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The classic Sega tennis game gets an update in graphics and comes to the Windows OS

The classic Sega tennis game gets an update in graphics and comes to the Windows OS

Vote: (71 votes)

Program license: Paid

Developer: SEGA

Works under: Windows

Vote:

Program license

(71 votes)

Paid

Developer

SEGA

Works under:

Windows

Pros

  • Considering that the game came out in 2011, the graphics hold up pretty well.
  • Courts look fantastic.
  • Hilarious mini-games provide variety and keep players on their toes.
  • The gameplay maintains the visceral thrill that players have come to love.

Cons

  • Repeated animations get very boring, very quickly.
  • Motion controls could get frustrating.
  • Many extra bells and whistles - like the board game presentation of the world tour - distract from the core gameplay.

Virtua Tennis 4 was the latest game of the popular Virtua Tennis franchise.

The game was the first in the series to be unveiled straight on the console system and skip an arcade version. When it premiered in 2011, it appeared on all major consoles and Microsoft Windows. Unfortunately, it can no longer be downloaded from Steam. This wound up being the second to last version of Virtua Tennis released.

As an officially licensed franchise, Virtual Tennis 4 comes with a wide variety of players, stadiums, and locations, allowing players to play the game with any of their favorite stars from 2011.

These players were faithfully recreated in the game, as graphics were significantly improved from the previous versions. The courts look fantastic. The ball streaks, glows, and makes a solid thwack when you hit it. While the game still suffers from some graphical limitations of the time, graphics are, by and large, well-detailed and accurate representations of the faces of many modern-day tennis stars.

What does get frustrating is the animations. They are all identical, and this makes the players lose personality and vitality as you play. Also, it just gets absurdly repetitive. How many times can you watch a player raise their hands and clap?

In terms of gameplay, you can have hours of fun timing your shot just right. At its core, Virtua Tennis an arcade game, and as many critics noted, the fun in this one comes from hitting the ball as hard as you can, straight past your opponent. Unlike other sports games that force you to spend your time developing strategies and tactics, this one is simple: Hit the ball. Hard. Where the other guy isn't. Thankfully, the controls are fun and responsive.

Fortunately, the game offers players a wide variety of modes to play, including arcade, exhibition and career mode. You can also play a world tour and create your own character, complete with their own appearance and statistics. Online play also provided a welcome addition.

It was a sign of the times, but when this game first came out, it could be played via the various motion control systems of whatever console players used: Xbox Kinect, PlayStation Move or the Wii. As players of this console generation remember all too well, those controls could be exceptionally fun...or really janky.

In addition to the various in-game options, Virtua Tennis 4 offers a series of bizarre and fun mini-games that can help players practice and sharpen their skills. This includes serving into a soccer goal (complete with a soccer ball and goalie) and hitting the ball into a variety of playing cards.

Pros

  • Considering that the game came out in 2011, the graphics hold up pretty well.
  • Courts look fantastic.
  • Hilarious mini-games provide variety and keep players on their toes.
  • The gameplay maintains the visceral thrill that players have come to love.

Cons

  • Repeated animations get very boring, very quickly.
  • Motion controls could get frustrating.
  • Many extra bells and whistles - like the board game presentation of the world tour - distract from the core gameplay.