Virtua Tennis 3

The Virtua Tennis 3 continues the tradition of arcade tennis from Sega, where the main thing is fast action and clear controls. There is no hours of training here: the serve, rebound shot, candle and play at the net are mastered in a couple of minutes, but it is not possible to beat an opponent right away. Matches are played at a fast pace, and the difference between difficulty levels is felt almost immediately. The court features world tennis stars with recognizable manners: some love long rallies from the baseline, others go forward and put pressure at the net. Surfaces also affect the game: on clay the ball bounces softer and slower, on grass the plays are shorter, and on hard it’s all about accuracy. Understanding these details distinguishes a confident victory from an accidental one. In addition to individual matches, there is a career where you create your own player, and he goes through tournaments, training and growth in the rankings. Mini-games are a special treat: in them you need to hit targets, keep the ball in play and practice shots in unusual conditions. Entertaining exercises turn out to be more useful than regular training and help you quickly master the controls. Separately, it is worth noting that the game has detailed settings for the level of assistance: you can play with hints and auto-strikes, or you can switch to completely manual control, where timing decides. The practice courts allow you to practice your serves and volleys, and the results table shows how consistently you perform against different opponents. This is a rare combination of simplicity and depth in tennis. The game works great in groups: doubles matches, competitions on the same TV and online meetings add excitement. Virtua Tennis 3 is a rare example of an arcade game that is simple to enter but doesn't lose depth after dozens of hours.