Virtua Tennis 3

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Fabulous-looking game engages the whole family.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there is no controversial content in this "E"-rated tennis game. And don't worry about foul language -- John McEnroe isn't a playable character! This is a game that can be enjoyed by the entire family, regardless of skill level, age, or gender. Parents of young kids playing on the Xbox 360 will want to pay attention to the online aspect of multiplayer gaming; Common Sense Media does not recommend online play for anyone under age 12.


What's it about?

From the main menu of VIRTUA TENNIS 3, players choose from a number of game modes: World Tour, Tournament, Exhibition, Court Games, and a tutorial mode. The World Tour mode lets players select among hundreds of options for facial features and color, hair, height, weight, racket color, uniform, and even play style (left- or right-handed, backhand, and posture). As you win matches and master your volleys and footwork, you can earn apparel and equipment and unlock other goodies.

You use the left analog stick to move the player around the court, anticipating where the ball will land and pressing a button for the desired shot: A for topspin, B or X for a defensive slice, or Y for a lob shot. After pressing the shot button, use the left stick again to determine the shot's direction. You can give instructions to your computer-controlled doubles partner with one of the four buttons on the shoulders of the Xbox 360 controller.


Is it any good?

 

In the Xbox 360 version, you can engage in online matches with up to eight friends in cyberspace (via Xbox Live; $49.99 a year), but this option is curiously absent from the PlayStation 3 version. The PS3 version, however, offers "true" high-definition graphics (1080p support), though the Xbox 360 looks about as good. Both games offer near photorealistic visuals with incredibly detailed players and courts, authentic "camera" angles, and ultra-fluid animation -- passersby might think it's a televised match.

The game contains 25 courts (grass, carpet, clay, or hard), in countries including the U.S., France, England, Australia, Argentina, Canada, and Japan. It features 20 tennis stars, including Roger Federer, Amelie Mauresmo, Andy Roddick, Tommy Haas, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova. There's a lot to love about Virtua Tennis 3 -- Sega has served up a gorgeous and challenging tennis game with plenty of modes and customizability.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about what makes a sports game good. Is it the ability to play against the pros, or is playing against your friends and family more important? If the whole family plays together, who was the last holdout to join in and why? Who was the most competitive, and did he or she win more often?


This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Kid, 12 years old
July 5, 2011
 
Good for anyone who likes tennis, suitable for anyone
This is a very good game which anyone can play. It's a sports game so there's nothing inappropriate about it. Graphics are good and it plays smoothly, particularly on a good PC. Anyone who likes tennis will enjoy this game and I'm looking forward to Virtua Tennis 4.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 
A Game for all
Now i have played this game non stop and i am 13, i guess you do not have to have to be a little bit intrested in tennis and i can tell you now i am not and i love this game, the game is sutible for all ages and everyone will enjoy it

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 18 years old
April 9, 2008
 

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Marc Saltzman
Platforms:Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP
Available online?Available online
Genre:Sports
Developer:Sega of America
Release date:March 20, 2007
Price:$49.99
ESRB rating:E for Everyone

This review was written by Marc Saltzman

Contact us to give us more feedback on our learning ratings.

 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Tell us what you think about our new Learning Ratings. We value your feedback.


About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you play Virtua Tennis 3?


Already played it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it