Virtua Tennis 2009 - 8/10

I've played the original Virtua Tennis on both the arcade machine and Sega Dreamcast. As well as Virtua Tennis 2. What are the differences between those games? Not much, apart from different characters (they added female players to the roster) and an extended world tour mode.
What's different between those two games and Virtua Tennis 2009? MotionPlus. And of course, the different characters. Oh, and online too. Otherwise, that's it. There graphics look pretty similar to my beloved Dreamcast version, the sound track is boring as (I think it's the same one from the original game) and the whole idea of the game is the same.
BUT, MotionPlus adds a completely new dynamic to video game tennis. Sure we played it in Wii Sports, but you could play that sitting on the couch and flicking your wrists. With MotionPlus you have to get up and swing like you're actually playing tennis. Twist your wrists to add slice or topspin, and aim where you want the ball to go.
It's great fun, but it's not perfect.


Before I go any further, I highly recommend using the coaching before heading in to play. And make sure you read how to hold the remote in the instruction booklet (it's tucked away) - Wii remote on it's side with the A button facing left, B button facing right. That's extremely important, or you will get frustrated trying to serve very quickly.

You can play Virtua Tennis 2009 Wii with 4 different control options.
- Wii Remote only (computer controls your movement, like Wii Sports Tennis)
- Wii Remote and Nunchuck
- Wii Remote and MotionPlus (without Nunchuck)
- Wii Remote and MotionsPlus and Nunchuck

I played around a little with all the control modes to see how they stacked up against each other.
Using the Wii remote by itself is a good way to introduce yourself to the game. A meter appears above your head so you can select where on the court you want the ball to go - hit when the meter's on the very left and the ball will go the left. Got it? Without the Nunchuck you can find yourself on the wrong side of the court or doing some sort of weird dance movement when you're about to hit the ball - definitely a few bugs there. Add the Nunchuck on and now you can move yourself around, with the bar still used for the direction.
Add MotionPlus to Wii Remote and it's a whole new experience. Now you have to use your swing to tell the ball where to go. It's fairly accurate, but does a little getting used to, especially serving to the right court. Drop-shots are almost impossible to try to pull off during normal play, but there is training to help you work it out - although coach Tim Henman offers no help if you're struggling.
Using the remote without the Nunchuck still has the same crazy dance move effect, so wacking the Nunchuck in is the way to go. After a few hours play I'm still trying to place my shots using the analogue stick though.
There are a few times during play where if you're player is standing where the ball is going to land that you can't move (computer locks you in. It's a little frustrating when this happens as it throws out all my timing.

The game includes the straight in Exhibition match to play against the computer or with up to 3 other humans, World Tour mode and also online play YAY! I haven't delved too deeply into the online play, as this is an added bonus I think.
World Tour mode involves you creating a player and working your way through the ranks to knock Roger off his pedestal. Along the way there are the small tournaments, and also mini-games typical to Virtua Tennis. Winning tournaments earns you money which you can use to purchase new tennis gear or unlock courts for exhibition use.
Training is available to help you work on specific shots or techniques, and this, mini-games and tournaments increase your tennis abilities but take away stamina, so you have to remember to rest every now and then to regain your stamina, meaning you may miss some tournaments, but you can always come back next year. If you can't afford a week's rest or two week's holiday, there is an energy drink option which costs money but doesn't take time.


Graphics: 6/10
Looks like Dreamcast graphics. Clay courts are really really orange! There can be a bit of frame-rate dip every now and then, but you are usually too intent on the ball to notice. Also, sometimes you can be nowhere near the ball but it magically appears off your racquet.

Sound: 6/10
Average - it's Virtua Tennis! The tennis sound effects are pretty lifelike though.


Gameplay: 9/10
This is the big difference here! It works great (most of the time)

Replay Value - 9/10
Massive world tour mode and online will keep you entertained for a long time.

Overall: 8/10
Overall, it's a good tennis experience, and a good showing of what MotionPlus can do. Yeah there are a few things than could be done better.
If you like tennis or tennis videogames, I definitely recommend you trying this out.

adza 19/06/2009

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