Virtua Tennis 3: Good for the UNserious lot!

User Rating: 6.5 | Virtua Tennis 3 PS3
Virtua Tennis' biggest lure is its career mode, which is deeper than in previous games but still pretty basic when compared to most other sports games. You start by creating a male or female player using the game's character editor, which doesn't hold a candle to the one found in Tiger Woods but still gets the job done. After you select a spot on the globe for your home, it's time to start on your 20-year quest to go from the 300th-ranked player to the top-ranked player in the world. But you can't just rush out and take the top spot; you'll need to start by training your player. This can be done by going to tennis school or by playing minigames. Going to tennis school is a great way to learn the basics while at the same time leveling up your player. Here you're given a task, such as to hit a maximum-power forehand or finish a point with a smash. If you can do the task three times in the given time limit, the skills that you used in the test will be increased.

There is also a training school. Tennis school is fun, but not as much fun as the minigames, which, as always, are fantastic. Each minigame focuses on one of four aspects of your game: ground stroke, serve, volley, and footwork. A few games return, but most are slight variations or altogether new. Avalanche has you collect fruit and dodge large tennis balls that roll out of the back of a dump truck. In Drum Topple, you try and knock over stacked oil drums by hitting ground strokes. Prize Defender places you in front of a table filled with prizes, and you must protect the items by volleying away shots from the ball machines. In Pin Crusher, you try and knock down bowling pins with your serve. Each of the minigames starts easy, but as you get better, the games get more difficult. They're pretty punishing on the highest levels, but you can always choose a lower difficulty setting. This yields fewer points, but it keeps the game from being frustrating. If you really love the minigames or want to play them with your friends, a handful of them can be played with up to four players on the same console.

However, there are the bad points:

* Strikingly similar to the last game
* Lobs are worthless
* Volleying is inconsistent
* No online play.

So, the playing field is very even, but is a very good game. If you are the serious tennis player, this is NOT the ideal game, so go for Top Spin 3, but otherwise a good all rounder!