Game Review: Virtua Striker 2

Game: Virtua Striker 2
Console: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: Sega
Release Date: 29th February 2000

When arcade games come to home console, gamers usually hope for a faithful conversion of the arcade software. This usually entails near perfect capture of the gameplay, controls and graphics from the arcade, which of course isn't always possible. Having played a small amount of Virtua Striker 2 in its arcade format, what I was hoping for in the home console version was for it to be much, much improved in all aspects. Unfortunately this wasn't the case.

Home conversions of arcade games often add new gameplay modes but Virtua Striker seems to want to trick players into thinking new modes are present. There appear to be plenty of modes to choose from upon starting the game; Arcade Mode is a knockout tournament, International Cup is a knockout tournament and Tournament Mode is also a knockout tournament. Fundamentally there's very little difference between these three modes, as the same options can be set for all of them. Besides these there's the option to play a league or have your performance in a single match ranked.

Because of the game's arcade roots, the controls are super basic for a football game meaning that gameplay often consists of just passing, tackling and shooting rather than any real tactical elements. Furthermore only the d-pad can be used to move players around and aim passes, leaving the analog stick with no use at all. The flow of games is clunky and gameplay mostly focusses on getting possession and attempting to break through on goal.

The camera follows the ball from too close of an angle which could make even the hardiest of gamers motion sick, and the action swings back and forth a little too much compared to the real life game. The ability to switch formations easily is a good feature of the game, alongside its easy to pick up and play nature, but these are about the only positives I can find. International teams are the only sides available, with a handful of fictional bonus teams, and there's not much focus on realism.

Graphically the game is pretty good for its time; the players aren't tiny, undetailed specks, but the crowds and stadia are still fairly featureless. There's no commentary to accompany gameplay and there's only arcade style announcement of events. The game suffers somewhat from having been an arcade game in that when playing some modes there's not even a half time break, red cards or any of the features you'd expect. These features do make an appearance in International Cup mode, but it's not enough to redeem the game.

Overall Virtua Striker 2 is a simple arcade take on football with clunky controls and gameplay, little realism, no commentary and little reason for coming to home console. There are plenty of better football games for the Dreamcast, and in such an overpopulated genre it doesn't pay to be so average in almost every respect. Arcade sports conversions often come up short when competing with home console specific games and this is just another incidence of that.

Rating: 32/100
Grade: E

Game Review: Sonic Adventure 2

Game: Sonic Adventure 2
Console: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: Sonic Team
Release Date: 18th June 2001

Sonic Adventure 2 had a big act to follow as the sequel to Sonic Adventure, the first true 3D outing of Sonic the Hedgehog, and in my opinion one of the better games in the Sonic series as a whole. While the original had a few issues such as having to trudge through stages as Big the Cat and E101 to unlock Super Sonic, stages based on those of Sonic, Knuckles and E101 (loosely) appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 as part of Light and Dark stories, which contained stages for the three characters in each team in rotation.

Sonic and Shadow's stages contain the core gameplay you'd expect to find in a 3D Sonic game, with platforming, ring collecting and jump attack boss battles. Tails and Dr. Robotnik's stages are similar to those of E101 in Sonic Adventure, controlling a mechsuit around the levels and using lasers to bring down enemies in order to continue. Finally Knuckles and Rouge play almost identically to Knuckles stages in Sonic Adventure, with 3 of a certain thing to collect and a radar indicating the proximity.

There are some stages within both the light and dark stories which are really fun to play such as City Escape, Aquatic Mine and Green Forest. Unfortunately there are also some irritating stages which don't play so well such as Eternal Engine, Crazy Gadget and Meteor Herd. For these stages it's really up to the player as to how much patience they have in order to get through and play the better stages waiting beyond. Sonic Adventure's problem was whole characters with annoying stages, but Sonic Adventure 2 has good overall stages with some that need to be tolerated.

Depending on how players like to complete the games, this can be a good or a bad thing. With Sonic Adventure, nearly all of Sonic's stages were good, but anyone wanting fun gameplay from Big the Cat or E101 would have been disappointed. Here the character roster has thankfully been thinned down to three gameplay styles, two of which play consistently well. The level design overall is fairly good with plenty to do and see. I've never really bothered too much with the chao garden but it's clearly superior to the one featured in the first game.

Graphically the game looks good; while there's moments where the camera will zoom in on a particularly low resolution part of the level, when playing normally all of the stages give a good sense of size and scale, but feel less connected to the overall events of the plot than the stages of Sonic Adventure. Soundwise the voice acting is predictably bad, as it always is, and there's often interruptions while other characters are speaking and badly mixed sound levels.

Overall Sonic Adventure 2 can be fun to play; if it was a part of your childhood or you just have particularly fond memories of the game then you're likely to get some enjoyment out of running through the dark and light stories. If however you've never played the game before, or don't like 3D Sonic games, then there's not much to impress or change your opinion. Between Sonic Adventure and it's sequel there's really not a whole lot in terms of quality.

Rating: 79/100
Grade: B

Rally Masterpost

Rally games have always been somewhat of a bittersweet experience for me; the delight and thrill of fast paced driving in tough conditions mixed with the difficulty and challenge of fast paced driving in tough conditions. From the first simple games to detailed and complex simulations, rally games have progressed greatly over the years, and it's time to look at a few selected entries;

Game: V-Rally

Console: Sony Playstation

Developer: Eden Studios

Release Date: 30th September 1997

Rally games didn't have a particularly graceful start to life; 2D games were a poor representation of the sport, and the first 3D games weren't really much better, most with substandard graphics, handling or both. V-Rally offers a small selection of cars and a slightly larger selection of rallies loosely based around the 1997 schedule. There's Arcade, Championship and Time Trial modes to choose from, but the two main modes are very similar in layout. 

Surprisingly, unlike many later rally games, V-Rally has multiple cars on track at the same time rather than time trial-esque stages. Both Arcade and Championship modes also feature a checkpoint timer which can run out and disqualify players from the race. Because of this, the game feels far more like rally-themed Need for Speed game than a full rally game, however championships tend to be contested far more closely than in later rally games.  

The handling in the game is arcade style, and most corners can be taken with minimal braking. This is just as well, as when cars begin to slide they're much more likely to oversteer and end up costing players time. Any hint of contact with the sides of the course with also deal a blow to any hopes of winning, as players will careen off in a random direction. That said, with a little practice, it can be pretty fun, and given gentle steering inputs most of the cars will behave. 

The fact that rallies are contested over a number of laps rather than in a sprint style is a little disappointing, though the variety of locations and rallies to compete in are fairly plentiful. Unfortunately replayability is somewhat of an issue, with only the main mode offering a particularly deep racing experience. 

Graphically the game looks pretty good with a decent selection of recognisible cars, branding and some varied locations. While there's not much in the way of backgrounds, the side of track obstacles are plentiful. In terms of sound there's some generic rock music behind most of the racing action, and the engine sounds can be a little lacklustre. 

Overall V-Rally is a fun little arcade rally racer which doesn't attempt too much realism but instead attempts to bring the sport to the masses. In many respects it works well, especially for the era, but the handling can be a little fiddly at times, and the game overall feels constrained and without too much content to engage its players with.

Rating: 62/100

Grade: C

Here I'd like to mention a game I've already reviewed for this blog: Sega Rally Championship 2. I've not yet found an arcade rally game that beats it's excellent handling, graphics and sound, so it's well worth taking a look at.

Game: V-Rally 2: Expert Edition

Console: Sega Dreamcast

Developer: Eden Studios

Release Date: 2nd July 2000

While a sequel to V-Rally was released on the Playstation, I've turned to the upgraded and honestly better looking Dreamcast version to review. The game takes a more serious approach in it's Championship Mode, allowing players to compete in time trial based sprint stages, as in real rallies, while keeping the multi-car option in its arcade mode. The game also features a track editor which is fairly customisable with enough options for players to feel they've created their own stage. 

The overall handling in the game is looser than the first title and it's entirely possible to win rally stages without even using the brakes. Championship mode feels somewhat too easy, despite showcasing some enjoyable stages and a good selection of cars. With the Dreamcast controller's triggers it'd have been good to have at least some braking feature in the handling of the cars. The damage fixing between stages is nicely presented and easily laid out, and usually isn't so extreme that it causes issues with winning stages.

Graphically the game looks great, the cars and stages are all far clearer than in the Playstation original and there's a greater sense of speed and excitement whilst rallying. Depending on the stage being played there's epic orchestral music, electronic tracks or generally atmospheric accompaniment to racing. These serve to continue the game's arcade feel and keep the excitement high throughout the game's stages. 

Overall V-Rally 2: Expert Edition is an improvement on the first game in the series, but it doesn't do enough to leave an impression as a bona fide rallying classic. Instead it features somewhat loose handling and easy AI which can dampen the challenge and leave players feeling somewhat unfulfilled. When it's easy to win a rally despite flipping the car 3 times, you know you're not in the professional leagues.

Rating: 64/100

Grade: C

Game: Colin McRae Rally 2.0

Console: Sony Playstation

Developer: Codemasters

Release Date: 5th December 2000

Released around a week after the Playstation 2's launch, Colin McRae Rally 2.0 proved that the original Playstation still had life in it yet by bringing an incredibly tight and enjoyable rally game to the ageing console. The game is presented in a very serious simulation style, allowing players to tune their cars for each set of stages, allocate repair time inbetween and most of all being unforgiving with it's AI times for players to beat, which forces practice in order to beat the game.

The game handles incredibly well for a Playstation driving game and is certainly one of the most realistic I've played. There's dualshock support as well as being able to use the analog sticks, and the rally schedule and selection of cars is top notch. Also impressive is the UI of the game which is styled much the same as the title screen shot above, each section is outlined at the top of the screen and players work their way through. 

Graphically the game isn't much to look at, with blocky but recognisable textures for cars and locations. This seems to matter very little, however as the gameplay is more than enough to keep players hooked. With an arcade mode featuring less serious handling and more cars on the track at once, there's also plenty to do within the game.

Overall Colin McRae Rally 2.0 seems to have been one of the first rally games to almost do everything right within the genre. There's fun, competition, the toughness of rallying and recognisable locations and cars all bundled within the game. While arcade rally titles might quench player's thirst for an evening, this game sets out to do so once and for all.

Rating: 80/100

Grade: B

Game: Paris Dakar Rally

Console: Sony Playstation 2

Developer: Acclaim

Release Date: 9th October 2001

Based on the real life Paris-Dakar Rally, this Playstation 2 game attempted to simulate the epic journey from France all the way down into Africa, over thousands of miles. Unfortunately for something of such grand scale, a slightly bigger budget was needed. While the race's length is well represented (it's 8 stages before players get out of Senegal), the route appears to be backwards and everything looks pretty much the same. 

The handling in the game is harsh oversteer with tiny adjustments needing to be made to stay on course. The co-driver is always late with his pace notes, if they come at all which doesn't help matters, and even with a good performance, players are only likely to be in the top 100 competitors of their class. There's a choice between cars, buggies, motorcycles and off road vehicles, each of which have their own issues, and can break down, requiring repairs (of which players have a limited number).

Graphically the game is perfectly acceptable though the endless swathes of desert can't be too difficult for the Playstation 2 to render. There's never really anything particularly interesting in the stages, despite passing through several countries and areas with differing landscapes. The music is fitting for the setting but perhaps not one of the most dangerous rally raid races on Earth. 

Overall Paris-Dakar Rally reminds me a little of the Gumball 3000 game which was released around this era too. A licensed race almost impossible to capture in its magnitude, half heartedly converted to a Playstation 2 game and sold on the excitement of the real race. Unfortunately you'll have to go and compete in the actual rally to truly feel exhilarated. 

Rating: 57/100

Grade: D

Game: GTC Africa

Console: Sony Playstation 2

Developer: Rage Software

Release Date: 14th June 2002

GTC Africa is a strange hybird of racing game styles; of course it has the dirt and off road elements of a rally game, though it's a little more like Paris-Dakar Rally than the licensed World Rally Championship games, in that the courses tend to be fairly random in their terrain combinations and route. There's also an element of Burnout and Ridge Racer in the arcade-ness of it's lap based gameplay and sliding handling. 

The two main modes of the game are its championship mode, taking players all over Africa to race and compete against 5 other cars, for teams, and challenge mode which features overtaking, time trial and speed challenges on courses around Africa. The game has a fair amount of content though it's unlikely players will ever take the time to replay it once it's been experienced once, thanks to the fairly average handling and almost budget feel to the overall game. 

Graphically the game seems washed out and generally undetailed, despite decent car models. There's a fair amount of choice in terms of cars, but nothing close to the later WRC games. Musically the game definitely feels like an arcade style title with electronic music accompanying racing; the kind where you can usually only hear the drum beat whilst racing. 

Overall  GTC Africa can be fun, but feels a little short on content to be a fully enjoyable game. Once the main race series have been won, the challenges may keep players entertained for a while, but there's little else to do in the game. It's the kind of experience that's perhaps worth playing once, just to see what it's like before never coming back to it.

Rating: 60/100

Grade: D

Game: WRC 3

Console: Sony Playstation 2

Developer: Evolution Studios

Release Date: 21st November 2003

WRC 3 is an arcade style rally game, licensed to include the cars and drivers of the FIA World Rally Championship and all of its stages. With very loose handling it's fairly easy to pick up, even for rally novices and its range of difficulty levels ensures that more experienced players can adjust the times needed to win rally stages. The novice difficulty is almost too easy, with an average 15 second lead per stage for an average performance. It can be hard to claw back time lost to a bad start, but once players gain the lead, it's difficult to lose also. It's almost like players become set in their positions unless they can do something particularly good or bad. 

The stages handle very individually and snow feels different to mud, which in turn feels different to tarmac. There's help on how to set up the car with engineer recommendations, and the game feels a lot less technical than Colin McRae Rally 2.0 which isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, but helps players to get into the game quicker; I was able to race the first four rallies of championship mode and finish 1st in three of them, and 2nd in the other, without any previous experience of the game. Perhaps this is too easy, but it's great for instant enjoyability and playability, especially when there's a little fight from the AI times. 

While the graphics are somewhat basic in terms of what the ps2 was capable of, the cars and locations are at least recognisable and varied, with simple backgrounds. Because of all the fast paced rally action going on, there's not a lot of time to ponder of the game's graphical flaws. One strange and unexplained decision by the developers was turning the rally pacenotes on their head. A right 1 is usually a very tight turn, but in this game it's not at all, which takes some getting used to if you've played any other rally games or are aware of the pacenotes system. The sound is pretty good other than this, though I didn't notice too much in the way of music behind stages, perhaps due to the intense action.

Overall WRC 3 presents an arcade style rally experience that offers fun over simulation, not that the two are mutually exclusive, but it's easy to pick up, won't punish players too hard for the occasional crash, and can be made more difficult timingwise if needed. For a quick burst of rally pleasure this is definitely a top contender. 

Rating: 73/100

Grade: C

Game: Colin McRae Rally 2005

Console: Sony Playstation 2

Developer: Codemasters

Release Date: 22nd September 2004

Colin McRae Rally 2005 is an interesting rally game, which received overwhelmingly positive praise on release. It seems to be less simulation focused than Colin McRae 2.0 in terms of controls and punishing players timewise, but there's still a larger degree of realism than in the WRC games, for instance. Damage is fairly realistic and can hinder players performance in a stage if certain parts of the car are too badly broken. Players must also consider the time it takes to fix their car after damage has been taken, between stages.

Players have a choice between championship and time trial mode, there was an online element to the game, but clearly the PS2 servers have been shut down by now. This means there's not a a whole lot for players to do within the game, outside of completing stages in each rally. The handling is a little loose for my liking, and the car tends to slide a lot with its momentum, which can make it difficult to maintain a quick time across a stage. One aspect of the game I enjoyed was the ability to use L2 and R2 as a brake and accelerator. 

Graphically the game looks great, this is the first game of the review where I can truly say the locations are uniquely recognisible, and enjoyable to take in whilst rallying. The cars are well presented though there's only a small selection to start with until players work their way up through career mode. Soundwise the game is as good as any other rally game, the co-driver presents the pace notes well, and the engines sound somewhat realistic. 

Overall I enjoyed Colin McRae Rally 2005 less than WRC 3 because it was harder to pick up and penalised me more for not being good at the game from the start. If I was to spend a lot of time with one of the two games though, I'd probably pick this as I could get better at it and start to make up the gap between myself and the AI, rather than crushing them from the outset. 

Rating: 77/100

Grade: B

Game: WRC: Rally Evolved

Console: Sony Playstation 2

Developer: Evolution Studios

Release Date: 28th October 2005

Sometimes with games, there's a real sense of wasted potential; WRC Rally Evolved is a perfect example of such times. Despite featuring a wide range of cars, including Super 1600s, historic rally cars, extreme rally cars and the full lineup of the World Rally Championship, the racing action lets the game down in that there's little sense of speed, a shaking camera effect whenever the car goes particularly fast, very little braking control unless players opt to let the computer do it for them, which takes all the fun out of the game, and is the default setting when the game begins. 

 The rally schedule and locations featured in the game are generally good though there's little sense of differentiation between the countries, save for the type of surface being raced on. The courses themselves are pretty short, in comparison to other rally games, and the overall difficulty level tends to be fairly easy once players learn to contend with the handling. There's definitely some fun to be had, but the issues with the sense of speed, braking and harsh corners do take away from the overall experience.

Graphically the game looks nice at a glance whilst racing, but any further inspection will uncover some sickening motion blur, camera shake, and generally low quality trees, surfaces, water and other track elements. Soundwise the game is generally good, though there's some odd co-driver speech choices. Hardly anything that's said beside the pace notes sounds natural, with random grunts of joy being by far the strangest thing to hear at the end of a rally. 

Overall WRC: Rally Evolved had some good ideas, and doesn't play horrendously as a rally game. The issue with it seems to be that players never seem to be fully given the reigns to have an edge-of-seat experience. All driving aids including assisted braking are turned on by default at the start, and added to the slow feel of driving in the game, everything's just a little bit too safe. The inclusion of Rallycross is a good one though it only seems to work like a single race arcade mode.

Rating: 62/100

Grade: C

Game: Colin McRae DiRT

Console: Sony Playstation 3

Developer: Codemasters

Release Date: 11th September 2007

Colin McRae DiRT is an early PS3 game which looks at many different types of dirt and rally racing. Players progress from basic 1 race dirt racing championships to more complex and difficult races in the game's main career mode. There's a big mix of many disciplines which means that players tend to only scratch the surface of all of the types of races available. In championship mode, players play through rally-esque setups of tracks in the game, and the Rally World mode lets players make their own customised races and championships. 

The game handles fairly loosely for a rally game, but not so much so that I'd say it had arcade handling. Some braking is needed around tougher corners, but the game doesn't often punish its players for small mistakes. The AI featured in the game is pretty easy; there's a choice of 5 difficulty levels and only the top two are a challenge of any sort. Most of the racing featured is time based, with only a few multicar racing types. 

Graphically the game looks great for such an early PS3 release and the lighting and locations looks great. There's not a great amount of tracks due to there being so many different disciplines of racing, but the car selection is fairly impressive. Soundwise the game is a little bland, opting for simply the engine noise rather than any BGM, with the menus narrated by Travis Pastrana, a famous racer. 

Overall Colin McRae DiRT has a good spread of racing types, and easy to pick up handling and control across all of its cars. While it's fun to try out so many different types of races, some of the depth is lost, as many championships are single races, and there's so much swapping that there's hardly time to get set in any of the types of racing available. 

Rating: 79/100

Grade: B

Game: Sega Rally

Console: Sony Playstation 3 

Developer: Sega

Release Date: 28th September 2007

The fourth instalment in the Sega Rally series, this Playstation 3 title is an interesting mix of licensed cars and arcade rally action. Going back to the 6 cars on track arcade racing formula of the original V-Rally, it features a Championship mode with 3 classes, each with three sets of three races to compete in, with a final race at the end of each class. Gaining points for finishing the race in a high position will also unlock new cars and championships, and gives players a good reason to continue with the game. 

The racing action itself is fast paced and incredibly arcade orientated, with low difficulty overall and plenty of chances to correct mistakes made around the tracks. The emphasis in the game seems to be on fun, with very little braking required at all, and drifty handling around many of the tighter corners in the game. With some basic throttle management its possible to get around most corners, and the tracks themselves never become too technical. There's a great selection of rally cars, although some of the most exciting ones require unlocking, 

Graphically the game is pretty impressive, and brightly coloured but lacks individuality which set other Sega Rally titles apart. The locations are interesting enough, though their generic naming and themes could put some players off. Personally I find that there are many similar stages in simulation rally games, which could be boiled down to 'Ice', 'Dirt', 'Mud' etc. and so it's not that big of a deal. In terms of sound, the music is more epic in scope than the relaxed music of previous instalments, but it still retains an arcade feel to the experience. 

Overall Sega Rally is a lot of fun, providing replayability and easy to pick up arcade style action to its players. Though it's definitely not for simulation rally fans, it'd be a good game to play for a week or two in short bursts. The championship mode might get a little repetitive towards the end of the game, but its three race series keep interest focused on the current race well, and the unlockables are incentive enough to keep going.

Rating: 77/100

Grade: B

Game: WRC: FIA World Rally Championship

Console: Sony Playstation 3

Developer: Blackbean Games

Release Date: 8th October 2010

Bringing a far more simulation focused style to rally gaming than Sega Rally, WRC: FIA World Rally Championship seems to cater for the "realistic, but not entirely simulation" crowd of gamers. This means it's fairly easy to pick up, once players get to grips with the general handling of the game, The more powerful cars that feature in the game still feel like beasts to be tamed, but the Super 1600 and R2/R3 cars allow beginners to gain some rallying experience before being thrown in at the deep end. 

The Special Stages featured in the game are grouped by difficulty, and so players will find themselves on the same few stages throughout the first few levels of "Road to WRC" mode, with new stages being introduced very slowly into the rotation. If you've got the patience, then the main mode can be a very rewarding and complete experience, where there's the chance to drive almost every game the car has to offer, and feel a real sense of progression, but it's far longer than working your way through the official WRC calendar. 

There's a decent range of cars available in the game, with a Group B rally car DLC pack, but with more races than cars in career mode, players are sure to get at least a taste of most vehicles in the game. The handling differences between cars are noticeable and help to keep the game interesting as players progress and race on many of the same special stages. The range of locations is good, but the more difficult snow and ice tracks tend to be locked away for later in the game. 

The driving and competition overall feels exciting with a good sense of speed, competitive AI times, and a mix of time and points based racing. Career mode operates on a goals system where players must achieve certain targets within the race series they enter to earn money, unlock new races and progress. The early parts of career mode aren't particularly challenging, and so can be a bit of a grind to start with.

Graphically the game looks good with varied locations and well modelled cars. Sometimes the draw distance is such that you'll notice a tree popping into existence in the distance, and the lighting and texture engines noticeably load at the beginning of races, but if you can overlook this, and are concentrated on rallying it's more than acceptable. Soundwise the game is generally good, though occasionally the pace notes are a little misleading, with the co-driver sometimes opting to shout "Danger!" instead of an actual warning as to what's ahead. The game also suffers from the same issue as WRC Rally Evolved where the co-driver makes sarcastic or negative comments which break from the realism of the game. 

Overall WRC: FIA World Rally Championship is a lot of fun if you're looking for a somewhat serious stage based rally game with a deep career mode, and progression through to the FIA World Rally Championship from the junior leagues of rallying. It's got a good selection of cars and special stages, and the handling is enjoyable and easy to pick up after a few tries. The only real downsides are that the game is slow to get going in it's career mode, and ends up repeating many of the same stages because of their low difficulty, where a range of stages would have been more enjoyable.

Rating: 83/100

Grade: B

Game: WRC: FIA World Rally Championship
Console: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Firebrand Games
Release Date: 15th January 2015

You might expect the Official FIA World Rally Championship game on 3DS to be a quality experience, with licensed cars and drivers, as well as a large selection of rally stages, spanning 12 countries. The initial menu however lets players know what they're in for, with just 3 modes, Season, Quick Race and Super Stages. Players progress through season mode by winning stages, or scoring enough points over the four stages of a rally to have 80 in total. If this isn't achieved then any stage can be replayed to get more points.

At the start of the game, just one car and driver combination is unlocked, with additional drivers unlocked with speed points, based on the players driving. The super stages featured in their own mode are also unlocked with these speed points. During a race, players can rewind time to correct their mistakes, and have unlimited restarts available to them. With this, and the easy-ish difficulty level, it's almost impossible not to win stages eventually.

The driving featured in the game is very simplistic and it's difficult to pull off any complex rally moves that real drivers might actually use such as slight drifts or using the handbrake for incredibly tight turns. Another issue is that sometimes the obstacles at the side of the road will allow players to pass through them without issue, while other obstacles will results in a flip or catastrophic crash, resulting in the need to rewind.

The off-track detection too is a little off; sometimes the slightest deviation will result in a reset, but at other times players can be driving miles off the course without any consequence. There are three checkpoints to each rally stage, and in general the races don't last very long. Somehow most tracks still manage to be somewhat boring though; there's really not much variety or memorable moments on any stage.

Graphically the game is pretty poor; from a distance it doesn't look particularly bad, but any kind of close-up inspection will reveal that the cars aren't much better than original Playstation renderings. The course detail is fairly low also with nothing in the distance, and generally boring landscapes on show. Soundwise the game is even worse with literally just engine noise to accompany the game; no co-driver, no music options, just engine noise.

Overall the official WRC game for 3DS is an incredibly low effort release, with no thought given to the amount of content available in the game, unlockables, replayability, music or gameplay. Because of this, only a small amount of enjoyment, if any can be gained from playing, and fans of rallying will be sorely disappointed.

Rating: 51/100
Grade: D

Below is a summary of all the games in this review;

WRC FIA World Rally Championship	PS3				B	83.25
Colin McRae Rally 2.0	PS				B	80.01
Colin McRae DiRT	PS3				B	79.75
Colin McRae Rally 2005	PS2				B	77.45
Sega Rally	PS3				B	77.35
WRC 3	PS2				C	73.62
V-Rally 2	DC				C	64.85
V-Rally	PS				C	62.18
WRC Rally Evolved	PS2				C	62.07
GTC Africa	PS2				D	60.32
Paris-Dakar Rally	PS2				D	57.60
WRC: FIA World Rally Championship	3DS				D	51.10

While it's obvious that there are many approaches to making a rally video game, the key factors seem to be the depth of the career mode, the ease of handling and a pinch of realism whether in licensing or physics. Arcade and simulation rally games both have the potential to be fun and engaging in different ways, but the amount of effort put in by the developers usually determines how well each game will play. It's interesting to note that two games with the same title were top and bottom of these rankings, but the differences between the two were strikingly obvious.

Boxing Games Roundup: Round 1

With a large amount of boxing games to take a look at over the next two reviews, I've decided to split them up, with this first review concentrating on the larger than life, cartoon-ish boxing games in the Punchout and Ready 2 Rumble Series, and the second review looking at games which attempted to be more of a sports simulation.

Game: Punch-Out!!
Console: Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 1990

Punch-Out!! is an NES classic which challenges players to rise through the ranks from minor circuit boxing to the big time, against a variety of racial stereotypes and humourous characters and finally face Mike Tyson himself in a wall-punchingly difficult final fight to beat the game and claim Little Mac's place in boxing history. For every win, the player progresses up the ranks towards a title fight, but for every loss, the last opponent must be faced again to prove your skill.

The controls are simple, with the d-pad used for left and right movement as well as directing punches towards the head or body. The A and B buttons are used for right and left hand punches respectively, and it's through these simple controls that the game justifies its fairly high level of difficulty in the later levels. Each opponent has a different set of moves which must be learned and avoided with the correct timing, in order to counter attack, as this is the only effective way of landing strikes. Once an opponent has been knocked down 3 times in a round, or for 10 seconds at a time, the player wins.

Graphically the game uses basic sprites for its boxers as well as Mario who guest stars as referee. The animations are good and give a clear indication of when to avoid the opponent's strikes in order to land a clean hit. The cardio system works well as Little Mac loses hearts for hits taken and his shots being blocked, and so focuses players on the counter attack. Musically there's a few enjoyable themes included and repeated throughout the game, and that's about all you can ask for in an NES cartridge.

Overall Punch-Out is almost the perfect arcade boxing game for the time; there's strategy in avoiding opponents and waiting for the right moment to connect with a punch, there's a good variety of opponents to beat on the way up through the ranks, a terrifying final boss in Mike Tyson and a guest appearance from Mario. While technology has advanced since the release of the game, the core gameplay and characters appearing the game remain entertaining and fun.

Rating: 84/100
Grade: B

Game: Super Punch-Out!!
Console: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 1994

As a follow up to Punch-Out!! on the NES, Super Punch-Out!! succeeds in bringing arcade boxing action to the Super Nintendo. The premise of the game remains unchanged; progress to the title of champion through three ever more difficult circuits, learn your opponents moves and how to avoid them, then counter attack until your opponent is down for good. An added feature to this game is special combos; earned by landing punches and avoiding being hit by the opponent, these can rock opponents and provide an advantage to players if landed at the right time.

The controls remain largely the same with the addition of the special combo button, and the difficulty is much the same as the original Punch-Out!! with a tough curve and many hours of practice needed before the fights are truly easy, though the Minor Circuit isn't too hard to get through. The time limit has been brought down to 3 minutes per fight, forcing the action as players lose instantly if the timer reaches 3 minutes, no matter the number of knock downs or the health bars of both boxers.

Graphically the game is far superior to its NES predecessor and its cartoon-ish sprites and animation bring life to the fights as the fighters react far more obviously to each punch. The special meter at the bottom is easy to glance at and it's obvious when players can use their special combo, increasing their chance of successfully using the system. Musically the game features some remixes of songs from Punch-Out!! which are a nice reminder of the series short heritage.

Super Punch-Out!! is superior to the original in most aspects; its gameplay feels better, looks better and has a few more features to help players, but the time limit can be unwelcome at times, with close fights recorded as a loss thanks to there being only a single round. This does have the advantage of making the game feel more arcade-like, as does the scoring system, but it's equally frustrating. Any time put into learning opponent moves is rewarded and progress can be saved once a circuit has been beaten.

Rating: 87/100
Grade: B

Game: Punch-Out!!
Console: Nintendo Wii
Developer: Next Level Games
Release Date: 18th May 2009

Usually when classic franchises are shipped out to third party developers, fans can expect the results to be generally disappointing. While there are some problems with this instalment in the once dormant series, they're mainly with the motion control of the Wii rather than the game itself. Seasoned players will be delighted to find Glass Joe, Von Kaiser and King Hippo waiting for them in the minor circuit of the career mode (though Piston Honda is notably absent, replaced by Disco Kid). For the most part they fight much like their previous versions, though perhaps a little easier overall.

The attacking and defensive options too are very much like those given to players in the first two games; the stamina bar and special move stars make a comeback, and the view is much like that of Super Punch-Out!!. As the game is on the Wii however, two of the three control options involve motion controls; there's the Wiimote and Nunchuk option, a Wiimote, Nunchuk and Balance Board option if you're looking for the optimal amount of excercise, or simply the Wiimote held sideways for a traditional control scheme without motion control.

I opted for the Wiimote and Nunchuk control scheme which worked pretty well, though more than three fights is exhausting, as you're required to thrust the remote forwards for every punch. The difficulty is generally a little easier than the preceding games, while the strategies remain the same, but towards the end of the game things can be just as tough. Graphically the game looks good; nothing truly amazing but it's an update from Super Punch-Out!!'s graphics if nothing else. The music is once again remixes of classic Punch-Out!! tunes and fairly enjoyable.

Overall for a reboot of a classic series on the Wii, Punch-Out!! could have been a lot worse, there's the option not to use motion control which is always appreciated, many nods to the two classic games which came beforehand and a sense of an update on the nostalgia of the series. Although it can be an exhausting experience for those who want to use the motion control, it's a passable reworking of the classic formula.

Rating: 73/100
Grade: C

Game: Ready 2 Rumble Boxing
Console: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: Midway
Release Date: 8th September 1999

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing was released for multiple platforms in 1999; alongside the Dreamcast the game came out for Playstation, Nintendo 64 and the Game Boy Colour. What's interesting about this is that the game was a launch title in the USA and followed soon after in Europe, thus allowing gamers to compare the Playstation, N64 and Dreamcast versions side by side and see the next generation of video gaming for themselves. The Dreamcast version is by far the best, and I'd steer well clear of the Playstation version as it looks ugly and plays horrifically compared to the DC version.

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing features a cast of varied boxing characters with a variety of movesets, catchphrases and taunts, all of whom can be guided through championship and arcade mode to climb the ranks and become the best fighter. Arcade mode features a simple run of 10 fights, from 10th place in the rankings to facing the champion and unlocks fighters if beaten a certain amount of times. Championship mode allows players to take control of 10 of the game's fighters, raise their stats, manage their money and fights in order to make it through Bronze, Silver and Gold classes to claim the championship belt. Controlwise, players can choose from 2 types of high and low punches, assigned to the four buttons of the controller. Dodging is achieved with the L+R triggers, and when a punch lands cleanly enough, players are assigned letters of the word "RUMBLE", until it's spelt out and can be used within the round it's earned to do a near unblockable flurry of punches at their opponent.

Graphically the game looks great on Dreamcast, with some of the best looking modelling of human bodies that had been seen on consoles up until that time. Bruises appear on fighters as they're hit, which is a great bonus feature and there's a wealth of animations and moves for each fighter. The sound is a little average, with grunts and hits sounding somewhat lacklustre, but the taunts and personality of the fighter's dialogue makes up for a lot of this. In contrast to the Dreamcast version, the Playstation version looks less than half as good, with gameplay feeling slow and difficult to control, in contrast.

Overall Ready 2 Rumble Boxing has a great mix of arcade boxing action with huge characters, and actual boxing moves to pull off within the 3D space of the ring. The Championship mode is a nice touch, with control over the chosen boxer's stats and fights, but it's perhaps a little too similar to arcade mode in it's progression, as players will find themselves facing 30 fights to beat Championship mode with a single fighter. Remember to avoid the game on other platforms though, as the Dreamcast version is superior.

Rating: 75/100
Grade: B

Game: Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2
Console: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: Midway
Release Date: 23rd October 2000

Just over a year after the first instalment of the series, Ready 2 Rumble returned with more fighters, celebrity fighters to unlock, an overhauled championship mode and a few other extras. While the core gameplay and concept remain much the same, one nice new addition is tiered RUMBLE attacks. Once the word has been earned once (the maximum in the last game), it can be earned again in red for a stronger flurry attack, or a third time for a silver punch which will knock the opponent out of the ring.

The championship mode is now time based; the next prize fight and title fight have a set date and gym training is free, but must be scheduled on the calendar. Players raise their fighter's stats as normal and attempt to fight for the championship belt from 13th position in the rankings. This is preferable to the bronze, silver and gold classes of the previous game. There are many fighters making their Dreamcast debut in the title, including the previously N64 exclusive J,R Flurry, and these add some imagination to the roster of 23 fighters.

Graphically the game looks great on the Dreamcast and is very similar on the Playstation 2. These two versions are by far the best, and are essentially interchangeable. Fighters have more distinguishing features than in the first game, and those who have been carried over have been given a nice update. The sound still leaves a little to be desired but there's some surprisingly good voice acting, especially considering that Michael Jackson features in the cast.

Overall whilst Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2 brought few significant gameplay improvements to the table, the increased roster and selection of game modes provide more excitement, and the championship mode improvements give a greater sense of progression for those interested in 'completing' the game. As far as arcade boxing games go, you can't do much better for a roster or the amount of action provided by this game.

Rating: 79/100
Grade: B

Game: Ready 2 Rumble Revolution
Console: Nintendo Wii
Developer: 10tacle Studios
Release Date: 17th March 2009

Ready 2 Rumble Revolution was the inevitable Wii cash-in for the series as Midway, the original developers of the game were going bankrupt. Featuring very few characters from the original games, and far less amusing or even impressive replacements, the game almost instantly fails to connect with existing fans of the series. While the game modes remain much the same, there's the option to play the training minigames independently of the Career Mode.

The biggest problem however is that of control; with only the motion controls available to use, and a huge selection of punches and moves to pull off, the technology isn't advanced enough to distinguish between similar movements, leading to player frustration when the wrong move is executed. In addition to this, players are required to keep their hands up in order to defend themselves (which is very tiring), and the experience as a whole is draining, so play sessions tend to last only as long as players can stand.

Graphically the game is less impressive than anything in the series so far for its time of release. The cartoonish figures of the boxers look almost ridiculous, and there's nearly none of the amusing characterisation that was present on the Dreamcast instalments. It's easy to ignore the sounds of the game as the frustration of getting the correct punch to land on screen usually drowns out any in game audio.

Overall Ready 2 Rumble Revolution is an insult to the series, lacking the enjoyable arcade style gameplay of the first two games and replacing it with hit-and-miss controls which overcomplicate the formula. The Wii saw a lot of series revivals and cash-ins on famous games, but this goes down with the worst of those, due to the general lack of effort to make the game anything like its predecessors.

Rating: 42/100
Grade: E

Sports Review: Tennis Masterpost

Tennis is a sport that most people have only a passing interest in, but there are plenty of games dedicated to the sport nonetheless. One of my first Dreamcast games was the original Virtua Tennis which is a pretty classic arcade version of the sport, but there's plenty of other types of tennis game around.

Game: Tennis
Console: Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 14th January 1984

Tennis for the Nintendo Entertainment System was never going to be the most technically impressive game in this review, but it doesn't play particularly badly for its time. Players can face off against the computer on their own, or with a friend and try to win 3 sets worth of tennis (which as it turns out, is quite a lot). Serving is difficult to judge as the ball goes up, and falls back down in an understated manner, leaving players to figure out when it's at a prime height for hitting.

Returning the ball is slightly easier, provided that your timing and placement is as the game wants it to be. Sometimes shots which seem like they should work yield a very weak push and other times a last ditch attempt at reaching the ball will fire it into an unreachable spot for your opponent, winning the point. It gets a little easier with practice, but it's still essentially random most of the time.

Graphically the game is as you'd expect from the NES, basic player sprites with a white clump of pixels representing the ball and Mario as referee because of course Mario's gonna be the referee. Annoyingly he calls every point scoring shot as in or out, no matter how obvious but the music is generally good despite a lack of other sound.

Overall it's a pretty solid effort for the NES, better than the Atari 2600's idea of Tennis, and way better than Super Tennis on the Master System which couldn't be controlled no matter how much practice was done with the game.

Rating: 52/100
Grade: D

Game: Virtua Tennis
Console: Sega Dreamcast
Developer: Sega
Release Date: 12th July 2000

Virtua Tennis is an undoubtedly arcade Tennis experience, offering Arcade, Exhibition and World Tour modes and some of the most enjoyable tennis gameplay you're likely to find. Although there's now 7 games in the series, it's interesting to note that at the time of this release there was nothing like Virtua Tennis around; the speed it plays at, and the fast paced gameplay were unmatched on the PS2, or any other console of the time. This is perhaps due to the fact that the game appeared in arcades before coming to home console, but the port is of such good quality that it has to be given some credit too.

Arcade mode challenges players to win 5 tournaments, each of the Grand Slams and a final Sega Pro Final, with the matches consisting of a selectable number of games up to 6 and as low as 2. There's an adjustable difficulty level for players finding things too easy, though there's some level of challenge on every level above Easy. With single player and doubles modes, allowing players to play with their friends or a computer, there's some replayability provided too.

World Tour mode continues the arcade feel of the game with no calendar system, but rather training activities which earn players money, tournaments which consist of a single game against an opponent and shops where doubles partners and upgrades for arcade mode can be purchased. Completing training or winning matches will level up the completed activity, or those around it. As players win matches their rank will increase, and eventually they'll gain the chance to play the secret players Master and King, who are essentially the bosses of the game.

While this makes for a fairly short World Tour mode; I got from being ranked 200th to 60th in an hour or two, the later matches are longer and more difficult, and each level of training helps players to master their technique in the game. The removal of an in game calendar means that players can attempt matches in whatever order they want, and retry immediately upon losing a game or failing a training activity.

Graphically the game is pretty excellent with only the player's faces lacking in particular detail. For the most part the action unfolds at a good frame rate, and the courts and other small details look great. Soundwise the game excels with a driving rock accompaniment that enhances the action and makes every point feel like it counts. Every song is enjoyable and that's fairly rare for a game of this type; there's even a Sonic-esque Sega feel to the music at points.

Overall Virtua Tennis is a great arcade tennis game. Too many sports games focus simulation and in the process lose some of their fun, but there's no such problem here. Fast paced action, driving rock and an excellent World Tour mode make this a contender for best tennis game I've played, however with many more instalments of the series to go which I haven't yet given a go it's hard to say whether it can be outdone.

Rating: 87/100
Grade: B

Game: Roland Garros 2001
Console: Sony Playstation
Developer: Carapace
Release Date: 1st June 2001

Before doing any research on this game I was under the impression that Roland Garros was a tennis player. In a way I was correct, but the name as it's used in the title of the game refers to the alternate name of the French Open. Any ideas I had of playing as Roland Garros, or indeed any other notable tennis player of the time were soon put to rest with a completely fictional cast of tennis players to choose from. I assume they weren't able to the license to anyone's name, but it's a bit poor nonetheless.

The gameplay is strange when compared to most tennis games; firstly the action is very slow, almost as if everything's taking place in slow motion. At first I thought this was due to the limitations of the Playstation in 2001, but I think it's to accommodate the controls, which are the other strange aspect of the game. Players must select their shot before even running towards the ball if they want a chance of hitting it, then direct their shot with the analog stick and hope that the timing and positioning is right when the ball is finally struck.

After a little practice, I figured out that players need to be near enough the ball to initiate their shot (nothing will happen if they're too far away), then a shot must be selected; there's a choice of a slice or a lob, and finally the shot is directed within the opponent's court. It's not actually too bad of a system when everything's working in your favour, but it doesn't take many missed balls to start cursing the control scheme either.

In terms of game modes players can choose from a single match, a tournament or practice. Matches consist of 1, 3 or 5 sets (you'll be playing for a long time if you select 5 sets) and are scored in normal tennis fashion. Tournaments start from the Quarter Finals and so consist of 3 matches in total and unlock new characters and courts when won on each difficulty level. There's no real players to unlock as far as I can tell, and it'd take forever to unlock everything considering the speed of gameplay.

The above screenshot doesn't do the game graphical justice, but it's surprisingly difficult to find images from the game online without shots from other games. The players and courts look alright, they're nothing special, especially for 2001, but for a game on the Playstation it can be excused. Soundwise there's not much to go on, though and it became fairly humourous to me that only one shot had a grunting noise associated with it.

Overall, if Virtua Tennis hadn't already been out a year when this was released, with Virtua Tennis 2 well on its way, it might have been forgiveable. As things stand its a slow and fairly progression-less game with awkward controls, no licensed tennis players and very little else to do. Perhaps if this was the only tennis game you'd ever played, it might be bearable and even nostalgic, but otherwise there's little value.

Rating: 60/100
Grade: D

Game: Virtua Tennis 2
Console: Sega Dreamcast/Sony Playstation 2
Developer: Sega
Release Date: 24th October 2001

Virtua Tennis 2 is pretty much more of the same when it comes to the Dreamcast version of the game; the same game modes are included and arcade mode plays essentially the same also. World Tour Mode is the only thing that's been changed particularly. In terms of gameplay, the AI is a little less predictable and this leads to longer rallies in games, but the frame rate is far more prone to horrendous dips, meaning that parts of matches can be played at 10fps or so.

In World Tour Mode, a calendar has been added which governs the events that players are able to enter, there's stamina which governs the amount of training or events players are able to do before resting, and there's a levelling up system which affects all aspects of the created player's game. Female players have been added, and its compulsory to create one male and one female player at the beginning of World Tour mode, which means having to juggle training and competitions for both of them, which can get annoying.

The game looks a little better than its predecessor perhaps, but not enough to make it a better game. There are a few new courts and events, but other than that its very similar to the original Virtua Tennis. Soundwise it's definitely weaker with more of an electronic rock feel, and overall as a game it just doesn't feel like a sequel that builds on anything that was good about the first game, which is a shame.

The Playstation 2 version of the game seems to be very similar, though there are less frame rate issues. It does however look worse than the Dreamcast version which often tended to happen with ports to the PS2 of this nature, like Crazy Taxi, and others. Because of this it'll receive the same score as the Dreamcast version.

Rating: 83/100
Grade: B

Game: WTA Tour Tennis
Console: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: Konami
Release Date: 26th March 2002

Interestingly for 2002, WTA Tour Tennis featured exclusively female players from the pro tour, except for the notable exclusion of Venus Williams for no apparent reason, despite her being world #2 at the time. Serena Williams is in there, as are all the other female pros of the era, but I guess that's just the way things go with copyrights and trademarks. There's a small choice of modes but the main event of the game is meant to be the World Tour Mode.

The other mode allows players to play a single game of tennis, for a limited number of games or sets, with a choice of players from all the unlocked professionals. The gameplay is a little fiddly and not as arcade based as Virtua Tennis, but generally it works and seems to play like a knock off version of Virtua. The professional players are pretty fast around the court and can serve and hit the ball fairly well for the most part.

So onto the World Tour Mode; as there was a tournament pretty much straight away I thought I'd see how this mode differs from the single match mode. It turns out that upon starting a World Tour save file, your player is basically useless, with an F in almost every stat. It's possible to do training to slowly raise your stats but it's not interactive, and simply advances to the next day with RPG like exp gain. The stats increase so slowly that upon finishing my World Tour session, only half of the stats had got up to an E rank, with the other half still at an F.

At one point, I trained my player too hard, leading to a ruptured tendon which ruled her out for 4 months. This would be fine if the game didn't advance on a day-by-day basis, meaning that I had to spend around 50 days simply doing the most basic training available, not being able to improve my stats, or enter competitions. For around 20 minutes of real time, there was literally no gameplay save for pressing X to advance through the days training and rest.

The World Tour Mode ends up being far too much like a management game, and without years of practices, players created in the mode are so far below useful in the game, it's almost like a joke. My world tour player ran so slowly in competitions that she'd hardly get halfway across the court to a ball on the other side, and that's just inexcusable for a main game mode.

Graphically things are okay, but behind everything there's music which sounds like it belongs on the Gran Turismo Career Mode home screen. Where Virtua Tennis has driving rock tunes, WTA Tour Tennis decided that easy going jazz funk was more appropriate for a fast paced sporting event. It makes the game seem far cheaper and more like a budget title to me, despite being developed by Konami.

Overall WTA Tour Tennis is a huge disappointment; its career mode could easily have been good with some training minigames, less risk of injury, less time needed to recover from injuries, better progression and stats not making all the difference between good players and bad. Admittedly that'd be quite a lot to change, but the game legitimately feels 20x better in the single match mode, when playing with pros.

Rating: 39/100
Grade: E

Game: Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2
Console: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: Namco
Release Date: 28th May 2004

Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 takes a fairly arcade approach to tennis with short arcade matches and a "Turning Point" feature in its World Tour mode, meaning that players often end up playing 4 or 5 games of tennis per match, instead of the full match. This can be a positive, as it means players don't have to sit through a huge amount of tennis every match just to progress through tournaments, but it also means that they have less control over the final result of matches. Usually winning most of the turning point games will guarantee overall victory.

The gameplay is pretty good, though not as quick as the Virtua Tennis series. There's an element of timing to each stroke and well timed shots will earn players a "Nice" rating. Serving is a particularly realistic element of the game, and works a little better than even Virtua Tennis 2 with aces being difficult but not impossible to attain. Although arcade and exhibition modes are pretty fun, the meat of the game is in the World Tour mode.

A little like the World Tour mode of WTA Tour Tennis, players start from scratch; ranked 200th in the world and are able to train and enter events. Unlike WTA Tour Tennis though, the created player is fairly good at tennis already, and can easily play against opponents of similar ranks. For each match played, the computer calculates the score up until a turning point, where players are given a mission and allowed to play. Examples of missions include serving an ace, winning consecutive points and getting a certain percentage of 'nice' shots. The mission doesn't necessarily have to be completed to win the set (unless that's included within the mission goal), but will earn players extra exp. if completed and sometimes auto win the set.

Training consists of minigames, much like Virtua Tennis and these give players experience points, which along with the experience points from matches can be used to upgrade player stats which helps them compete against higher ranked opponents. In very little time my career player was able to qualify for the finals of Wimbledon and was only stopped by the world #7 and very difficult missions, but it was good to be given the chance to progress. Overall the World Tour mode can get a little samey, but it's fairly enjoyable even when compared to Virtua Tennis.

Graphically the game looks great and there are only a few minor complaints; most of them involving the menus and user interface. The game's music is mostly funky rock tunes which fit well with the general atmosphere of the tennis matches. Every now and then a member of the crowd will audibly shout joyfully or whistle, which is a nice touch although it's not perfectly executed, so things can sound a little strange through headphones.

On the whole, Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 is an impressive and feature packed game with plenty of licensed players, some added Namco bonus players and great controls. There's not much to dislike other than the fact that the World Tour mode doesn't let players control the entirety of the match, but rather selected moments. Personally I prefer a shortened match that I'm fully in control of, but this arcade idea might appeal to some.

Rating: 77/100
Grade: B

Game: Virtua Tennis: World Tour
Console: Sony Playstation Portable
Developer: Sumo Digital
Release Date: 7th October 2005

This review's going to be fairly short, since Virtua Tennis: World Tour isn't much more than an updated version of Virtua Tennis 2 for the PSP. The graphics are worse, the load times are far longer, and the gameplay is made more difficult by the lack of real control options between the d-pad and the PSP's awkward analog stick. World Tour mode is exactly the same as the one featured in Virtua Tennis 2, and there's very few changes elsewhere. It's really a shame that more wasn't done to optimise this title for the PSP instead of making a quick port.

Rating: 72/100
Grade: C

Game: Virtua Tennis 3

Console: Sony Playstation 3

Developer: Sega

Release Date: 23rd March 2007

Virtua Tennis 3 saw the franchise into a new console generation; with HD graphics and more gameplay possibilities. The gameplay options for the most part, however stayed the same with World Tour and Arcade modes being the main features, with Minigames and Exhibition matches providing extra content. The tennis featured in the game has taken a step back from the pure arcade style of the first two games, to include some realism in how long rallies last, the percentage of ace serves and the reach of most players. 

World Tour mode follows much the same format as in Virtua Tennis 2, with a preset calendar and players rankings determined by the matches they win in tournaments. There's now a mail display which shows messages from the coach, and a training academy where the game's basic and more advanced playstyles are explained and exp. can be gained towards player skills. Doubles partners are no longer contracted but simply chosen before a tournament, and there's various chances to be talked to by the famous players featured in the game, though no chances to respond. 

The AI difficulty and player stat progression are the main elements of World Tour mode that I found to be problematic. At the start of the campagin, players will compete against any of the included pro players in the Challengers tournaments, usually easily beating them, despite having very basic stats before completing much of the training. As the game progresses and the player makes their way below the 100th mark or so, they compete against the same pro players in more professional tournaments, with better stats, and yet not only do the same players play far better (which is fair enough in terms of difficulty curve, but damages the realism somewhat), but the player's shots are far less effective, they hit less aces and good shots and overall any stat increases seem to be useless. 

These issues really put me off playing any further in World Tour mode, and they affect arcade mode in a way also, as it's far too easy, and then too hard with very little space inbetween to be genuinely and enjoyably challenging. This is a shame as there's some good tennis to be played in the game, and players have to think carefully and strategically about how to win points, however after enough play the AI can be worked out pretty easily. 

Graphically the game looks great; more realistic and nicer than ever, although at times it can be difficult to track the ball with all the lighting effects that are in use. The soundtrack is a little more disappointing as its made up of remixes of the Virtua Tennis 2 soundtrack which sound worse than the originals and new, ill-fitting music which is far too happy with no real tension about it. 

Overall Virtua Tennis 3 is a bit of a let down if you want to actually play it for any serious amount of time. Exhibition matches with friends or a light hearted delve into World Tour mode can be fun, and there's a huge amount of new training minigames, but there's no reward for putting the hours into the main mode. 

Rating: 74/100

Grade: B

Game: Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis

Console: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Rockstar Games

Release Date: 19th October 2007

Whilst technically not lawn tennis, Rockstar Table Tennis fits rather easily into this review, with its many similarities in control and career mode progression options. Its a shame I don't own the Xbox 360 version as it'd be interesting to compare how the game plays with and without motion control, but we appear to be stuck with it for now. 

The main game mode is tournament mode where players contest several matches in order to progress to the final and win the tournament, unlocking new outfits for the player they've selected as well as different Table Tennis arenas. While these aren't exactly exciting unlocks, most of the enjoyment from this game comes directly from the gameplay rather than unlocking extras. 

Initially the gameplay seems like a lot of fun. Even with motion controls, there's a good range of shot options (the d-pad controls spin), the A button is used for a soft shot, and the B button is used as a focus shot when players have filled their focus meter. The nunchuk can be used to control either player movement or shot direction, but this is one of the few games that seems better without, as there's not a great range of player movement anyway at a table tennis table.

Once you've been playing for a while though, players may notice that its almost impossible to hit the ball off the table, and as long as no silly shots are made, it's fairly likely that the CPU player can be beaten. Which reduces the game to a simple "press a button to return the ball" type experience, or more aptly "swing the Wiimote to return the ball". Once this effect has been observed, there seems little point in continuing with the game as there's not really much else to it. 

Graphically the game looks really nice, with realistic visuals and a good amount of different players and arenas. Unfortunately there's not quite so much interest or familiarity with table tennis venues as there is with Wimbledon and other lawn tennis venues. Soundwise the game is a little quiet with only the sounds of the ball being hit back and forth accompanying games.

Overall Rockstar Presents Table Tennis can be enjoyable, but seems like more of a imitation of playing table tennis as players lack real control and skillful shot options. It seems like it'd be pretty difficult to make a good table tennis game, considering how frustrating it might be if the game was fully realistic, but this leans a little too much towards being automated for convenience, which ruins the overall experience and replayability of the game. 

Rating: 60/100

Grade: D

Game: Sega Superstars Tennis

Console: Sony Playstation 3/Nintendo Wii

Developer: Sumo Digital

Release Date: 17th March 2008

In a fairly obvious attempt to copy Mario Tennis, Sega released their own All Stars tennis game featuring many of their classic franchises in its characters and courts. Although the game has tennis in its title, and does indeed feature the ability to play games of tennis, its Superstars career mode plays far more like a party game than anything else, or perhaps a collection of minigames such as those featured in Virtua Tennis. 

The tennis aspect of the game plays fairly well; characters are divided into Speed, Control, Spin and Power specialists with a few all-rounders, and although these don't make a huge amount of difference, I spent most of the game playing as Beat from Jet Set Radio, partly thanks to his huge speed around the court. The games of tennis I did play were fairly fun, with an arcade feel though I wasn't such a fan of the power-ups and super moves included; though they fit with the game's theme, they can make things a little unfair at times. 

The themeing of the courts and their respective score and time counters is a nice touch, changing to reflect each game being referenced, but unfortunately Superstars mode which features the courts for its minigames is wildly unbalanced in terms of the amount of minigames in each game's "world", and ends up feeling very little like a tennis game after 5 or 6 zombie or graffiti based missions, even if they are based on actual tennis play. 

Every now and then there are tournaments in each zone to unlock a new character, but even then they're either pretty short or have the difficulty turned up to 11. The AI in doubles matches is appalling and will play as if you're not there 90% of the time, leaving you to hit the 10% of balls it decides that it doesn't want to hit, no matter how close they are to you. The game also commits the cardinal sin of using an alphabetic grading system, with A being a mission clear, and AA and AAA grades available for performing better. This is annoying on two counts because a) it's impossible to get a grade below B without failing so that might as well be an F, and b) for anyone who's a completionist it means hours trying to get those illusive AAA grades. 

The selection of characters is generally good, with appearances from Alex Kidd, Gilius, Gum, Pudding and other slightly more obscure characters from Sega franchises. Non playable characters are also in good supply, with courts from Outrun and House of the Dead, but no players. Shenmue is a notable but thankful exclusion, since I'm unsure that Ryo Hazuki's name needed tarnishing with this sort of frivolity. It's a shame though that Sega acknowledge the amount of truly memorable franchises they have the rights to, in this game and yet seem to care very little about anything other than the Sonic series in the modern age. 

On the Wii there's a choice of three control schemes; motion control without a nunchuk whereby players are moved around automatically and need only swing to hit the ball, motion control with a nunchuk whereby the left hand controls movement and the right strokes, and traditional play where the wiimote is held sideways and used like a proper controller. Needless to say the last method is the only real acceptable one. The graphics look fairly similar, it's not too much worse than the PS3 version. 

Graphically the game looks pretty good; the courts and characters are detailed nicely and the animations are top notch. The music consists of remixes from the various franchises that provide the courts in the game, and the only real letdowns are the cringe-inducing voice clips that most characters have been given. 

Overall Sega Superstars Tennis could have been a far better game with more focus on the tennis aspect and less on the party game side of things. For the Wii, any hint of motion control makes the game more of a chore, but it controls pretty well on the PS3. It's okay for a few sessions here and there but the main Superstars mode isn't really rewarding enough to stick with and there's very little meat to the game elsewhere.

Rating: 63/100

Grade: C

Game: Virtua Tennis 2009

Console: Sony Playstation 3/Nintendo Wii

Developer: Sumo Digital

Release Date: 9th June 2009

The Playstation 3 and Wii versions of this game are very different; so much so that I'll be giving them separate parts in this review. Firstly we'll take a look at the Wii version which is obviously graphically inferior to the Playstation 3 version, but when the players faces first appeared onscreen I was taken aback at just how low quality they were. The developers definitely could have done better than this for the Wii, as such poor images impact on the overall feel of the game. 

Gameplay on the Wii is motion controlled, with the nunchuk attached to move around the court. Shot direction is based on timing, and a meter appears for every shot which swings from one direction to the other. Wherever it's stopped will be where the ball goes in the court, and anywhere not on the meter will result in a miss, There's a chance the ball will go out of play if hit too early or late, or if the player is too far away from the ball's position. It's a little difficult to get used to, but not a bad system once players are over the intial hump.

(Virtua Tennis 2009 - Wii version)

What's truly unforgivable though is the frame rate. In almost every match it manages to dip to about 10fps for a few seconds, which makes timing the meter far more difficult and obviously impacts the flow of the game. If it hadn't been for this, I might have been willing to give the games the same overall score, but it makes the Wii version the worse of the two. 

The Playstation 3 version is much closer to the control scheme of Virtua Tennis 3, although the ridiculous amount of dives that occur have been far reduced and players now stumble instead of diving. This means that each rally is easier to win and doesn't drag on too long. The action is generally good and there's a far better frame rate than the Wii version, though every now and then there's some lag. On the whole though I'd have to recommend getting the Playstation 3 version if you're considering buying this game, for the tighter controls and lack of real frame rate issues. 

(Virtua Tennis 3 - PS3 Version)

World Tour mode is pretty much the same as in Virtua Tennis 3 though now each tournament has a singles and doubles event and players can choose whether to enter both, or just one of the events. Many of the existing minigames have been rethemed, but remain the same in content, and there's a 100 place amateur ranking to climb up before hitting the pro rankings, but other than this most things remain the same. A nice touch is that not all actions take a week on the calendar, so it's possible to train a few times a week. This is counterbalanced by the fact that a week's rest at home recovers about 1/3 of the player stamina bar (which I find pretty silly). 

Overall Virtua Tennis 2009 is probably the best tennis game so far, if we're talking about the Playstation 3 version. The controls and tennis is tight, there's some nice unlockable legends in the arcade mode, and some actual challenge in the harder difficulty settings. The game's arcade edge has been brought back with the removal of the excessive diving from Virtua Tennis 3, and there's a great selection of licensed pros to choose from and face. 

Rating: 85/100 (PS3 Version)                                         Rating: 68/100 (Wii Version)

Grade: B                                                                          Grade: C

Game: Virtua Tennis 4

Console: Sony Playstation 3

Developer: Sega

Release Date: 10th May 2011

Virtua Tennis 4 is a strange beast; while it's true that all the Virtua Tennis games in the series so far have changed up the gameplay somewhat from game to game, this instalment changes the most, and seriously reformats the World Tour Mode. The most obvious change is that gameplay has slowed down once again so that sometimes the action feels almost as if it's in slow motion. There's also a new concentration bar which fills when players perform specific types of shots, that when full allows a super shot to be used. 

Despite the slowdown it's more difficult to predict where opponents will hit the ball for returns, and often it's too late to get to the ball once players have committed to a direction. This is perhaps realistic, but sometimes its incredibly frustrating when you're right by the ball and the game refuses to hit it. Thanks to this the arcade element of the games is almost completely removed, as the gameplay has become slow and more simulated, with badly timed balls more likely to be called out. 

World Tour mode is completely different from any of the previous instalments; players complete 4 seasons on tour in Australia, Africa, Europe and America, with a major tournament to win in each territory as well as 2 other satellite tournaments. Inbetween these players move in a board game style with "move tickets" dictating where they land. The main goal is to earn Stars which increase the player's rank overall, and these can be gained by winning matches, and completing press events such as meeting fans and donating to charity. At the end of the season there's an awards ceremony where players can also earn stars.

Other than matches and star events, players can land on training spaces where they may increase their levels and unlock different play styles. It's unclear as to whether raising the levels makes gameplay any easier, but for the first season or so players are forced to play without the use of the special shot meter, due to needing a level 10 in any area to unlock a specialism. This is annoying as the game berates players for not winning the few matches and tournaments they're allowed to play in. Ultimately there's far too little tennis and far too much messing around in this mode, though it may be a fun change up from the regular World Tour at first. 

Graphically the game is pretty breathtaking at points, though the slow speed of gameplay is unfortunate at points. The range of clothing and accessories featured is vast but ultimately I changed my World Tour player's clothes twice so it wasn't of much use that I had a huge range of choice. Soundwise the game's stopped recycling old soundtracks and written some new jams, most of which are good. The new training minigames are also pretty enjoyable, though not as plentiful as in other games. 

Overall Virtua Tennis 4 is a disappointment if you like arcade style tennis games, and I found that the longer I played, the less I seemed to like the game. Capping World Tour Mode at 4 seasons is a silly decision, as I felt little desire to play through it all again, and arcade mode is pretty much the same as ever. The idea of sequels is to improve on the previous game, and in this respect Virtua Tennis 4 fails. 

Rating: 71/100

Grade: C

So in summary the complete list of tennis games I've reviewed from best to worst looks something like this;

#1     Virtua Tennis	DC				B	87.20
#2     Virtua Tennis 2009	PS3				B	85.40
#3     Virtua Tennis 2	DC				B	83.60
#4     Smash Court Tennis Pro                        Tournament 2	PS2				B	77.95
#5     Virtua Tennis 3	PS3				B	74
#6     Virtua Tennis: World Tour	PSP				C	72.65
#7     Virtua Tennis 4	PS3				C	71.95
#8     Virtua Tennis 2009	Wii				C	68.45
#9     Sega Superstars Tennis	PS3				C	63.6
#10   Roland Garros 2001	PS				D	60.75
#11   Rockstar Table Tennis	Wii				D	60.65
#12   Tennis	NES				D	52.50
#13   Tennis	A2600				D	51.80
#14   WTA Tour Tennis	PS2				E	39.60
#15   Super Tennis	MS				F	10.00