3RRDC VirtuaTennis

Sega "serves" the first good tennis game...ever!

It was a Saturday and I was bored. I decided to go to the only place in
town where they sold Dreamcast games. Well, I strolled in and took a
gander at this game. I didn't expect it to be much, but when it's
coupled with NFL 2K, NFL Blitz 2001, and Shenmue all for four bucks
who could resist? Well, it turns out that this was one of the best in the
package. On top of that, it's probably the first great tennis game! Some
may disagree, but if you play this game you'll probably end up agreeing
with me. This is also one of the best titles available in the Dreamcast
library. But hey, I might be biased because tennis is my favorite sport.

When I drove home and slapped in the disc I was treated to no intro:
nothing. I was spat out onto the road and had no map. Not off to a very
good start. At least it was made by Sega Sports! Sega Sports makes
great titles, so I'm thinking "great game." But so far, my wish wasn't
granted. Then the announcer comes up and says "VIRTUA TENNIS!"
and I know this is going to be an arcade-style game. It's actually a
perfect simulation, believe it or not! I'll get more into it later. So I was
introduced to the menu and I automatically chose World Circuit. Why
waste my time on the other modes when I can play with the big boys?
Tommy Haas being my favorite player, I picked him. This is where the
magic starts. You start out at a level 1 match, one store, and a couple
of training modes. You get to compete all over the globe, in Russia,
Sweden, Australia, any tennis-playing country you can think of.
Naturally, I skipped the training level and went right to the match.

The stadiums are truly inspiring. They are fully detailed in Hard, Clay,
Concrete, or Grass. All of the little details are there, including the
scoreboard, the ball boy, and the officials on the sidelines. Even the
crowd is amazing. The individual crowd sprites are the best you'll see
for awhile. The players are amazing also. Hair waves when they move,
clothes sway, they blink, their mouths even move when they scream
when they're making a difficult shot! Overall, this is one of the best-
looking titles for the Dreamcast.

On the other hand, the sound is a little screwed up. The sound effects
are perfect. You hear the "thud" of the ball on the racket. You hear the
smack of the ball on the court. You ever hear the weird sound of the
ball being whacked into the net. It's all here. The announcers are very
"eccentric". Depending on where you are, the announcers speak and
broadcast in a different language! The music. Here we go. We've got
goofy and cheesy 80s guitar riffs. It makes my ears bleed. If you enjoy
high-pitched screaming guitars and non-melodic pitches, then you'll be
banging your head all night and maybe some of tomorrow. The sound in
this game is kind of like Anna Nicole: it might've been good at one
point, but it's not very popular at all now.

The gameplay: this is why you'll really wanna keep your eyes glued to
your monitor. There are three modes of play: Arcade, Exhibition, and
World Circuit. You'll probably be spending most of your time in the
World Circuit. But I'll explain the others. Arcade is where you pick one
character, and you beat five people. It sounds simple, but only a
master can do this. You can unlock a secret character if you beat it
without using any continues. Exhibition is where you pick your
character, the CPU, and where you play. You also get to choose the
amount of rounds you play, and the difficulty. World Circuit is where
you go around the world, participating in various tournaments, winning
money, and buying new stuff while increasing your rank. There are
different stores where you can buy new stages for Exhibition mode,
you can unlock new characters, hire a doubles partner, and even buy
new clothes! Doubles are extremely fun, especially if you're playing
with four people. Some things you need to do, like returning aces, and
lobbing balls into cans, actually improve your skill in the game! Each
time you clear a stage, you unlock a new one to play in.

Overall, if you like sports and want to try something new than pick this
up. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Try a little change of pace
and you'll be all set (no pun intended) for a great gaming experience!

Grades

Gameplay - 95%

Pure gold for Tennis fans, and a great way for others to learn more
about the sport. Doubles are extremely fun, and the World Circuit will
keep you occupied for a long time.

Graphics - 100%

Every tiny little detail you can think of, it's here. Ball Boys, nicely
animated sprite crowds, and smooth players enclose a wonderful
package.

Sound - 85%

This is where it takes a step down. Nice announcers, great crowd
reactions, and awesome sound effects meet horrid music.

Presentation - 90%

No intro, but tons of fun modes and a Sega Sports label make this the
first great tennis game!

Replay Value - 100%

Tons of players and arenas to unlock, a challenging Arcade mode, a
long World Circuit mode, and an Exhibition mode that you and your
friends will eat up---this will last so long you'll be growing ear hair by
the time you're done!

Overall - 95%

The Overall rating is not an average of the preceding scores.

Review by: IronKnux