What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that there is no controversial content
in this "E"-rated tennis game. And don't worry about foul
language -- John McEnroe isn't a playable character in the
game! This is a game that can be enjoyed by the entire family,
regardless of skill level, age, or gender. Parents of kids
under age 12 playing on the Xbox 360 will want to pay attention
to the online aspect of multi-player gaming. Common Sense Media
does not recommend
online
play for anyone under age 12.
Families can talk about what makes a sports game good. Is it the ability to play against the pros, or is playing against your friends and family more important? If the whole family plays together, who was the last hold-out to join in and why? Who was the most competitive, and did he or she win more often?
Common Sense Media Review
What better way to unwind after a tough day at school or the
office than by playing tennis against the likes of Federer,
Williams, Sharapova, and Roddick? You can -- virtually
speaking, of course -- if you own a Microsoft Xbox 360 or Sony
PlayStation 3, and VIRTUA TENNIS 3 from Sega. In fact,
Virtua Tennis 3 looks so realistic, passersby might
think it's a televised match.
From the main menu, players can choose from a number of game modes: World Tour, where you can create your own player and begin to compete around the globe to achieve top ranking; Tournament, a five-match singles or three-match doubles game against computer-controlled players; Exhibition, a single-match mode for 1-4 players on the same TV; Court Games, a collection of 12 minigames for 2-4 players (including the fun arcade-style Alien Attack ); and Tennis Academy, a tutorial mode with training tips and challenges.
In the Xbox 360 version, the one played for this review, you can also engage in online matches with up to eight friends in cyberspace (via Xbox Live; $49.99 a year), but this option is curiously absent from the PlayStation 3 version. The PS3 version, however, offers "true" high-definition graphics (1080p support), though the Xbox 360 looks about as good. Both games offer near photorealistic visuals with incredibly detailed players and courts, authentic "camera" angles, and ultra-fluid animation.
Serving, lobbing, slicing, and smashing the ball are fairly easy. You use the left analog stick to move the player around the court, anticipating where the ball will land and then pressing a button for the desired shot: A for topspin, B or X for a defensive slice, or Y for a lob shot when the opponent is near the net. After pressing the shot button, use the left stick again to determine the shot's direction. When playing doubles with A.I. (artificial intelligence) players, you can give offensive or defensive instructions to your computer-controlled partner with one of the four "trigger" buttons on the shoulders of the Xbox 360 controller.
The World Tour mode is the meat and potatoes of Virtua Tennis 3, which lets players first build a male or female pro by selecting from hundreds of options for facial features and color, hair, height and weight, racket color and uniform, and even play style (left- or right-handed, backhand style, and posture). Then it's time to create a name and select a home base by rotating the world and picking a country.
After that, it's game time: Travel around the world and take on competitors, view your tour calendar, and read incoming email from within the game (with advice from your coach and the odd snarky remark from rival players). As you win matches and master your volleys and footwork, you can also earn apparel, equipment, and unlock other goodies.
The game contains 25 courts to play on (grass, carpet, clay, or hard), in countries such as the U.S., France, England, Australia, Argentina, Canada, and Japan. It features 20 tennis stars, including Roger Federer, Amelie Mauresmo, Andy Roddick, Tommy Haas, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova.
There's a lot to love about Virtua Tennis 3 as Sega has served up a gorgeous and challenging tennis game with plenty of modes and customizability.
Other recommended tennis games include 2K Sports' Top Spin 2 and Rockstar Games' Table Tennis. Wii Sports also offers a great hands-on way to play tennis with four of your friends.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
