Virtua Tennis

Last updated
Virtua Tennis
Virtua Tennis logo.png
Logo for the first game in the series
Developer(s) Sega AM3
Sumo Digital
Publisher(s) Sega
First release Virtua Tennis
1999
Latest release Virtua Tennis Challenge
2012

Virtua Tennis (Power Smash in Japan) is a series of tennis simulation video games started in 1999 by Sega AM3. The player competes through tennis tournaments and various arcade modes. While originally released for arcades, all games in the series have been ported to other platforms, including most major consoles.

Contents

Name changes

In Japan, the series has always been released as Power Smash, although with the third entry, the name was expanded to Sega Professional Tennis: Power Smash. Even though the Sega Professional Tennis logo and name are prominently featured in all games, it only appears in the titles of the third and fourth games.

Internationally, the first game was released as Virtua Tennis , to fall in the same brand as other Sega Sports games such as Virtua Striker . With the sequel, the name was changed to Tennis 2K2 . However, once Sega sold the 2K name to Take-Two Interactive, the next game was released under the original branding as Virtua Tennis 3. All following updates and sequels have been released under the Virtua label.

History

Arcade and Dreamcast

The original game was developed for the Sega Naomi Arcade Hardware by Sega (in 2000 under the label Hitmaker) and ported to the Sega Dreamcast, Sega's home console based on the Naomi Hardware. The sequel, Virtua Tennis 2 , brought several improvements, most notably enhanced graphics, more courts, and a female roster (consisting of nine players), featuring such players as Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport or Jelena Dokić.

After ceasing development of video game consoles in 2001, Sega announced that they would be making games for all platforms, and made a deal with THQ that allowed them to make original games based on Sega franchises for the Game Boy Advance, one of which was an adaptation of the original Virtua Tennis game. [1]

Virtua Tennis 2 was ported to the PlayStation 2 in 2002. Sumo Digital was tasked with porting the game to the PlayStation Portable, which gave birth to Virtua Tennis: World Tour in 2005, an updated version of Virtua Tennis 2 that expanded the World Tour mode, but featured the smallest character roster in the series.

Multiplatform games

In 2006, a new entry, Virtua Tennis 3 , was released for arcades using the Sega Lindbergh hardware. The game was ported to the PlayStation 3, with SIXAXIS controls incorporated into the gameplay, as well as to the Xbox 360, the latter port also being handled by Sumo Digital. While working on it, Sumo Digital was instructed by Sega to feature Sonic as an unlockable character, giving them the idea to make a tennis game consisting of Sega characters from various franchises. This was released in 2008 as Sega Superstars Tennis , which ran on the Virtua Tennis 3 engine that Sumo Digital developed for the Xbox 360 port of the game.

In 2009, Sumo Digital released an update to Virtua Tennis 3 on the PlayStation Portable called Virtua Tennis 2009.

At Gamescom 2010, Virtua Tennis 4 was revealed for the PlayStation 3, with PlayStation Move controls incorporated. The game also introduced a new first-person perspective to help players control the game more effectively with the Move controller.

Sega released Virtua Tennis Challenge in 2012, the first installment in the series to be released on Android and iOS.

List of games

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fighting game</span> Video game genre

A fighting game is a genre of video game that involves combat between two or more characters. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as blocking, grappling, counter-attacking, and chaining attacks together into "combos". Characters generally engage in battle using hand-to-hand combat—often some form of martial arts. The fighting game genre is related to, but distinct from, the beat 'em up genre, which pits large numbers of computer-controlled enemies against one or more player characters.

<i>Crazy Taxi</i> (video game) 1999 video game

Crazy Taxi is a racing video game developed by Hitmaker and published by Sega. It is the first game in the Crazy Taxi series. The game was first released in arcades in 1999 and then was ported to the Dreamcast in 2000. Gameplay is based on picking up taxi customers and driving to their destination as quickly as possible. Reception to Crazy Taxi has been mostly positive. It was ported to other platforms numerous times, including the PlayStation 2 and GameCube by Acclaim in 2001, and then Windows in 2002.

<i>Virtua Tennis</i> (video game) 1999 sports video game

Virtua Tennis, known in Japan as Power Smash, is a 1999 tennis arcade game created by Sega AM3. The player competes through tennis tournaments in an arcade mode. It was ported to the Dreamcast in 2000, and to Windows in 2002. A Game Boy Advance version was also released in 2002, followed by an N-Gage version in 2003. For the home console market, the game was expanded with the introduction of the campaign mode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yu Suzuki</span> Japanese video game designer

Yu Suzuki is a Japanese game designer, producer, programmer, and engineer, who headed Sega's AM2 team for 18 years. Considered one of the first auteurs of video games, he has been responsible for a number of Sega's arcade hits, including three-dimensional sprite-scaling games that used "taikan" motion simulator arcade cabinets, such as Hang-On, Space Harrier, Out Run and After Burner, and pioneering polygonal 3D games such as Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter, which are credited with popularizing 3D graphics in video games; as well as the critically acclaimed Shenmue series. As a hardware engineer, he led the development of various arcade system boards, including the Sega Space Harrier, Model 1, Model 2 and Model 3, and was involved in the technical development of the Dreamcast console and its corresponding NAOMI arcade hardware.

SNK vs. Capcom, or alternately Capcom vs. SNK, is a series of crossover video games by either Capcom or SNK featuring characters that appear in games created by either company. Most of these are fighting game, and take on a similar format to Capcom's own Marvel vs. Capcom series, in which the players create teams of fighters and have them fight each other. Games in this series either contain SNK vs. Capcom or Capcom vs. SNK in their titles, with the first company named denoting the company behind the game's development.

The fifth generation era refers to computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming consoles dating from approximately October 4, 1993, to March 23, 2006. For home consoles, the best-selling console was the Sony PlayStation, followed by the Nintendo 64, and then the Sega Saturn. The PlayStation also had a redesigned version, the PSone, which was launched on July 7, 2000.

In the history of video games, the sixth generation era is the era of computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming devices available at the turn of the 21st century, starting on November 27, 1998. Platforms in the sixth generation include consoles from four companies: the Sega Dreamcast (DC), Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2), Nintendo GameCube (GC), and Microsoft Xbox. This era began on November 27, 1998, with the Japanese release of the Dreamcast, which was joined by the PlayStation 2 on March 4, 2000, the GameCube on September 14, 2001 and the Xbox on November 15, 2001, respectively. In March 31, 2001, the Dreamcast was among the first to be discontinued. Xbox in 2006, GameCube in 2007 and PlayStation 2 was the last, in January 2013. Meanwhile, the seventh generation of consoles started on November 22, 2005, with the launch of the Xbox 360.

<i>Altered Beast</i> 1988 video game

Altered Beast is a 1988 beat 'em up arcade video game developed and manufactured by Sega. The game is set in Ancient Greece and follows a player character chosen by Zeus to rescue his daughter Athena from the demonic ruler of the underworld, Neff. Through the use of power-ups, the player character can assume the form of different magical beasts. It was ported to several home video game consoles and home computers. It was the pack-in game for the Mega Drive when that system launched in 1988.

<i>Daytona USA</i> 1994 arcade video game

Daytona USA is an arcade racing video game developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega in March 1994. Inspired by the popularity of the NASCAR motor racing series in the US, the game has players race stock cars on one of three courses. It was the first game to be released on the Sega Model 2 arcade system board. Daytona USA is one of the highest-grossing arcade games of all time.

<i>Virtua Tennis 2</i> 2001 sports video game

Virtua Tennis 2, known as Tennis 2K2 in North America and Power Smash 2 in Japan, is a sequel to Virtua Tennis that was released for the Sega Dreamcast, Sega NAOMI arcade unit and Sony's PlayStation 2 in 2001–2002. New features included the ability to slice and play as female players such as Monica Seles, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport and the males such as Patrick Rafter, Magnus Norman, Thomas Enqvist and Carlos Moyá and mixed doubles matches. The game was created and produced by Hitmaker, with Acclaim Entertainment publishing it in Europe for the PS2. This was the last Virtua Tennis game to be released for the Dreamcast following its discontinuation.

<i>Crazy Taxi</i> Series of racing video games

Crazy Taxi is a series of racing games developed by Hitmaker and published by Sega. It was first available as an arcade video game in 1999, then released for the Dreamcast console in 2000. It is the third best-selling Dreamcast game in the United States, selling over a million copies. The game was later ported to the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and IBM PC compatibles with sequels also appearing on the Xbox, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation Portable systems.

<i>Virtua Striker</i> Video game series

Virtua Striker is a series of association football sports video games released by Sega for arcades. Originally developed by Sega AM2 from 1994 to 1999, the series moved to Amusement Vision with Virtua Striker 3, but it later moved to Sega Sports Design R&D Dept. with Virtua Striker 4.

<i>Virtua Fighter 2</i> 1994 arcade video game

Virtua Fighter 2 is a 1994 fighting video game developed by Sega. It is the sequel to Virtua Fighter (1993), and the second game in the Virtua Fighter series. It was created by Sega's Yu Suzuki-headed AM2 and was released for arcades in 1994. Ports were released for the Sega Saturn in 1995 and Microsoft Windows in 1997.

<i>Virtua Fighter 5</i> 2006 video game

Virtua Fighter 5 is the fifth installment in Sega's Virtua Fighter series of arcade fighting games. The original version was released on the Sega Lindbergh arcade system board. The first location tests took place on November 26, 2005 leading to the official release on July 12, 2006, in Japanese arcades. An export version, based on Version B, was released to arcades outside of Japan in February 2007.

<i>Dead or Alive</i> (video game) 1996 video game

Dead or Alive is a 1996 fighting game by Tecmo and the first entry in Team Ninja's long-running Dead or Alive series. It was released first in arcades, followed by home ports for the Sega Saturn in Japan, and later for the PlayStation in all regions.

Virtua Fighter is a series of fighting games created by Sega-AM2 and designer Yu Suzuki. The original Virtua Fighter was released in October 1993 and has received four main sequels and several spin-offs. The highly influential first Virtua Fighter game is widely recognized as the first 3D fighting game released.

<i>Virtua Tennis 3</i> 2006 sports video game

Virtua Tennis 3, known in Japan as Sega Professional Tennis: Power Smash 3, is the second arcade game sequel to Sega's tennis game franchise, Virtua Tennis. The arcade version of Virtua Tennis 3 is powered by the PC-based Sega Lindbergh arcade system board. Ports for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 consoles are also available with a traditional collection of tennis minigames that the home versions of Virtua Tennis are known for. In 2009, Sega updated and re-created Virtua Tennis 3 in Virtua Tennis 2009.

<i>Sega Genesis Collection</i> Video game compilation

Sega Genesis Collection is a compilation of video games developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Sega for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The collection includes twenty-eight Sega Genesis games from a variety of genres, as well as unlockable classic Sega arcade games, with different sets of arcade games for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions. A sequel was released in 2009 called Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

<i>Virtua Tennis 2009</i> 2009 sports video game

Virtua Tennis 2009, known in Japan as Power Smash: Live Match!, is a 2009 video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It is part of the Virtua Tennis series, following Virtua Tennis 3.

<i>Virtua Tennis 4</i> 2011 sports video game

Virtua Tennis 4, known in Japan as Power Smash 4, 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. This is the first main series Virtua Tennis game to not have an arcade release before the console releases. An arcade version was also released, which is powered by the PC-based Sega RingEdge arcade system. There are two versions of the cabinet: an upright 4-player cabinet, and a deluxe 4-player cabinet.

References

  1. "Home | THQ Nordic GMBH". Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-08-25.