Virtua Tennis
Encyclopedia
Virtua Tennis is a 1999 tennis
arcade game
created by Sega-AM3. The player competes through tennis tournaments and various arcade modes. For the home console market the game was expanded with the introduction of the campaign mode. It was later ported to Dreamcast in 2000, and for Microsoft Windows
in 2002. A Game Boy Advance
version was also released in 2002.
A sequel, Virtua Tennis: World Tour
was released for the PlayStation Portable
. 2006 saw the release of Virtua Tennis 3
in the arcades (using the Sega Lindbergh hardware). Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
, PlayStation Portable
and PC
versions were released in 2007. Virtua Tennis 2009
, was released on June 9, 2009 on PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii platforms. The latest addition to the franchise, Virtua Tennis 4
, was released in May 10, 2011.
The match can be played as singles or doubles with up to 4 human players (2 for singles). The duration can be varied between one game and one set. Other options include the court that the match is played on and the skill of the opponent(s).
The Dreamcast and PC ports include eight extra players, all of them fictitious:
And finally there are two bosses in the game.
* Mark Philippoussis was removed from the PC version as he was already featured in a licensed tennis title for that platform.
rating it at 9/10, as well as overwhelmingly positive reviews from users http://www99.epinions.com/game-Software-All-Dreamcast-Virtua_Tennis/display_~reviews/sec_~opinion_list/pp_~6. Players were pleased with the quick learning curve and the wide variety of training exercises available. The game became one of the few Sega All Stars
.
It has been ranked in the top 100 games of all time by IGN both in 2005 (#91) and 2003 (#89).
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
created by Sega-AM3. The player competes through tennis tournaments and various arcade modes. For the home console market the game was expanded with the introduction of the campaign mode. It was later ported to Dreamcast in 2000, and for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
in 2002. A Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
version was also released in 2002.
A sequel, Virtua Tennis: World Tour
Virtua Tennis: World Tour
Virtua Tennis: World Tour is a tennis video game which was released for the Sony PlayStation Portable.-Overview:...
was released for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. 2006 saw the release of Virtua Tennis 3
Virtua Tennis 3
Virtua Tennis 3 is the second arcade game sequel to Sega's tennis game franchise, Virtua Tennis. The arcade version of Virtua Tennis 3 is powered by the PC-based Sega Lindbergh arcade system board...
in the arcades (using the Sega Lindbergh hardware). Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
versions were released in 2007. Virtua Tennis 2009
Virtua Tennis 2009
Virtua Tennis 2009 is a 2009 video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It is part of the Virtua Tennis series, following Virtua Tennis 3.-Overview:...
, was released on June 9, 2009 on PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii platforms. The latest addition to the franchise, Virtua Tennis 4
Virtua Tennis 4
Virtua Tennis 4 is the third sequel to Sega's tennis game franchise, Virtua Tennis. It was released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and Wii. A Playstation Vita version is under development...
, was released in May 10, 2011.
Arcade
The player must win 5 matches to win a tournament. Each match is played on a different surface:| Match | Name | Real Counterpart | Surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australian Challenge |
Australian Open Australian Open The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court... |
Hard |
| 2 |  French Cup |
French Open | Clay |
| 3 |  US Super Tennis |
US Open | Hard |
| 4 | The Old England Championships | Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors... |
Grass |
| 5 | Sega Grand Match |
None | Carpet |
Exhibition
This is a single match in which the options are customizable.The match can be played as singles or doubles with up to 4 human players (2 for singles). The duration can be varied between one game and one set. Other options include the court that the match is played on and the skill of the opponent(s).
World Circuit
This is the main mode of the game. Users have to win matches and complete training exercises in order to progress and unlock new ones. The user enters with a rank of 300th, which improves as matches are won. These matches are unlocked by completing easier matches or training exercises.Training
The focus of the training exercises are to be fun, rather than realistic. Each exercise has three levels, with the difficulty increasing progressively. By completing the hardest difficulty with a certain amount of time left or points scored, an outfit is unlocked, which players can wear in all modes.Players
Characters include several real world tennis players, with their respective strengths:| Player | Strength |
|---|---|
| Jim Courier Jim Courier James Spencer "Jim" Courier, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, two at the French Open and two at the Australian Open... |
Various Shots |
 Tommy HaasTommy Haas Tommy Haas is a German and recently naturalized American professional tennis player. He has competed on the ATP Tour since 1996. After breaking into the world top 100 in 1997, and reaching a career-high ranking of world no... |
Forehand |
| Tim Henman Tim Henman Timothy Henry "Tim" Henman OBE is a retired English professional tennis player and former British Number One. Henman played a serve-and-volley style of tennis that suited the grass courts of Wimbledon. He was the first player from the United Kingdom since Roger Taylor in the 1970s to reach the... |
Volley |
 Thomas JohanssonThomas Johansson Karl Thomas Conny Johansson , commonly known as Thomas Johansson, is a former Swedish professional tennis player. He is a former Australian Open singles champion and Olympic silver medalist in doubles.-Junior career:... |
Quickness |
 Yevgeny KafelnikovYevgeny Kafelnikov Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Kafelnikov is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Russia. He won two Grand Slam singles titles , four Grand Slam doubles titles, and the men's singles gold medal at the Sydney Olympic Games. He also helped Russia win the Davis Cup in 2002... |
Backhand |
 Carlos MoyàCarlos Moyá Carlos Moya Llompart is a retired former world no. 1 tennis player from Spain. He was the French Open singles champion in 1998 and was the singles runner-up at the 1997 Australian Open. In 2004, he helped his country win the Davis Cup. He currently resides in Switzerland... |
Groundstrokes |
| Mark Philippoussis Mark Philippoussis Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry.... * |
Serve |
| Cédric Pioline Cédric Pioline Cédric Pioline is a retired French professional tennis player who played on the professional tour from 1989 to 2002. He reached the men's singles final at the 1993 US Open and at Wimbledon in 1997... |
All-around |
The Dreamcast and PC ports include eight extra players, all of them fictitious:
| Player | Strength |
|---|---|
 Gilles Altman |
Serve |
 Bruno Costa |
Forehand |
 Rolf Euler |
Volley |
 Masayuki Inoue |
Speed |
 Shyam Singh |
All-around |
 Davor Tesla |
Wide Shots |
 Pieter Tinbergen |
Serve and Volley |
 Raf Ventura |
Strength |
And finally there are two bosses in the game.
| Player | Strength |
|---|---|
 Master |
High Performer |
 King |
Perfect Player |
Reception
Virtua Tennis received very positive reviews from with the UK version of the Official Dreamcast MagazineOfficial Dreamcast Magazine (UK)
The Official Dreamcast Magazine was a video game magazine published by Dennis Publishing in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2001. The magazine featured news, reviews, previews and features on Dreamcast games. The magazine held the official magazine license for the Dreamcast in the UK and...
rating it at 9/10, as well as overwhelmingly positive reviews from users http://www99.epinions.com/game-Software-All-Dreamcast-Virtua_Tennis/display_~reviews/sec_~opinion_list/pp_~6. Players were pleased with the quick learning curve and the wide variety of training exercises available. The game became one of the few Sega All Stars
Sega All Stars
Sega All Stars was the name of Sega's budget series for the Dreamcast, similar to Platinum Hits, Greatest Hits, and Player's Choice, for games that have sold many copies. When a title became a Sega All Stars title, it was sold at a lower price and given reprinted labeling...
.
It has been ranked in the top 100 games of all time by IGN both in 2005 (#91) and 2003 (#89).