quentinPlaystation 3 - Virtua Tennis 3: IGN vs 1up
March 26th 2007 03:55
Sport simulations play a big role in the gaming console wars. IGN (www.ign.com) and 1up (www.1up.com) are two of the biggest industry commentators.
Today Sport Talk compares IGN and 1up's review of Virtua Tennis 3, a game which heralded from the Dreamcast era and has evolved steadily since.
1up:
The king of the court no more.
Virtua Tennis 3 is reminiscent of modern-day gym classes where kids jump rope without the rope. You'll rarely, if ever, commit an unforced error, thus, it's a perfect game for those who live in fear of failure (for the record, we want to trip those delicately egoed people with a tennis racquet).
That's not to say VT3 isn't fun -- it's a blast, in fact. But, like Richie Tenenbaum's mental game, it does have issues. The biggest problem is the incessant diving that keeps the ball in play. Players will lay out like Boris Becker at Wimbledon, but instead of an occasionally reckless dive, they can go headlong three or four times per rally. The court surface doesn't intimidate them, either. They'll even dive on the hard court -- and why not? There are no repercussions, not a skinned knee nor a shredded elbow.
The obnoxious diving paired with the lack of unforced errors results in unrealistically lengthy rallies. You can get into back-and-forths that last over 25 hits each on a regular basis if two skilled players are going head-to-head. Along the way, so many win-worthy hits are denied. One of the keys to success is hitting the ball at full power -- which is done by holding the button a very long time, which will allow your player to unleash his (or her) fury on the ball. To get that kind of hit, you also need to stand still for the duration of the button press. The mechanic is too simple, and after a few hours of these rallies, your saddle joint will be sore and your thumb will be as flat as a nickel.
The good news is that each point becomes a game within a game -- just like in real tennis. It's great fun to trip up your opponent by hitting the ball down the line when they're expecting you to smack it crosscourt. Unfortunately, the net play is broken. Instead of knifing the ball down, you sort of loft it up with each net hit, making it easy to return.
But gameplay gripes aside, the biggest "What the...!?" is the complete omission of generic players. It might sound odd, clamoring for fake people to be inserted into the game, but it really screws up the career mode as you'll only play against pros. That would be fine if Sega had licensed 200 players, but instead they licensed 20. In career mode, you start out as the 300-ranked player and your opponents play to your level...even Roger Federer, the greatest tennis player since Björn Borg, and possibly the best ever. But at the 300 level, you'll smack him around, completely clown him -- he may not even score a point. Then, as you advance to the 200 or 100 ranking level, he'll turn you inside out. You'll get used to it, but it's a pretty significant oversight. What's more annoying is when these pros will come "chat" with you between matches -- it's supposed to be a reward when Rafael Nadal acknowledges that you're up-and-coming, but the effect is lost when he just moves his mouth while generic text shows up at the bottom of the screen. The minigames make up for that, but there's nothing new -- if you're a VT aficionado, you've seen it all before.
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.
IGN:
Good shot, bad luck, and hell are the five basic words to remember... some more amplified than others.
I'm convinced that AM2 has an aversion to online play. The talented, but network-phobic developer left the much-needed functionality out of last month's Virtua Fighter 5 and missed it again with its latest PS3 project, Virtua Tennis 3. After all, the Brits from Sumo Digital included Xbox Live support for the 360 version, so why not keep up with the Joneses and put it in the PlayStation 3 code as well?
That's one of the two biggest mysteries you'll find in Virtua Tennis 3; the other being how many times you can experience déjà vu before realizing this is essentially the same thing you played with Virtua Tennis 2 (and Virtua Tennis 1). In other words, don't expect Virtua Tennis 3 to shake the foundations of athletic innovation.
Virtua Tennis 3 is essentially the same game we've played for years.Like most successful sports franchises, however, Virtua Tennis 3 has a solid foundation to build on. The arcade-inspired gameplay makes jumping into a match as easy as pressing start and the three-button setup has a surprising amount of flexibility. Simple hits like lobs, slices, and top spins can be modified into smashes, drops, and running shots based on player position and the amount of time a button is held; when you factor in variable player stats and multiple surface types, you get a pretty good game of tennis.
Truth be told, playing lob wars with a buddy is actually rather fun -- even if it does feel familiar. Whether you're smashing back and forth in a singles match or teaming up with three others for a doubles competition, there's real entertainment value here; in fact, some matches can get downright intense. When two or more advanced players are butting heads, it isn't uncommon to see 30-stroke volleys that involve every racket motion known to man. Diehard fans should feel right at home.
World Tour mode is the deepest feature in the game.The new and improved World Tour Mode is a nice distraction as well. That's a good thing since it's the likely spot that most folks will spend the majority of their time with it. One big advantage is that it's a hell of a lot deeper than the career mode of Virtua Tennis 2. To be more specific, this particular version adds a sim-like stamina meter, extra mini-games, various practice challenges, and a formal "Tennis Academy" that fine tunes your attributes and skills. Putting it all together makes for quite a few game years of net play and plenty of opportunity to mold the kind of player you want.
Surprisingly, creating your own character is actually the most entertaining proposition that Virtua Tennis brings to the table. Though the facial modification and accessory options are limited, enhancing their skills via the Tennis Academy (timed shot challenges) and the mini-games is quite addictive. Finding an excuse to avoid boulder-sized tennis balls while capturing fruit to improve your footwork or blowing up orb-shooting robots to better your stroke is a smart and surreal way to pass the time. Being able to influence what sort of tendencies your alter ego has (big server, fast runner, etc) is a nice touch too.
Visually, Virtua Tennis 3 isn't so bad either. The animations are far more fluid than they have been in previous iterations, and the 1080p support means that showing off that expensive new plasma TV won't be problem. What baffles me, though, is why SEGA only allowed the game to look good when the camera is top-down on the action. Once between-set "reactionary movies" play, the repeated animations grow old after only a few matches and the super-wrinkly faces make players look like modern-day Thunderbird puppets instead of people. The poor conversation scenes aren't so hot either.
Mini-games like Avalanche are a lot of fun.Those few presentational snafus aren't so bad on their own, but there are a couple more that can't help but be noticed. Why is it, for instance, that you begin your career at rank 300 but can only play against 13 men and seven women? Were generic players not considered? You can make a fake guy any time you want, why can't the computer? It's also rather disappointing that the game is a total push-over until you're ranked 100 or so (several hours into the career) and that you can't play single-player mini-games unless you're in the World Tour. Sure the option to participate in mini-games is on the main menu, mind you, but it's only there for multiplayer. That's sort of weird.
Closing Comments
SEGA's decade-old tennis engine is so good that it still makes for a decent time-waster all these years later. Despite its few refinements and lack of network play, the game's user-friendly mechanics and fast-paced arcade style can't be ignored. There's no doubt that Virtua Tennis 3 is a strong pickup for casual sports fans or dedicated SEGAphies, but for those of us who played its predecessors, it may be a little too familiar.
Scores:
1up: 7.3
IGN: 7.3
Today Sport Talk compares IGN and 1up's review of Virtua Tennis 3, a game which heralded from the Dreamcast era and has evolved steadily since.
1up:
The king of the court no more.
Virtua Tennis 3 is reminiscent of modern-day gym classes where kids jump rope without the rope. You'll rarely, if ever, commit an unforced error, thus, it's a perfect game for those who live in fear of failure (for the record, we want to trip those delicately egoed people with a tennis racquet).
The obnoxious diving paired with the lack of unforced errors results in unrealistically lengthy rallies. You can get into back-and-forths that last over 25 hits each on a regular basis if two skilled players are going head-to-head. Along the way, so many win-worthy hits are denied. One of the keys to success is hitting the ball at full power -- which is done by holding the button a very long time, which will allow your player to unleash his (or her) fury on the ball. To get that kind of hit, you also need to stand still for the duration of the button press. The mechanic is too simple, and after a few hours of these rallies, your saddle joint will be sore and your thumb will be as flat as a nickel.
The good news is that each point becomes a game within a game -- just like in real tennis. It's great fun to trip up your opponent by hitting the ball down the line when they're expecting you to smack it crosscourt. Unfortunately, the net play is broken. Instead of knifing the ball down, you sort of loft it up with each net hit, making it easy to return.
But gameplay gripes aside, the biggest "What the...!?" is the complete omission of generic players. It might sound odd, clamoring for fake people to be inserted into the game, but it really screws up the career mode as you'll only play against pros. That would be fine if Sega had licensed 200 players, but instead they licensed 20. In career mode, you start out as the 300-ranked player and your opponents play to your level...even Roger Federer, the greatest tennis player since Björn Borg, and possibly the best ever. But at the 300 level, you'll smack him around, completely clown him -- he may not even score a point. Then, as you advance to the 200 or 100 ranking level, he'll turn you inside out. You'll get used to it, but it's a pretty significant oversight. What's more annoying is when these pros will come "chat" with you between matches -- it's supposed to be a reward when Rafael Nadal acknowledges that you're up-and-coming, but the effect is lost when he just moves his mouth while generic text shows up at the bottom of the screen. The minigames make up for that, but there's nothing new -- if you're a VT aficionado, you've seen it all before.
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.
IGN:
Good shot, bad luck, and hell are the five basic words to remember... some more amplified than others.
I'm convinced that AM2 has an aversion to online play. The talented, but network-phobic developer left the much-needed functionality out of last month's Virtua Fighter 5 and missed it again with its latest PS3 project, Virtua Tennis 3. After all, the Brits from Sumo Digital included Xbox Live support for the 360 version, so why not keep up with the Joneses and put it in the PlayStation 3 code as well?
That's one of the two biggest mysteries you'll find in Virtua Tennis 3; the other being how many times you can experience déjà vu before realizing this is essentially the same thing you played with Virtua Tennis 2 (and Virtua Tennis 1). In other words, don't expect Virtua Tennis 3 to shake the foundations of athletic innovation.
Virtua Tennis 3 is essentially the same game we've played for years.Like most successful sports franchises, however, Virtua Tennis 3 has a solid foundation to build on. The arcade-inspired gameplay makes jumping into a match as easy as pressing start and the three-button setup has a surprising amount of flexibility. Simple hits like lobs, slices, and top spins can be modified into smashes, drops, and running shots based on player position and the amount of time a button is held; when you factor in variable player stats and multiple surface types, you get a pretty good game of tennis.
Truth be told, playing lob wars with a buddy is actually rather fun -- even if it does feel familiar. Whether you're smashing back and forth in a singles match or teaming up with three others for a doubles competition, there's real entertainment value here; in fact, some matches can get downright intense. When two or more advanced players are butting heads, it isn't uncommon to see 30-stroke volleys that involve every racket motion known to man. Diehard fans should feel right at home.
World Tour mode is the deepest feature in the game.The new and improved World Tour Mode is a nice distraction as well. That's a good thing since it's the likely spot that most folks will spend the majority of their time with it. One big advantage is that it's a hell of a lot deeper than the career mode of Virtua Tennis 2. To be more specific, this particular version adds a sim-like stamina meter, extra mini-games, various practice challenges, and a formal "Tennis Academy" that fine tunes your attributes and skills. Putting it all together makes for quite a few game years of net play and plenty of opportunity to mold the kind of player you want.
Surprisingly, creating your own character is actually the most entertaining proposition that Virtua Tennis brings to the table. Though the facial modification and accessory options are limited, enhancing their skills via the Tennis Academy (timed shot challenges) and the mini-games is quite addictive. Finding an excuse to avoid boulder-sized tennis balls while capturing fruit to improve your footwork or blowing up orb-shooting robots to better your stroke is a smart and surreal way to pass the time. Being able to influence what sort of tendencies your alter ego has (big server, fast runner, etc) is a nice touch too.
Visually, Virtua Tennis 3 isn't so bad either. The animations are far more fluid than they have been in previous iterations, and the 1080p support means that showing off that expensive new plasma TV won't be problem. What baffles me, though, is why SEGA only allowed the game to look good when the camera is top-down on the action. Once between-set "reactionary movies" play, the repeated animations grow old after only a few matches and the super-wrinkly faces make players look like modern-day Thunderbird puppets instead of people. The poor conversation scenes aren't so hot either.
Mini-games like Avalanche are a lot of fun.Those few presentational snafus aren't so bad on their own, but there are a couple more that can't help but be noticed. Why is it, for instance, that you begin your career at rank 300 but can only play against 13 men and seven women? Were generic players not considered? You can make a fake guy any time you want, why can't the computer? It's also rather disappointing that the game is a total push-over until you're ranked 100 or so (several hours into the career) and that you can't play single-player mini-games unless you're in the World Tour. Sure the option to participate in mini-games is on the main menu, mind you, but it's only there for multiplayer. That's sort of weird.
Closing Comments
SEGA's decade-old tennis engine is so good that it still makes for a decent time-waster all these years later. Despite its few refinements and lack of network play, the game's user-friendly mechanics and fast-paced arcade style can't be ignored. There's no doubt that Virtua Tennis 3 is a strong pickup for casual sports fans or dedicated SEGAphies, but for those of us who played its predecessors, it may be a little too familiar.
Scores:
1up: 7.3
IGN: 7.3
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