Virtua Tennis Challenge Review
Virtua Tennis Challenge Review
No matter how far technology advances, some things manage to stick around. For Virtua Tennis Challenge, that means doing its best to convince the player that it's not just Pong in a fancy new package. While the graphics are impressive and Sega's modern offering serves up more game modes than the 70's classic, it also falls short in some areas where even the simplest of games have excelled.
Bringing the classic Virtua Tennis series to iOS should have been game, set, and match for Sega; swiping to smack a ball across the court certainly sounds intuitive, at least. But the game hits a fault right out of the gate with unresponsive and clunky controls -- even after the tutorial, you'll do more floundering and aimless swinging than anything else. Luckily, there are other control schemes buried in the settings that draw upon the series' arcade roots by putting a joystick and buttons on the screen. Once the change is made, it's far easier to send perfect serves and slicing slams back at the opponent.
You'll need the alternate controls to take on the various game modes, which aim to present unique challenges. The SPY World Tour has players battling their way up the rankings ladder through tournaments, though aside from changing the name and birth date, the characters are disappointingly unchangeable. Exhibition and quick match modes are also available, but despite different courts, opponents, and play styles, the matches rarely feel distinct. And the online play is sadly lag-filled and prone to dropped connections, robbing the game of a key feature.
The bottom line. Like playing the sport with a hole-filled racquet, enjoying Virtua Tennis Challenge often proves futile.
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