In 2000, a tennis game by the name of Virtua Tennis for the Sega Dreamcast took the video-game industry by storm. Up until this point, the only viable option for tennis fans was Mario Tennis. Virtua Tennis marked a new era for the genre, boasting realistic physics and mind-blowing visuals for the time. A little over a year later, a sequel was released. While the formula was generally left untouched, the title was extremely well-received by fans and critics alike. Virtua Tennis 3 is the third installment in Sega’s innovative tennis series. Much akin to Tennis 2K2 for the Dreamcast, not a whole lot has been altered. Does the formula hold up, even in a time where there’s heated competition such as the Top Spin franchise?

Xbox 360 owners currently have two options to get their tennis fix: Top Spin 2 and Virtua Tennis 3. The former is home to a simulation-style gameplay, while Virtua Tennis 3 stays true to its predecessors by offering an arcade alternative that still pays reverence to the great sport of tennis.

World Tour, Virtua Tennis’ highly-acclaimed career mode, returns for yet another set. I’m happy to report it’s as enjoyable as ever, complete with insanely addictive and immersive mini-games and RPG-inspired training exercises. The primary goal with the mini-games and training courses is to develop your custom character into an all-around powerhouse. Luckily, gamers will have a blast accomplishing this objective. Your overall aim in World Tour mode is to become the number-one ranked player in professional tennis. This feat is achievable by winning both singles and doubles tournaments. In doubles tournaments, you will have to select a partner from one of the available pros.

The pro list is as follows – Male: Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, David Nalbandian, Tim Henman, Tommy Haas, James Blake, Lleyton Hewitt, Mario Ancic, Taylor Dent, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Sebastian Grosjean, Gael Monfils; Female: Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Amelie Mauresmo, Daniela Hantuchova, Nicole Vaidisova, Martina Hingis. In World Tour mode, you can only pair players of like genders, so choose accordingly when creating your character in the beginning.

In regard to Virtua Tennis 3’s create-a-player feature, you will have a number of options to shape your champ, including style of play, hair, height, weight, and mouth shape. To be completely honest though, Top Spin 2 had a much more extravagant and precise create-a-player mode. The one presented here isn’t too shabby, but don’t expect to be able to mold your character into anything you desire.

The main draw of this series, without a question, is its mini-games. There are 12 in total, and each and every one is a ravishingly fun occurrence – from Pin Crusher, otherwise known as bowling in the form of tennis, to Avalanche, where you’ll have to avoid rolling oversize tennis balls while collecting fruit for a high score. Other, more generic mini-games do exist, such as the self-explanatory Bull’s Eye, but the bulk of them provide pleasurable challenges anyone can sink their teeth into.

One of the main issues I had with Top Spin 2 was the inability to partake in its mini-games without two controllers. While the same may be true on the surface here, all of the mini-games available via multiplayer make an appearance in World Tour mode. One disappointment, however, is that none of the mini-games are playable online. This could have been true standout feature if executed correctly, but alas, Sega chose to keep their online aspect relatively simplistic.

Upon jumping onto the Xbox Live portion of Virtua Tennis 3, you’ll have the option to either participate in a ranked or unranked match. As opposed to Top Spin 2, you can play as any professional as well as your custom character in ranked games. In addition to these two choices, you will be given the ability to watch other matches, as well as the day’s best highlights and a channel dedicated to the highest ranked players. Those familiar with Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis will know what to anticipate with this mode, which is frankly only worth checking out for the achievement points.  

Earlier in the review, I made mention of this being a more arcade-style tennis game. This is due to two reasons: controls and physics. Starting with the controls, they’re exceedingly basic. You have your slice shots (X/B), top spin shot (A), and lob (Y). Drop shots can be executed by pulling a slice shot while aiming toward the front of your opponent’s net. The second reason is the often wacky physics. When I first booted up the game, I was taken aback by how high and unrealistically the ball bounces.

Graphically, Virtua Tennis 3 possesses some of the best character models in a tennis game. On the downside, the courts and environments are average at best. Additionally, the court selection isn’t all that spectacular. I would’ve liked to have seen some fantasy courts, especially taking into account the game’s arcade nature.

The audio is, hands down, the worst facet of the title. The music sounds like something out of a 1960s sci-fi film. In other words, it’s extremely annoying and repetitive. Sound-effects are well below average as well. The crowd literally sounds as if they’re a broken record, as they make the same expression every single point. 

At the end of the day, Virtua Tennis 3 holds true to its highly-touted reputation. It provides solid online multiplayer, a career mode bursting with life, and addictive mini-games fans have come to expect. You’ll need to put the sound on mute or throw on a custom soundtrack, but otherwise you’re looking at one of the best tennis games to date.

Gameplay: 8.2
It’ll take some time getting used to, but once you’re acclimated you’re in for a real treat.

Graphics: 7.1
Nothing to write home about, but the character models are close enough to their real-life counterparts.

Sound: 6.5
There’s no beating around the bush, Virtua Tennis 3 contains a horrendous soundtrack and terrible sound-effects.

Difficulty: Medium
World Tour begins fairly easy, but as you progress it becomes tougher and tougher. Online competition is downright fierce.

Concept: 8.0
Sequel or not, I welcome tennis games with open arms. It’s a much-needed mix-up from what we’re used to seeing released nowadays.

Multiplayer: 8.1
VT3’s Xbox Live portion doesn’t attempt anything out of the ordinary, but it gets the job done. Lag is unnoticeable on most connections.

Overall: 8.2
Taking into account how much Virtua Tennis 3 offers, it’s hard not to recommend.