User Reviews (1 - 11 of 102)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Terrible game

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 17
Date: July 12, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is one of the worst arcade to console translation ever. The control is sloppy with either the digital or the analog control pad. AND THE COMPUTER CHEATS ALL THE TIME! I would give this game zero stars if i could, but one star is the best I can do. The people giving this game five stars obviously haven't play the game yet. Terrible, terrible game.....

doesn't work with Windows XP

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 8
Date: May 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I ordered this game, but cannot make any comments about it because I haven't played it yet. Why? Because the damn thing doesn't function with Windows XP!I have tried everything, am an experienced computer user, have played other PC tennis games, but for some reason, it is not compatible with XP. If someone out there can give me some information on how to use this game with XP, I wish you would e-mail me at jrryns@syd.eastlink.ca...on the box it says that it IS compatible with XP, but I'll believe it when I see it ..... I would like to use it with Microsoft Sidewinder plug n play, but I can't even get out of the starting gate. If you are using this game with Windows, please send me as much detailed description of how to get it going as you can.....Jerlaw

Most unrealistic tennis game I have ever played

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 11
Date: August 31, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The graphics are great, but that is it. There are very few players. No women. Why? Jim Courier is supposedly the best player in the game! What a laugh. I would rather play as mario or toadstool. When you are playing doubles you might as well be playing with a braindead cripple. Your partner is constantly making horrible plays. The control is decent. It seems like you can never hit a lob back, yet in singles the computer ALWAYS smashes them back. They should have just taken the lob function out of the game as far as i'm concerned. It was fun for the first day or so. My advice don't buy this awful game!

Fun for a while but where are the options?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: August 29, 2000
Author: Amazon User

When I first got this game I was seriously addicted and couldn't get enough of it. But now its just another game sitting in my collection. As you might have heard the graphics in this game are top knotch just like any other DC game. The gameplay is also very easy for beginners to pick up since there's only 2 buttons you use in the game. Yet the game severely lacks the options that are required for this type of game. The #1 flaw is that you can only play a match of 1 set. For a proffessional tennis game this is just plain ridiculous. What happened to the best of 3 or 5? Secondly, there's no option to play a full grand slam tournament. The World Circuit Mode is ok, but I would like the chance to play the full Wimbledon or French Open rather than just single matches. Also for the controls they really could have added a spin shot in addition the lob and stroke buttons. As for the players in the game (18 of them), I really think Sega could have gone the extra mile and included Sampras, Agassi, Rafter, Hingis, Williams sisters, and Kournikova. The 8 players we get are mostly people who nobody's ever heard about (except for "Has-Been" Courier). The other 10 are imaginiary characters. In my books Super Tennis for SNES is still the best game for this sport.

... Incorrect Virtua Tennis

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 6
Date: August 22, 2000
Author: Amazon User

For a game that claims to honor a great sport, Virtua Tennis is not! Where are the great talents of the women(Williams sisters)etc, Chang and all the others that should be included in the game so that the Game Player can have the challenge of playing men against women ,women against women and create a possibly superb game almost like NBA SHOWTIME! What a waste to have a female impersonate a male, especially, when there is no other choice! What a disrespectful act towards women, Chang and any one else that should be included!

shallow, shallow, shallow...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: September 14, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Don't get me wrong, this game has a lot going for it... for about a week. Obviously this is an arcade game, and as a result the long-term gameplay suffers. I had a lot of fun with the "world" mode, but after a certain time period, the practice sessions were determined by dumb luck, and the singles/doubles matches were just too unforgiving. Leaving you with a customizable, though pointless and boring exhibition mode, and an arcade mode that simply lined up 8 matches against 8 players in 8 different locales. Though 2-player games are always fun.

The money system used in the "world" mode is great, until you've bought everyone/place/thing. Then, it's merely an exercise in frustration with random training courses, and impossible matches. The graphics here are superb, as is the control (mostly) especially since the computer often cheats FOR you in order to get far away shots. But the option of only 2 volley styles (standard & lob) makes any sort of strategy a moot point, and games typically devolve into ragged run-fests.

My advice: by all means rent this title, as I have had loads of fun with it, and I don't believe a better tennis title (besides Mario Tennis) has been released since Super Tennis on SNES or ATP Tennis on Genesis. But beware that the fun is irritatingly short-lived, as in any arcade port (Crazi Taxi also suffered from this problem.)

not quite a clean ace

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 15, 2000
Author: Amazon User

well i am a tennisjunkie so i grade this with a lot of detail. there are just 10 topplayers and thats it and women are excluded! the graphics are great but replays are very odd that you cant control and up close the players look like werewolves, for real. gameplay becomes very predictable according to the level you play. also what struck me is the fact that all the players never shank a ball, always clean and almost never out or net.if you dont have a vmu thing to save what you've done, then forget about buying this one. you lose everything you have accomplished. the players dive for balls as often as you would blink your eyes! even if they are way out of reach, they do it anyway and the crowd acts as if it has no clue what is going on. they're just robots. lobs are as annoying as insects in your face. you always miss them and again unfortunately the crowd reacts only when the ball bounces twice when you know for sure you aint winning that point. every point they pump their fists with joy and happiness that becomes redundant and annoying. oh yeah by the way, players don't sacrifice their bodies(maybe on grass) but not on the hardcourts! that would result in injuries!basically this game is not realistic but fun to play against someone else like your brother or sister. for the rest it is a dissapointment and i hope next time they take more time to create a superb game.

An Unexpected Surprise

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 34 / 37
Date: August 07, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Not many tennis games keep me interested for long, but this isn't the case with the addictive play in VIRTUA TENNIS. The graphics are stunning as players look lifelike and the courts truly look as though you're playing at Wimbeldon or the French Open. The gameplay is simple, but also presents a challenge to master, especially in heated two-player matches. The two-player singles matches seem to always be competitive with several games coming to deuces. The world circuit mode isn't as difficult as some here have said, but it has kept me busy with the many levels and training modes that must be completed. I'm not sure why Sega chose not to include women, but it surely was a mistake. Actually, I think more people recognize Davenport, Hingis, Seles, and the Williams sisters than they do the men, besides of course Sampras and Aggasi who are absent in this game. A deeper world circuit mode, more options, and obviously more players would have helped make this game better, but overall there's not a better tennis game available. This game puts WORLD SERIES BASEBALL 2K1, which was released around the same time with more hype, to shame. I can't wait for the sequel to VIRTUA TENNIS

A Good Game, Despite It's Many "Faults."

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 32 / 35
Date: July 13, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Since being an avid tennis fan (and player) for over 11 years, I have always looked forward to a new tennis release regardless of which console it was for. When I first heard about Virtua Tennis coming to the Dreamcast, I could hardly wait to get my hands on it. When I did get it, my first impressions were nothing short of awe. The stadium renderings, player animations, and sound effects were mind blowing (similar to the effect that NFL 2K had on me).

The menu setups were easy to navigate and I was able to get started within 30 seconds. Load times are extremely fast with virtually no waiting time. The game menu is set up with exhibition matches (for 1-4 players) and a World-Circuit (1P) which features a training mode and tennis shop. Training matches help you to learn ball movement, shot power, shot selection, and other skills required to compete with top circuit pros. These training matches are conducted using simple yet inventive drills that you must complete within a certain time frame before moving on.

I was highly impressed with player movement where a player could not stop on a dime, turn and run the opposite way of their forward momentum, and still hit a good return. I also liked the way a player would lunge forward to hit a short ball which would cause him to stagger a bit before a complete recovery. I noticed that players tend to dive for just out of reach shots a bit too often, including on a hard court surface. Ouch!

Many little details can be found in this game which are great. For example: when on clay, temporary footprints are left and dust clouds are visible with each step. During instant replays, a player will fix his sleeve, chat with his doubles partner, grit his teeth, or pump his fist. While the player animations are cool, instant replays aren't all that spectacular due to the brevity of the cut scenes

The actual game play is very simple. While the simplicity is good for those who are casual tennis fans and is very easy to pick up (learning curve about 10-20 minutes), it can be somewhat annoying for those who want more simulation type game play. For instance, there is no distinction between a topspin offensive lob and a defensive lob. Two very different shots which you have no choice of selecting. There is no slice/chip shot (as a defensive recovery shot or a chip and charge) selection either. The A button hits the ball, the X button lobs the ball. That's it! There is no drop shot or drop volley as well.

The movement of the ball is easy - hold the stick or D-Pad to the left to hit it to the left, move the stick or D-Pad to the right for it to go to the right. A problem develops when you want to control the depth of your groundstroke. To do this, you must move the pad or stick "up" for greater depth into your opponent's court or "back" for a shallow shot. When you press up for a deep shot, your player tends to move forward as well - and if you hit several consecutive deep shots, you will find your player in "no man's land" right around the service line. So, you constantly have to adjust your player by bringing back to the baseline after every deep shot you hit (or, back up to the baseline if you were hitting short balls). As far as judging the ball from the recipient's standpoint, gauging the ball's trajectory is fairly simple.

Another problem I have is the serve. While it is easy to perform a serve, there is virtually no distinction between a Mark Phillopoussis service and say, a Jim Courier serve. Everyone looks to have the same speed serve depending on how high your service power meter is. You will never beat a player on a speedy serve (because they are all the same). Utilizing angles is the only way that you can ace an opponent.

One of the biggest drawbacks of Virtua Tennis is the lack of players to choose from. I can't comprehend how Sega can put in every MLB and NFL player in their respective Sega Sports titles but only include 8 real life male tennis pros (with a few non selectable fakes). And these guys aren't exactly players that have a huge fan base: Jim Courier (now retired), Mark Phillopoussis, Tim Henmen, Cedric Pioline, and Yevgeny Kafelnikov, are probably the most popular of the 8. You can't tell me that Agassi is still under contract with Tekmagic or whoever made that horrendous Genesis title back in 1991(?). Where is Patrick Rafter? Pete Sampras? Jan-Michael Gambill, and the others? The option of creating a player would have been a great idea. That way, I could perhaps "create" an Agassi or Rafter. Sega has never been shy on spending cashola for a top name for their sports titles. What happened here?

Conclusion: The speed is just right and the player movements and sounds are pretty sharp. Despite it's drawbacks, it is a very fun and fast paced game to play. It does offer alot of replay value with the two-player mode but I fear the AI on CPU opponents will cause the single player mode to grow stale after a month or two (they aren't very bright). If you like tennis and are searching for a simple and realistic looking tennis title, then look no further. However, if you are searching for a tennis sim - like I was, you may want to rent Virtua Tennis first. But if you DO buy this game without having played it first, I am pretty confident you will still enjoy it quite a bit. It's a pretty good game despite its "faults." I guess I just had my expectations too high. I would give this game 3.75 stars.

Great Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: August 07, 2000
Author: Amazon User

So what makes tennis all of a sudden such a great sport? Virtua Tennis! Ok so I'm exaggerating, but still the game is great because it is so easy to pick up and get into right away. True, the game is sorely lacking in some departments (player choice, female division, etc.) but nothing can compare when it comes to what it does right.

If you're a gamer who's into sim crazy things, then this isn't for you. But if you like to get into your games quickly, ditch the instruction manuals and just veg for a few hours on the couch, this is the perfect game for you. Great graphics, insanely quick pacing, short load times and good replay value makes this game a real keeper.

Virtua Tennis is also a good multiplayer game. Why? It's easy to get into, you won't need to explain stuff all day, and the graphics help makes you look great when you play.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions