Virtua Tennis 4
| Virtua Tennis 4 | |
|---|---|
 European cover art |
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| Developer(s) | SEGA-AM3 |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Designer(s) | Mie Kumagai |
| Series | Virtua Tennis |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Wii, Microsoft Windows |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360
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| Genre(s) | Sports game |
| Mode(s) | Single player Multiplayer (2 to 4) |
Virtua Tennis 4 (Sega Professional Tennis: Power Smash 4 in Japan) is the third sequel to Sega's tennis game franchise, Virtua Tennis. It was released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Wii and PlayStation Vita. Virtua Tennis 4 is also being produced for a four player stick based arcade.[1]
Contents |
Gameplay [edit]
The game supports the PlayStation Move controller on the PlayStation 3, the Kinect[2] on the Xbox 360, and the Wii MotionPlus on the Wii. All previously mentioned devices are optional. Virtua Tennis 4 allows the player to step into the shoes of some of the world's best tennis pros. The game supports stereoscopic 3D on the PlayStation 3. When the PlayStation Move is used, the character's left and right movement is automatic but each swing of the racquet must be performed by the player and one can drop back or rush to the net by physically stepping back or forward. There is a dynamic camera system in place, so when the ball is in the other half of the court, the camera pans out so that one can see one's position.
When the ball is coming towards the player, it glides into a first person viewpoint where the player can see their racquet in front of him and time their swing accordingly. The player can twist the racquet to adjust its face when it connects with the ball, allowing skilled players to apply spin.[3]
Players [edit]
On 1 January 2011, a trailer was released on the YouTube channel of Sega America[4] with a partial list of players that were confirmed for the game. On their blog entry published the same day,[5] it is announced that there will be seven new inclusions to the game.
Six days later, on the Facebook page of the game, the full list of players was released. On 31 March, on the same media, it was announced that 3 legends were included to the game. However, these will be exclusive for PlayStation 3 (along with 2 new mini-games).
As well as these players included in the game, the user has the option to create up to eight of their own players in the World Tour mode.
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ATP Players
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WTA Players
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Legends
Rivals (Fictitious)
Bosses
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| Key | |
|---|---|
| New | Players new to the series |
| PS | PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita exclusive |
Courts [edit]
Grand Slams
Australia Challenge – Melbourne – Hard
French Cup – Paris – Clay
England Tennis Classic – London – Grass
US Super Tennis – New York – Hard
Special Tournaments
- The Tennis Hall (King of Players) – Dallas – Indoor
- Grand Square (SPT Final) – Chicago – Hard
SPT Arena (Fancy Dress Matches at World Tour) – Bandar Seri Begawan – Indoor
Advantage Series
Advantage Series China – Shanghai – Hard
Advantage Series Egypt – Cairo – Hard
Advantage Series Sweden – Stockholm – Hard
Advantage Series Canada – Vancouver – Grass
World Tour Venues
- Asian Championship – South China Sea – Hard
Mediterranean Championship – Marbella – Clay
European Open – Prague – Grass- American Championship – Los Angeles – Indoor
Satellite Courts
- Satellite Court London – London – Grass
Satellite Court Moscow – Moscow – Grass- Satellite Court Madrid – Madrid – Hard
Satellite Court Berlin – Berlin – Hard
Satellite Court Buenos Aires – Buenos Aires – Clay
Satellite Court Amsterdam – Amsterdam – Clay
Satellite Court Rome – Rome – Hard- Satellite Court New York – New York – Hard
Not available at Exhibition mode
Special Matches at World Tour –Podgorica – Indoor
PlayStation Vita Exclusive
Development [edit]
This is the first game to be developed by the original Virtua Tennis team Sega AM3 since 2006.
Despite the fact that Sega opted to skip GamesCom, Virtua Tennis 4 was revealed at the convention at Sony's booth.[6]
On 7 June 2011, Sega confirmed that the game will be available at the PlayStation Vita as a launch title for the console, titled Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition.[7]
Reception [edit]
GameZone gave the game a 6/10, stating "By and large, Virtua Tennis 4 does adhere strongly to its roots, bringing enough excitement to lure a wider audience. However, it would be useful for a study to be conducted of similar titles, so that these updated features could find their way into the beloved franchise."[8]
References [edit]
- ^ "VT4 coming to Arcades".
- ^ Virtua Tennis 4 Kinect Review – Kinectronic.com
- ^ A Few Rallies With Virtua Tennis 4 And PlayStation Move – PlayStation.Blog.Europe
- ^ Virtua Tennis 4 – Trailer of Awesome – YouTube
- ^ Virtua Tennis 4 announced for Xbox 360, Wii + new trailer!
- ^ Virtua Tennis 4 in action « SEGAbits
- ^ #SegaE3 – World’s Greatest Tennis Stars head to NGP in Virtua Tennis 4
- ^ Virtua Tennis 4 Review | GameZone.com
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