Virtua Tennis 3

Although past versions of Virtua Tennis have always exhibited a finely tuned but "arcadey" feel, VT3 is a full bodied simulation. This new outing from Sega AM3's ever appealing sports series is a deeper, more demanding and serious beast than ever before and yet easily manages to maintain the 'fun' factor that is synonymous with the series.

It’s basically the same game we’ve been playing for the past five or six years, but it’s received a nice visual upgrade and it’s hard to knock a game too much for repeating such a consistently enjoyable performance.

No giant leap for the series, but enough improvements to be a must-buy for VT fans...Our only major complaint is the absence of online play. [Mar 2007, p.66]

The game is as close to Pong as the London Philharmonic Orchestra is to a caveman banging a rudimentary drum and, continuing that analogy, Virtua Tennis 3 is just as primal and instinctive as its most ancient of relatives.

Falls a little shy of what we had expected, but it still delivers a solid tennis experience. It remains far too easy on just about every level, and that's not helped by the erratic difficulty in those silly challenges, which are over-emphasized throughout the first few hours of play.

A fast, frantic, and high-octane style of tennis. If this sounds like fun then you will feel right at home. Anyone looking for a more realistic approach will want to find another source.

In the end, the sharp graphics trump the competition (2K Sports' "Top Spin 2"), but the oversights in gameplay and the pros-only career mode hold Virtua Tennis back from being a must-play. For a quick knock-around with friends, this can't be beat, but for a deeper, more authentic tennis experience, go with "Top Spin 2."