This weekend, I (along with countless others) will be watching the finals of the most prestigious tournament in tennis, Wimbledon. Truth be told, I've had a bit of a love/hate relationship with the sport over the years. Like so many things in life, I found tennis to be easy to learn and difficult to master (I doubt I'll ever accomplish that last part). Frustrating as it may occasionally be, tennis is still a great sport that is fun to watch and play. Unfortunately, you need a partner if you want to play real tennis and those are not always readily available. Fortunately, simulated tennis has been around for quite some time now.
I've been playing tennis games on one system or another since I was 10 years old. In that time, they really haven't changed all that much, except for the graphics. I enjoyed playing them just as much then as I do today. Here are the 6 that became my favorites.
I've been playing tennis games on one system or another since I was 10 years old. In that time, they really haven't changed all that much, except for the graphics. I enjoyed playing them just as much then as I do today. Here are the 6 that became my favorites.
Tennis Ace (SEGA Master System) (SEGA, 1989)
Tennis Ace may not hold up very well these days but it will always have a special place in my heart. Not only was it the first tennis game I ever played, but I also got it at the same time I was beginning to learn to play the sport for real. It was kind of fun and exciting to learn some of the basic principles virtually and then be able to apply them on the actual court. The game was also a joy to play and that further sparked my interest in the sport.
Virtua Tennis (Arcade, Dreamcast) (SEGA-AM3, 1999)
As I mentioned earlier, I have pretty much always been a sucker for Sega games. I also happen to have an obsession with just about any games that can be found at the Arcade. In 1999, Virtua Tennis checked both of those boxes for me. After its incredible Arcade debut, a Dreamcast port came out a year later. I often played both simply because the game was nothing short of exquisite.
At the time it came out, Virtua Tennis was hands down the most compelling and realistic version of tennis available. It was also just a blast to play. To this day, it remains one of my absolute favorite video game adaptations of the sport. Similar to Top Spin, Virtua Tennis was later followed by several sequels of varying quality but, in my opinion, the original is still the best.
At the time it came out, Virtua Tennis was hands down the most compelling and realistic version of tennis available. It was also just a blast to play. To this day, it remains one of my absolute favorite video game adaptations of the sport. Similar to Top Spin, Virtua Tennis was later followed by several sequels of varying quality but, in my opinion, the original is still the best.
Top Spin (Xbox) (PAM Development, 2003)
For a short while, Microsoft was publishing its own XSN Sports line of Xbox Live enabled games for the original Xbox. Top Spin, like Links 2004, was one such game. The great thing about Top Spin was that it was accessible, yet deeper than perhaps any Tennis game that had come before it. You could easily spend hours upon hours building up a custom player in career mode, learning new tactics and increasing your stats. The game also offered the aforementioned Xbox Live online multiplayer as well as a system link option for local separate screen gameplay. Both were very welcome features that were basically nonexistent for console sports games at the time.
Like so many other great ideas Microsoft has had over the years, the XSN line was abandoned entirely too early. The Top Spin franchise was acquired by 2K and three sequels have since been released. They were all okay, as far as tennis games go, but sadly, not one of them has managed to come close to being as good as the original.
Like so many other great ideas Microsoft has had over the years, the XSN line was abandoned entirely too early. The Top Spin franchise was acquired by 2K and three sequels have since been released. They were all okay, as far as tennis games go, but sadly, not one of them has managed to come close to being as good as the original.
Mario Power Tennis (GameCube) (Camelot, 2004)
The Mario Tennis series is the longest running of all the virtual tennis series, and it is also easily one of the best out there. I think I actually own a version of every entry except for the one that appeared on the Virtual Boy (which, to my understanding, was one of the best games on the Virtual Boy). Mario Power Tennis for the GameCube is my personal favorite. That entry had it all: great mechanics, beautiful graphics, lots of fun extras... In fact, it was such a well-made game that instead of creating a follow-up for their next console, Nintendo simply opted to it a second time on the Wii. And GameCube games were compatible with the Wii!
SEGA Superstars Tennis (Xbox 360) (Sumo Digital, 2008)
In 2008 and 2010 respectively, Sega decided to throw down the gauntlet and take a crack at giving Sonic and pals their own sports games to rival the likes of Mario Tennis and Mario Kart. Thanks in large part to the wonderful talent at Sumo Digital, they largely succeeded. The Sonic & All-Stars Racing games in particular are actually better in many respects than the Mario Kart games they were inspired by. But that's a discussion for another article.
SEGA Superstars Tennis, while not quite as fun and engaging as Mario Tennis, was still a valiant effort, that is more than worthy of the attention of Sonic and tennis fans alike. Being the Sega enthusiast that I am, putting this one on the list was basically a no-brainer.
SEGA Superstars Tennis, while not quite as fun and engaging as Mario Tennis, was still a valiant effort, that is more than worthy of the attention of Sonic and tennis fans alike. Being the Sega enthusiast that I am, putting this one on the list was basically a no-brainer.
Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip (PlayStation Portable) (Clap Hanz, 2010)
The Hot Shots (or Everybody's) Golf series has enjoyed wide-spread popularity over the years for its humorous and somewhat fantastical (yet detailed) approach to the game of golf. Not contented with merely being kings of the virtual links, in 2006 Clap Hanz decided to extend their empire to the tennis court as well. That year, they released Hot Shots Tennis for the PlayStation 2. Then in 2010, they followed it up with Hot Shots Tennis: Get a Grip for the PSP.
While I never got a chance to play the PS2 version, I can assure you that Get a Grip is pretty exceptional. Even though it is just a touch less accessible than their golf games, Get a Grip does offer up a great tennis experience and is a Hot Shots game through and through. I don't know which other sports (if any) Clap Hanz will try to tackle next (football?), but so far, they are on a roll.
While I never got a chance to play the PS2 version, I can assure you that Get a Grip is pretty exceptional. Even though it is just a touch less accessible than their golf games, Get a Grip does offer up a great tennis experience and is a Hot Shots game through and through. I don't know which other sports (if any) Clap Hanz will try to tackle next (football?), but so far, they are on a roll.
So that about does it for my list of 6 favorite tennis games. I would apologize about the excessive representation of Sega in this article but I'm not really sure there is anything to apologize for. What else can be said but they make a mean game of tennis?
What about you? What are your favorite tennis games? Which ones should I be chastised about for failing to include in this list? Please share them in the comments.
What about you? What are your favorite tennis games? Which ones should I be chastised about for failing to include in this list? Please share them in the comments.
(This is a repost of an article that originally appeared on Twinstiq.)
[Images: SEGA, Nintendo, 2K, Sony]
 | [AJ Amideo] |