Game, Set and Match: Sega?
Last week we had those nice people from Sega swing by GAME HQ, packing some serious gaming heat in the form of a Test PlayStation 3 and pre-production copies of some of their big-name 2007 titles. Top of the pile was Virtua Tennis 3; the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Dreamcast and PS2 classic Virtua Tennis 2, which plenty of people still think of as the greatest tennis sim going.
Now, despite this being on PS3, we were assured the differences to the Xbox 360 version were negligible. For one thing, the tilt control function of the PS3's Sixaxis pad wasn't active in this build, so instead of twisting and dipping the controller to guide players around the court, as will be the case in the final PS3 version, it was down to good old analogue sticks - just as it will be on Microsoft's next-gen machine.
Even Tim Henman's in here, so you can see him fail gloriously at Wimbledon in digital form too.
And if it looks this good on 360 (there really is no reason it shouldn't) then it truly will be something a bit special. Even in static screenshots it's a stunning looking game; player models are incredibly detailed down to every last strand of hair, with a distinctive hi-defintion sheen. Stadiums are equally impressive, and though the crowd still appears to be 2D, it's far less noticeable than before, creating an on-court spectator sport atmosphere in a way that Rockstar's Table Tennis never quite managed.
But still images pale in comparison to seeing Virtua Tennis 3 in full swing. Animation is a of a universally high standard; clothes ripple to match movements, the net shakes and shudders each time the ball clips it, and players themselves sprint, sidestep, smash, lunge and even dive headlong with energy and athleticism, enhancing the already ESPN-like presentation.
Indeed, were it not for the on-screen HUD, detailing player names, serve speed and such, you could quite easily be fooled into thinking this was a television presentation - something which the replays have a habit of doing. That's been said before about sports games of course, but never has it been more apt.
Despite the undeniable realism, however, Virtua Tennis 3 has also not lost its arcade roots. A colourful trail accompanies the ball everywhere it goes, and the energy bar-based service meter is as accessible as it ever was - one press still starts it rising, the second press stopping it, with a top speed serve requiring the bar be stopped at it's apex. Simple in principle, it's tricky to master, so you can't merely call upon an ace at will, in much the same way as in real-life tennis.
And that's an underlying factor in Virtua Tennis's general gameplay. While proving instantly pick-up-and-play, and certainly faster than it's nearest rival, Top Spin 2, it still boasts enough depth to have players dedicating hours towards learning each and every subtle nuance. With standard, lob, slice and top spin shots, there's no shortage of ways to ping your opponent about the court, and with a varied roster of baseline, serve-volley and all-around players from across the globe, there's a lot here to master.
The stars are out
The list of players isn't huge, but for the first time ever in a tennis game the world's biggest tennis stars are all together under one banner. On the women's side, that means the likes of current Wimbledon champ Amelie Mauresmo, former grasscourt queen Maria Sharapova, plus ex world number ones Lyndsay Davenport, Martina Hingis and Venus Williams.
However, it's the men's roster which most impresses, including Croatian sensation Mario Ancic, Americans James Blake, Taylor Dent and the big-serving Andy Roddick, Spaniards Juan Carlos Ferrero and current world number two Rafael Nadal, Aussie firebrand Lleyton Hewiit, and the planet's imperious number one player, Roger Federer. Even Tim Henman's in here, so you can see him fail gloriously at Wimbledon in digital form too.
Where Virtua Tennis 3 seems truly peerless is in how it's able to effortlessly capture each player's real-life strengths, weaknesses, preferences and playing styles, and encourage the player to approach the game as their chosen favourite would in real life.
Playing from the back court with Henman, for instance, is just asking for trouble, but your serving and chip-charge game will have to be nigh-on perfect for his preferred netplay to be of any effect. Likewise, taking a power approach with Hewitt from the middle of the court isn't advisable; he's a baseliner, and he's never better than when he's opening up the angles and running his opponent ragged from left to right with flat, hard backcourt strokes.
That's a tactic the left-handed Nadal also favours to great success in real life, albeit with ludicrous amounts of spin; and he's possibly the one player for whom, in Virtua Tennis 3, the top spin shot will prove most effective. Federer, meanwhile, is masterful in every position, so you'll have to concentrate hard to get anywhere near him.
Could well end up amongst the best sports games of 2007 - if not THE best.
These playing approaches appear to ape real life in way that's frankly a little bit eerie. Such is the speed of play and quality of animation that you'll often feel like you're right in the middle of a heated rivalry of the kind common in the game at the moment. Playing a multiplayer singles match as relative novices, there were more than a few times we saw Hewitt controlling a rally against Federer, only to hit a slightly short ball and have the Swiss pounce upon it - whipping a vicious on-the-run crosscourt topspin winner past the Aussie in a way ominously reminiscent of the pair's past few Grand Slam meetings.
That alone was more than enough to convince us of Virtua Tennis 3's credentials. It's that rare type of sports game that's both arcadey and realistic; immediately enjoyable while decidedly deep. We had a few gripes with the soundtrack - 'elevator music' would be an apt description - and some of the grasscourt textures looked a little more like fluffy carpet, but we could overlook that given how downright enjoyable the game proved.
There's also aspects we didn't get to see, from the returning Career Mode with its famed Create-a-Player feature, to promised online play and the social brilliance of multiplayer doubles matches. Virtua Tennis 3 is a game we can't wait to play more of - in fact, if the finished product matches this quality, we think it could well end up amongst the best sports games of 2007 - if not THE best. March can't come soon enough.
Preview by: Mark Scott
Version Tested: PS3
Preview Published: 08.12.06