Virtua Tennis 3

New balls, please.

Source // MobyGames

I'm not a fan of tennis. I've already said that in the previous tennis games we've played on this 1001 list, going all the way back to Super Tennis on the SNES. It's just not a sport that excites me, and so any video game adaptation has a hard time to win me over - with the exception of silly tennis games, I guess. Mario Power Tennis, perhaps.

The next game to try is Virtua Tennis 3. From the looks of it, there's not a lot of silly happening here.

Source // MobyGames

Fun Times

I'm playing the PlayStation 3 port of Virtua Tennis 3, which I read comes with more bells and whistles than the Arcade original. How does tennis in an arcade work, anyway? Buttons or rackets? Surely buttons...

The introduction video tries really hard to make tennis exciting, but I'm more impressed by the video as a whole than the actual content. That's me being stubborn, I'm sure. With a number of options available on the main menu, I dive into the World Tour, which isn't a bunch of tournaments strung together, but an actual create-a-player and take them from zero to hero journey.

Source // MobyGames

Because I don't have my own screenshots, I'm cobbling them together from various ports, but I'm able to take you on my journey quite well. It starts with this fancy world map where you can plop your home down wherever you see fit and start your quest to become the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen.

Around the globe are various icons, mostly representing little mini-games to improve your stats. Spotting a training academy, I'm thrown into a challenge that tests my skill at tennis.

Source // MobyGames

Frustrations

I was hoping this was a section of the planet that would, you know, teach me how to play tennis, but it isn't. It assumes I already know how to play Virtua Tennis 3, and tasks me with fulfilling an objective within a time limit.

Now, actually playing this game is easy. You've only got four buttons to return shots with, and one of them is a duplicate of the other. Couple that with the movement stick and you can be playing tennis in seconds - run towards the ball, jab a face button, repeat.

But what on Earth is a groundstroke and how do I hit it at max power? It wasn't long before I just abandoned the training academy altogether and went off to find a tournament to play in instead.

Only, I couldn't find one. Time had progressed in my world tour and there were no competitions. I'd have to train or play.

Source // MobyGames

There are a bunch of mini-games available, from the obvious target practice modes to the less obvious. Repelling 'alien invaders'. Bowling. Collecting huge fruit while dodging giant tennis balls. No, I do not kid.

Source // MobyGames

Source // MobyGames

Source // MobyGames

Further Fun Times

These modes practically changed my view of Virtua Tennis 3 on the spot. Yeah, it sucked that I didn't know what it wanted me to do in the academy, but here, dodging giant balls was clearly advantageous to collecting huge fruit, and as a result, I was improving my footwork stats, which would improve my chances of success on the court.

These mini-games, bizarre though they are, were letting me enjoy playing a tennis game. They were the bridge between the fun of Mario Power Tennis and the seriousness of Rockstar Presents Table Tennis, and the game as a whole controlled like a bridge too - easy for newcomers, with depth for those who want to explore it too.

Source // MobyGames

After one mini-game, a tournament I wasn't eligible for opened up, but after a few more mini-games, I was able to enter a small tournament. It was on clay, I think, and round one was against Rafa Nadal. Me, ranked 300 in this world tour, versus Rafa Nadal, who I'd imagine is ranked much closer to the top.

My notes for the match are as follows: "Fucking hell, this rally is going on for DAYS." And it was. It was so easy to return shots but so hard for those shots to make an impact. I'm sure, with an understanding of how the mechanics actually worked, that I could be putting more power into my swings, or fine-tuning my aim or something, but my points were scored largely by Nadal being too cocky and putting himself out of position because he wanted to look good diving for the cameras.

While scoring points took forever, I was - almost sad to say it - having fun with the boring normal tennis stuff as well. This is an alarming thing to learn, and as the tournament went on and I ended up winning it, I had to admit that Virtua Tennis 3 had probably won me over.

Source // PlayStation

Source // MobyGames

The presentation isn't phenomenal - players look mostly like their real-life counterparts, the men more so than the women - but it's certainly nothing to moan about. While players are licensed, venues aren't. You can play at Wimbledon in all but name, and it looks great. You're only really watching the ball and the court lines anyway, right?

Source // MobyGames

Source // MobyGames

I ended my session with a mixed doubles match, Henman/Sharapova vs Hewitt/Vaidisova, where I really saw how ineffective I was with the controls. While I, as Henman, could more or less keep the game going, Sharapova was the point scorer, often smashing the ball home. We didn't win in the end - my head clearly can't cope with more than two people on the court at once - but I still had a good time. In a tennis game. The world has gone mad.

Final Word

I've not played a whole lot of Virtua Tennis 3, but I wouldn't rule out playing it again. I really wouldn't. It's not an urgent must-play game, and it's unlikely that I'll ever find myself in the frame of mind where I'd really want to be playing a tennis sim right now, but if I ever was, then Virtua Tennis 3 would be a fine choice indeed.

A mix of fun and simulation, you can get into a game in no time at all, and stick around for a few more - assuming you can actually end some rallies and score some points. I recommend it. It's not going to be for everyone, but it's a nice little game nonetheless.

Fun Facts

Apparently, you could use the Sixaxis motion controls to play the PS3 port. I didn't even see such an option in the menus.

Virtua Tennis 3, developed by Sega AM3, first released in 2006.

Version played: PlayStation 3, 2007.