Tennis 2K2

"The strangest thing has happened - Virtua Tennis 1 improved!?"

Tennis 2k2
Ok firstly, this is 100% the best game of Tennis there is out there, PERIOD!
Tennis 2k2 is usually known as Virtua Tennis 2 but was renamed for the sequel. The game is for the Dreamcast title so far and will be converted to the Ps2 for even more spreading. Incase people didn't realise, it's a Tennis game.

Graphics
10/10

There is nothing anyone can ever say in this game that doubts the graphics. Firstly, the most amazing thing is the court's, they look up to scale and everything is all lined up and looks very well simulated. Secondly, and most stunning, the characters are TOP-NOTCH IDENTICAL!

The characters are possibly the best simulation of real life people. Pat Rafter, Venus Williams, Anna Kournikova, Tom haas an everyone else has been professionally animated.
The ball looks nothing near fake and it smooth and runs well in the game.

Control
10/10

The controls have gotten a bit more realistic now with the serving in-game but until you realize that the holder you hold on the direction of serving the less-likely you'll get a good serve. The basic movement is done by the analog stick and there's even a near-first person view mode which really helps, it seems weird but many people like me actually got better ranks while playing this way.

Y will change view, A is used to top-spin and serve. B is a spin hit which can also be used to serve. The server better you'll have to hold on the analog less while serving, this became too easy to trick people in the first game and has been improved now which also get's people using up fault's aswell. Pressing both B and A will LOB the ball. Lobbing is a hard way of winning but when done at the right time it's really helpful. If your player has a bad lob then it can easily be countered with a SMASH from the opponent.

The double team play is really fun to! The computer in World-League mode is extremely good and always get's the best hits in but still you can never win with one person alone.

Gameplay
10/10

Come on! This is Tennis! Although boring as it may seem WATCHING Tennis from your television set, it's one of the more fun things when playing it. The gameplay has Arcade mode which you earn money in depending on how well you go each round and then it can be used to buy secret characters eventually. In the World-Tour mode you create both your Female and male characters and name them of course....

The World-Tour league is really fun. It's like an RPG, you have different mini-games and exercises which all build up your levels and when you do real well in them for some Experience points. The mini-games include a Serving game where you must knock down the pins, a Robot game where you must NET PLAY he ball into the proceeding ball launching Robots, there's a really hard CHECKERS game where you must lob the ball on the black checkers to make them flip over to white. Any checkers in the between the White checkers if there are two opposite each other are turned to white as well and vice versa with the black.
There are also other games which help give points in order for your character to get player (he's your own customized one). As you win, you get a higher rank and it enables you to play harder players and get more money. You buy your team partner (Kafelnikov is by far the best Tennis player while your teammate) and it's $10,000 to hire for 2 months. At the end of the year is a Mixed section where you can use your Female partner to play long with you.You can also train and do everything else with your Female partner, this also is required to fully complete the game. You play through the year in weeks, sometimes there are no matches in the week. Each month has 4 weeks and you can check which events come up for the year.

Sound
10/10

The serving sound is marvelous, the ball getting sliced, lobbed and smashed are just like the real thing. There is even character sound effects while hitting the ball madly. The squeaky noises are from the rubber shoes or your player speeding across the court from side to side.

The sound is really simulated well.

Lasting Appeal
8/10

No game lasts forever of course. This game would keep you playing for a long time, but the World Tour is really a month thing. You'd be playing for a long time during the day in World Tour and might finish it fast. With me, it was very stressing thinking about having to retrain my Female character all the way up to play the big leagues again....
I just gave up.

The Arcade mode is really fun as well, don't avoid the Versus mode as well, with friends, it's really cool.

Overall
10/10

This game is very good. If there is a Virtua Tennis 3, I don't know what other features could be included in since Tennis 2k2 has been one of the best sports games ever.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/26/02, Updated 02/26/02