Although the two classic TV series from Sega - Virtua Tennis and Virtua Fighter - united by a common word in the title game, these are quite different. Fighting flaunts world's best combat system and believable fights (at least more believable than in other games), and Virtua Tennis, on the contrary, allows itself to many tennis wisdom and simplicity, while remaining sports game, does not claim the title of a reliable simulator. That is not strange at all: in Japan it is called Power Smash, and has no relation to the famous fighting game.
 | |  | Clothes for athletes looking very impressive. Spoil the illusion of the boys, feeding balls. They do not cast shadows - the undead, that they take ... | | In this mini-game we are saving the earth, beating the shells alien aggressors, taking the form of vending machines to feed balls. |
Over the past year had come out two virtual tennis for the next-generation consoles - it's Top Spin 2 and Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis, so that the newcomer will have to force the Japanese to win a place in the sun. Skate game was supposed to be graphic, transferred from the arcade platform Sega Lindbergh supposedly intact. So what? Keeping in asset licensed to two dozen of famous tennis players, the developers have worked well over the exterior of their virtual copies - all except Maria Sharapova, who in Virtua Tennis 3 does not pull the title of sex symbol. On-court Pro behave competently, play nicely, and the marks from the ball, stay for some coverages, produced a very good impression ... which can easily spoil if you look at the audience, judges or staff. They do not even cast shadows! In this age of high technology is a shame and disgrace. Another new meaning to the word "futility" added the failed attempts of developers to implement facial animation in the campaign. Look at her funny.
 | And what about multiplayer? |
Network game in Virtua Tennis 3 is only available on Xbox 360 - surprising, but all other versions, even a computer, limited off-line match (which can take up to four people - when you play a couple for a couple). World ranking on Xbox Live is the only type of matches - one set, three game. But if you're not playing for the sake of the lines in the ranking, then you become a much greater selection of options: games can be both extremely short and exhausting (five sets of six games in - is yet to sit through). Separately mention the ability to create tournaments with the participation of nine players - and in which case the missing humanoids replace electronic brains consoles one of the four levels of difficulty. Finally, the game works its television under the name VT TV - you can watch other people's matches in real time, with a network service is a list of the most important matches of the day, who must see it. All this greatly extends the life of the game - even wonder that the PlayStation 3 in any online mode, there is a hint.
 | |  | Want to think about playing well - look at Federer. Want to think bad - looking at the audience. | | Good effect: the primer earth stain marking, and the ball leaves traces on the court. |
The very same campaign, as in previous games series, not bad at all. You start by asking the exterior of a future champion, who still occupies in the international ranking of three hundredth line. Statistics screen newcomer frustratingly full of zeros. But nothing of the future champion (current mediocrity) All doors are open: you can go to a tennis school and carry out simple tasks, you can train a dozen totally killer mini-games, you can take part in the tournament, unless, of course, the rating allows. Mini-games in the Virtua Tennis - the plague. You play tennis balls in a curling, skittles knock a tennis bowling and burst balloons, just an effort on target, to deter an attack by alien machines feeding balls or train footwork, dodging an avalanche of giant yellow balloons (just such fun and unpredictable tasks in very short supply in Virtua Fighter 5). Successfully passed the mini-games raise performance athlete, but to go to far with the exercises, too, is not worth it. Tournaments are on schedule, and get injured before an important event - then lay in bed, watching as the prize went to someone else. In order to not get injured, you need a rest from time to time, preferably at the resort. Then you find, at last, a tournament for beginners, win and climb in the ranking - and so on until Roger Federer did not become the second best tennis player in the world.
| SECRET! |
Can I play tennis in a frying pan? It is possible, but only if you - the master of bowling. It would seem that some here may be a connection? Explains: that the Virtua Tennis racket open-pan, you need to go into a mini-game Pin Crusher (bowling), and three times in succession to knock out the strike (ie, knocked to the ground once all the pins). And you weak?
 | |  | Mercy! Do not believe it! Maria completely different! | | Actual fact: in fact, a tennis ball does not leave a trace in the air. |
However, Federer's defeat in the first match - a piece of cake. Virtua Tennis 3 is full of conventions, which prevent to treat the game seriously. In all tournaments against the men of the company you will be playing the same thirteen (!) Profiles, only to butcher them at first, a nut will you, and then, as we approach the top - you will have to butcher them. It seems to be not much a drawback, but the joy of victory over Federer have both had happened. In all, without exception, matches athletes often and sometimes not the place jumping for the ball - a spectacular reception, but once or twice per game, not three or four at the rally. In this in-flight tennis players manage to just beat the ball to the opponent's side of the field, and the random failures are extremely rare.Shelters are useless - at least much less useful than the present tennis - and the virtual players manage to "turn off" almost up to the grid. Resigned to such flourishes, and having imposed rules, you begin to feel more confident on the court, and even then it comes to this position of tennis, where the winner who guesses the opponent's blows.
Table Tennis from Rockstar turned tennis (even desktop) into a spectacular show. Sega-AM3 lacks the ease with which Rockstar makes hits out of nowhere. That hitch in the animation, then incoherent "sheds" something bad angle through repetition, something quite unlike the shameful and just a virtual incarnation of the famous Russian tennis players - all of it makes it difficult game to get a higher score and force us to finally open-mouthed. Virtua Tennis 3, as well as Top Spin 2, has its own set of conventions and deficiencies that ... no, do not interfere with having fun. They only indicate the areas in which these games could have been done better. And do not forget: on the PSP Virtua Tennis 3 retains all the game mechanics intact, drawing on the portable console is very good, and the version for the Xbox 360 deserves exactly such an increase in their assessment that you're willing to put in a good tennis network.
| Opinion Artem Shorokhova |
Very decent tennis, which is very, very much like to be the best in the world, but ... not doprygnul. Because of the sometimes strange mechanics, because of the wooden people, because ... damn! I will not forgive AM3 and Sumo Digital for that lame yeti with flux, what are they trying to put Dushku Sharapova. Maria Yu, spit on the money and never have business with Sega! We understand. After all, we saw you this - a graceful, beautiful - in the Top Spin 2.
In the rest - tennis as a tennis, better than the second part. Career mode, pumping, exciting mini-games, secret characters and a decent multiplayer mode - cool! But the feeling of a puppet, a surrogate of anything and everything - do not let go. Try again at a meeting with his girlfriend-tennistkoy not press the button to squander it, "Hi!" - The poor thing will have to pull a face to their dumb mouth tirelessly until Judgement Day. Sadly, in this case - all current Sega.
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