of favourable reviews and I have to say that I was disappointed. Read more

Published on 10 Mar 2008 by Mr. S. A. Brown

5.0 out of 5 stars graphics = quality
well this game is certainly one of the best ive got the graphics r rele good but the game play can be a tad un realistic as some rallys go on for 5 minuits

Published on 17 Nov 2007 by Mr. R. J. SPOONER

5.0 out of 5 stars ADDICTIVE!
As an avid tennis player and fan i was eagerly anticipating playing this game to assess it's accuracy and fun factor. Read more

Published on 12 Sep 2007 by Dave

5.0 out of 5 stars The best tennis game available
First off- this game looks beautiful. Really, really stunning (accept for the female player liknesses, which are rubbish). Read more

Published on 20 July 2007 by J. T. Houlston-hope

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Experience, if slightly unrealistic
I bought this game last Saturday, and I must proclaim its addictive nature. As soon as I put the disc in the console, I found myself pressed up against the screen for around 6... Read more

Published on 3 July 2007 by A. Thompson

5.0 out of 5 stars Super Tennis!
Do not let anyone tell you this game is bad or hard. It is simple: if you like and understand tennis, you will love this game. Read more

Published on 21 May 2007 by Mr. M. A. Archer

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