| Friday, July 30, 2010 Login | Register | |||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Dreamcast Review | |||||||
Here's a type of game you don't see too often. There aren't many tennis games out there, and this is the Dreamcast's first. I haven't been a huge fan of sports games and didn't expect a great deal from this game. Boy, was I wrong. Sports is one of the most popular genres of games, and Sega knows this. Since they can't count on EA to make sports games for the Dreamcast, they took it upon themselves to make some and are doing a mighty fine good job of it too. Let's see what happens when we bring Sega's awesome game programming talent together with a sport that is very popular all around the world. Graphics The levels are very detailed and look very realistic. At first glance, if you didn't know you were looking at a game, you would think you were looking at an actual tennis court. Sega achieved a new level of realism here by paying a wealth of attention to detail. It's not only the tennis courts that are very convincing, but also the character animation and detail look spectacular. From when you're serving to when you are taking a dive for the ball, the animations are smooth and sweet. If I were to use two words to describe the graphics in Virtua Tennis, I would say "intensely realistic." Sound The sound effects in this game are exceptional. Each one sounds clean and distinct. It reminds of that time I had tea and crumpets at Wimbledon. The sound track is cool also. It's got that "Monday Night Tennis" rock and roll sound to it. "Are you ready for some Tennis?!" Gameplay As soon as you pick up Virtua Tennis, you take to the controls like a fish to water. It plays with the complexity of a fine sports game yet it's as easy to get into as a quarter munching arcade game. Virtua Tennis is great for everyone who likes addicting games that induce insomnia. Guy Kazama and I played this game for 12 hours straight without eating. When the clock struck 2 AM, I told Guy "Ok, I'm just playing one more round of doubles; then I'm going home to go to sleep." Three hours and four Jolt® colas later, I was still swinging my racquet. As easy as it is to get into the game, it's just as difficult to master. It will take you a long time to arrive at the Sega Championship level and beat it. Then you will want to play it all over again. Sega should have named this game Virtua Crack. Interface You have three choices of play. The first choice is arcade. In this mode, you get to play on all five different courts all the way to the Sega Championship. Taking the second choice, exhibition, allows you to tweak the game rules to your liking. Finally for the third option, circuit, you get to face opponents. Here you can win cash so you can go to the pro shops and buy cool stuff like new clothes, a partner, or even a new player. At these shops, you may also come across such items as sports beverages and replacement strings for your precious racquet. This game has a well-designed interface and will keep you busy for some time. Closing Thoughts If you are going to buy a sports game this year, definitely buy Virtua Tennis. You'll be a happy gamer with your investment. This game went from being just another review, to a game in my personal library. Sega really knows how to make a sports game addictive. Virtua Tennis turned me into a sports game fanatic. Thanks Sega! Col. Kadat July 29, 2000 | |||||||
|