Virtua Tennis 2009

New balls! Our verdict on Sega's sporty update.

	Version 360 (PS3, PC)	Developer Sega	Publisher Sega	Genre Sports

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There is a lot to like about the campaign mode however. There is the afore mentioned tennis academy, a shop to spend your hard-earned cash on pirate boots, sheriff hats and more powerful racquets and a wide variety of zany, good fun mini-games which also improve your tennis skills. Events pop up in your calendar throughout the year and your stamina bar drops for every one you participate in. Care must be taken to ensure you don’t over-exert yourself at tournaments and the academy by taking time to rest or face injury. It’s not the deepest managerial sim the world has ever seen, but choosing between resting for the next major event or trying to win some money for a tie-die t-shirt to wear to it resulted in a snapped tendon and 3 weeks on crutches for me!

Virtua Tennis 2009 has a wide selection of locations and courts, however the backdrops are often bland with very little animation from either the crowd or umpires in the background. Likewise the game offers a huge host of licensed players and a comprehensive character creation mode, but the resulting characters look more plastic than Barbie’s boyfriend Ken. Even the in-game Andy Murray in the game looks like a preview to his Madame Taussauds waxwork. This lack of graphical realism is made up for by the character animations. A tense match between two players can be a joy to watch.

Much like this year’s Street Fighter 4, Virtua Tennis 2009 comes into its own in multiplayer. Online functionality is excellent, with a choice of standard tennis play or competitive mini-game matches such as a Breakout-inspired wall destroyer game or smashing tennis balls into the bow of invading pirate ships. Needless the action is even better played locally where you can throw your controller off the floor and storm out the room shouting endless John McEnroe cliché’s at your partner.

Virtua Tennis 2009 arrives at a good time. The sporting season is reaching its climax and it’s been a long break from the previous instalment to get fans eager. While this is a solid title, it does nothing to make it a necessity. Rockstar’s Table Tennis and Top Spin invigorated what has been a staple genre since Pong and Virtua Tennis resolutely ignored lessons other games have been trying to teach. It’s difficult to give VT09 a high mark. None the less, the core gameplay mechanics are absolutely sound and fans will be pleased to break out the balls and get back into their swing.

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