Following the idea that sometimes is better to reshape than to innovate, Virtua Tennis 3 is an extension to the previous versions of the game. And I think that in this case, Sega chose the right solution. The game is based on the same structure: Tournament matches (choose your player and play four random games until you win the tournament), Exhibition matches (where you choose your player, choose the opponent, and the arena where you will play), Court Games (where you can try all the mini games available in the game), and World Tour (the career mode).

World Tour

World Tour is the most addictive play mode and includes all the features of the game. While entering in this game mode you can select and then customize your player with a system similar but not so complex as the one present in Tiger Woods. You can set up your facial form and size, the hair color and beard form, the eyebrow form and color, height, weight, striking style, etc.

After you play a little with this character editor, you can choose the location of your house on the global map and then begin the training. Along your career you will receive also mails and will use a calendar in order to schedule your progress. The calendar is divided into weeks, every week including from one event to three or even four. These events include: official single or double tournaments (the most important to complete; these tournaments will bring you points and new gear), training matches (every match will increase your abilities). Taking part in every event will decrease your stamina meter. So you cannot play non-stop. You can stop this process by drinking a energy drink, or taking off one week, or three. If you use only energy drinks to refill your stamina meter, you will become vulnerable to injuries. Every injury will make you withdraw from the competition a couple of days. But the situation is not very dramatic considering that those injuries will appear only when you are out of the competition.

Mini-games

Besides the events, you can take part in mini-games and in the tennis academy. Both will increase your physical abilities. The whole Virtua Tennis series was known for these mini games, which increases the playability and the fun. The third part of the series continues the same idea introducing new mini-games. Each mini-game focuses on its own aspects: ground stroke, serve, volley, footwork, and tactics, and has four difficulty levels. Every completion of a mini game will increase your physical attributes related to the four basic aspects already enumerated. If you complete a tactics mini game, all your attributes will gain some points. The mini games consist in different tasks: collect fruit and dodge huge tennis balls, knock down oil barrels, play bingo, knock down bowling pins, etc.

Tennis Academy

The tennis academy is actually the tennis school of the game where you can learn all the fundamentals and tricks of this sport. Here you will have to complete tasks which are divided in many different lessons technics. Every task must be completed three times in the given time limit, in order to increase you attributes used in the test. The tasks are variate, from hit a max power groundstroke, to hit 3 volleys in a row, or 5 slices shots in a row. These sets of tasks are divided by difficulty levels, which are unlockable as you progress into the game.