$20 Game of the Week: Virtua Tennis 3 (Xbox 360, PS3)

Virtua Tennis did for videogame tennis what NFL Blitz and NBA Jam did for football and basketball respectively. No, there aren’t any big head codes, you won’t be hitting the court with Bill Clinton and Will Smith, there is no loudmouth announcer, and players don’t burst into flame. What I mean is that Sega and AM3 has taken the sport of tennis and made it fun to play. At first it wouldn’t seem to be much of a big deal, as tennis is rather easy to implement in video game form. In fact, the very first video game was basically a version of table tennis. However, there is a lot of strategy involved in the sport. Speaking as a former high school tennis player, it’s important to position yourself correctly, use the proper shot for returns, and figure out how to prepare and set up the next volley. There is a lot of thinking involved, and little time to do it in. Thankfully, Sega Sports’ tennis series has always eschewed any of these complications and focused upon the bare essence of what tennis is: two (of four if playing doubles) people knocking a ball back and forth between each other and moving as fast as possible while doing so.

The game’s 20-star lineup contains a selection of modern stars, such as Venus Williams (but strangely no Serena), Rafael Nadal, and Maria Sharapova. There aren’t too many to pick from, but players can find an athlete suited to their play style. It would be nice to see some legends players such as Andre Agassi or even Steffi Graff, but the lineup will do nicely. Most of your time in single player will be spent in the World Tour mode, where you can create your own superstar, and spend each week of your 20-year career training, building your stats, and entering tournaments. Xbox 360 owners have access to online modes, including a spectator TV mode. PS3 owners have the option of using the sixaxis for gameplay. There are several minigames you can play as well. There are several courts from around the world to play on, and they all look gorgeous thanks to the Sega Lindbergh arcade board.

It may not be the deepest sports game in the market, but tennis fans will love this game’s realistic graphics, easy-to-play controls, selection of playable athletes, and fast-paced action. Even though PS3 gamers can’t play online, they’ll get sucked into the world tour mode just as much as Xbox 360 players will. Hopefully if we can get another Virtual Tennis game, Sega Am3 will go even deeper, offering up a wider selection of playing modes and tennis stars. For now however, sports fans can once again take to the court with Virtua Tennis.