Virtua Tennis 3

Sega may be having a hard time keeping the Sonic franchise from becoming an endless string of unforgivably bad games, but thankfully, it appears the Virtua Tennis franchise has been spared the same fate.

Ever since the first title was released on the Dreamcast, Virtua Tennis has remained one of the best sports franchises ever.

You've Never Looked Better, Anna

While a game like Wii Sports focuses its attention more on cartoonish simplicity and motion-sensing controls, Virtua Tennis 3 skews towards the opposite end of the spectrum and delivers some amazingly-convincing visuals. Everything, from the impeccably rendered courts to the characters' wrinkled tennis shorts, comes together to in an impressive presentation package, especially if you have a 1080p enabled display. Watch the digitally-remastered trailer here.

The character models are also amazing, as are the stunningly fluid animations; not only do the characters "look" like the real thing, they "move" like the real thing as well. There aren't any jerky movements here, and the eagle-eyed will appreciate all the subtle details that Sega snuck in, like referees adjusting in their seats and the ball-catchers patting down the net before a serve. This really gives the impression that your matches are taking place in a dynamic arena rather than a pre-staged environment.

Keep It Simple

But as great as the on-court action is, VT3 would quickly get long in the tooth were it not for the diverse and entertaining selection of mini-games. These quirky diversions are not only fun but they also help improve your characters abilities in the World Tour mode. The bowling mini-game, for example, helps improve your serve while another game, in which you avoid giant boulders while collecting fruit, upgrades your footwork. Other modes include the standard tournament and exhibition as well as a bevy of multiplayer challenges, but the real appeal is the World Tour mode where you create your own customizable character and move your way up to the top of the pros.

Of course, all of this would be for naught if the game didn't feature tight controls, and thankfully, this has always been a strength of the series. VT3's intuitive and easy-to-use control layout makes it easy for beginners to pick up and start playing while providing plenty of options for more seasoned players. You have the option of using the Sixaxis' motion-sensing abilities but given how good the standard layout is, it's hard to recommend it.

Fault!

I should note that VT3 does stumble in a few parts. Because the character models are so impressive, minor flaws suddenly become glaring issues--I'm talking about things like hair clipping through shoulders and the zombie-like stares that are affixed to all the faces. Also troubling is the constant presence of loading screens, which you think wouldn't be an issue in the year 2007.

Still, these problems shouldn't keep interested players from enjoying what is without a doubt an outstandingly well-made game. Its technically impressive visuals, easy to learn but hard to master gameplay, and great selection of mini-games makes Virtua Tennis 3 an ace.

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BajaDog

First. I have a demo 4 this game and I love it. As soon as I can find it stores I'm buying it.

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