Virtua Tennis 2009 (Xbox 360)
The Sega tennis franchise shows up ready to play.
7/14/2009 6:02 PM | 2 Comments | Page 2 of 2
What's Hot: Energetic, arcade-style action; Goofy mini-games
What's Not: Frustrating user interface; Lack of guidance
Overall, Virtua Tennis' gleaming plastic patina hides a festering identity crisis. On one hand, it aims for realism by licensing players, brands, venues and events from pro tennis and tries to build on that realism with a schedule, rankings, etc. On the other hand, the bizarre mini-games, bloodless presentation and techno-rock soundtrack seem to want to float away from the moorings of the real world and into some sort of tennis fantasyland.
Mastery of the power meter means blistering serves and killer aces.
The game's saving grace is the actual gameplay, which feels appropriately tense and, dare I say, hard-fought -- no matter how frighteningly plastic your avatar looks, or how silly you feel sinking pirate ships on the other side of the court. Depending on how you're wired, the left-field stuff will either tickle your fancy or go blissfully unnoticed. But, hey, someone's gotta get those aliens off the court. Might as well be you.
This review is based on a retail copy of the Xbox 360 game provided by the publisher.
