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Virtua Tennis: World Tour Review
Written by Robert Falcon on Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Addictive gameplay and lots of fun options to mess with.
I don't know. You tell me!
I admit it, I'm a tennis addict. Sure, I don't play the sport too well, and aside from the occasional ogling of Maria Sharapova I don't really watch it that much on TV. But anytime I run across a Virtua Tennis game by Sega I can't get enough of it. So far, the series has done well, with the original debuting on the Dreamcast years ago and becoming an enormous success. The sequel Tennis 2K2 followed on the Dreamcast and PS2, gathering even more greatness along the way with better mini-games and more professional players thrown into the mix, namely the Williams sisters.
Now we come across the best version of Virtua Tennis yet, the handheld delight that is World Tour. It's a rousing success merely for the reason that the formula hasn't been changed, yet the developers have included even more goodies to keep players busy for hours on end. If the tournament doesn't draw you in, the mini-games will. If the mini-games don't draw you in, the multiplayer play will. If the multiplayer doesn't draw you in, the tournament and single player mode will. No matter which direction you head, you can't lose unless you just totally despise tennis.
Like the previous game, you basically have a set-up that allows you to see the entire court. The close-up view has been removed from this version, but it's no biggie. After all, the wide angle view is better so you can get a look at the entire court and keep an eye on the ball, which moves like a bright yellow streak. You then choose from your players, which includes a wide variety of pro players including Ms. Sharapova herself, as well as world champion Andy Roddick among others. Then you take to the court, and here's where this game truly shines.
The gameplay is still a treat, and it's surprising how Sumo Digital has managed to capture Hitmaker's thunder from year's past. Your service meter is still here along with a power gauge that follows your backswing and lets you decisively hit the ball with just the right amount of power. From there, the controls are excellent whether using the digital pad or analog stick. This is a big surprise, as you usually have to adjust to the analog stick in order to get any kind of gameplay down. But here, everything feels second nature. The way you can slam the ball down or go for a casual lob is a nice touch, and you can even choose between singles or doubles, adding a partner to the mix for an even more unpredictable match.
The game looks better than it ever has, running at a smooth 60 frames per second, even in the replays. There's only the occasional hiccup here and there to hinder the performance, but chances are you probably won't even notice. The characters animate beautifully and have features that are faithful to their real-life counterparts. The menu system is also helpful and easy to get around, giving you lots of options like the type of game you want and the kind of court you want to play on. Trust me, clay works better.
As far as sound, it won't amaze, but it too has that Virtua kink to it. The music is energetic if unmemorable, and the sound effects are absolutely perfect, capturing the "thwack" of the ball against the rackets and ground and the players who let their emotions run loose. The announcer is brief and to the point, and doesn't try to mute the affair with useless psycho-babble. It's awesome.
Now we get to the meat of the product, and the thing that gives it damn near unlimited replay value; the extras. Along with being able to compete in single player exhibition rounds, you can also take part in a tournament, giving you the chance to score some serious cash. The World Tour comes to life, giving you not only a number of key match-ups that will make you a greater player, but also access to a number of engaging mini-games that hit the spot. There's block breaking, fruit collecting (and you thought Pac-Man had it tough), and more, and they can all be revisited in case you don't get a round just right. I really liked this in the earlier games and here it's even more splendid.
On top of this, Virtua Tennis fans will be happy to know that Sumo knows that the multiplayer aspect is very important, so they included online play through Wi-Fi for up to four players. This is absolutely kick-ass, not only because the gameplay remains smooth but there's human players at work here, using different tactics than you might expect from the competent computer AI. Multiplayer is what really makes this game take off, so see if you can track down three friends who own a PSP and a copy of the game. That shouldn't be too hard.
Virtua Tennis: World Tour is one of the best PSP games of the year. It's definitely a party favorite, and I hope Sega keeps the tempo up for future franchises.
posted October 31, 2005