We've been waiting for this one a very long time. Virtua Tennis and its sequel defined the racquet genre, giving us more multiplayer fun than the real thing could ever offer - and without the need for physical exertion. Virtua Tennis 3, you'll be happy to know, gives to players even more generously than Sharapova gives to grunt fetishists.
The game was running at TGS in full progressive mode - polystyrene labels taped to the Sony monitors confirmed 'Full 1080p, 60FPS' by way of a great boast -
Sega sent us an updated version of Virtua Tennis 3 for the 360, and the online features the company promised us have begun to take shape. Most importantly, we were able to play several online games, and we're happy to report that the action is fast - so fast it appears to be just as good as playing in person. In fact, there's one thing that's better...
Getting into an online game is as simple as you'd expect from Xbox Live, so it doesn't really bear much discussion: you just get in and go. We
We love Virtua Tennis. Its colorful blend of arcade smashery and addictive gameplay caught our attention immediately and each successive update has only enhanced the appeal. Now Virtua Tennis 3 is heading out on to the next-gen court later this year, and so we've picked up our racquets for the PS3 build to see what Sega can do.
Unsurprisingly, Virtua Tennis on PS3 looks so sharp it's a wonder your eyeballs aren't left in two cleanly hewn pieces. What we like most of all are the crisp, glowing
Anyone who remembers the Dreamcast knows Virtua Tennis is money. If you never played it all those years ago, you're in for a really nice surprise. Unless you're a fan of the sport, tennis games tend to lack that special something that keeps you coming back for more. Virtua Tennis has it. The control is smooth and simple, the graphics are crisp and easy on the eyes, and - now that it's coming to the Xbox 360 - online play is firmly in place.
PS3 owners get motion-sensitive Sixaxis control, but
5. The gameplay is a "smash" hit
It's a bold statement, but Virtua Tennis 3 could be the most accurate sports sim you'll play. From delicate drop shots and powerful smashes to the way the momentum acts perfectly on different surfaces, VT3 feels superb so
Though it has long since exited the console race, SEGA's ability to deliver arcade experiences at home is something few developers can match. Since the series' debut, first in arcades and shortly thereafter on the Dreamcast, Virtua Tennis has somehow managed to blend simple arcade-style controls with an undeniable feeling of being a tennis sim. Sure, the home versions are littered with balloon-bouncing minigames and extensive World Tour modes in addition to simple two-player on-court tussles, but the fundamental controls have always mixed pick-up-and-play ease with a surprising amount of depth...
There are a handful of games that will make or break the Xbox 360 in the console war. The next installment of Halo, whenever it may come out, is one of them. Same goes for the racing sim Forza Motorsport. And alongside those space warriors, luxury cars and burnt rubber, you'll find ... talking piñatas.
Yeah. Piñatas - the candy-filled animals that kids beat mercilessly with sticks at birthday parties, then gorge themselves on the sweet innards that come flowing out. Here, on Viva
By
Edge_
posted April 19, 2006
Wednesday 19 April 2006
Apparently the brainchild of Chris Stamper and the Banjo team, this game of environmental management and creature collection looks like an attempt to blend some of the most rampantly successful and yet hardest-to-imitate concepts in videogaming: Pokemon and The Sims, with a little Animal Crossing for good measure.
Microsoft is certainly not shy of the Pokemon comparison, as the deal with Saturday-morning kids TV network 4kids for a Viva Pinata CG animated series, and
Wednesday 11 October 2006
A spot of green-fingered toil combined with a menagerie of cutesy papery pinatas. It's hardly the usual raw ingredients that go into a game but, if you're always on the lookout for fresh gaming experiences, Viva Pinata will surely have grabbed your gaze already. Of course, you might just be a sucker for donkeys with purple legs.
A recent demonstration of the game's opening section gave us the opportunity to see how Viva Pinata's garden and ecosystem grows together -
The colorful, sickly sweet world of Viva Pinata may seem to be aimed squarely at the kiddies, but as we discovered in our hands-on time, you may not want to disregard this one. The concept is simple enough: you are charged with cultivating a small patch of land into a beautiful garden where little candy-filled critters can laze about in saccharine leisure. It sounds like a piece of cake (pun intended, and for that we apologize), but if you're not at the top of your game, your garden can quickly
