The video game realm has not been overly kind to tennis. EA Sports, the perennial king of sports simulators, has never ventured into tennis, leaving game enthusiasts to wade through a spotty assortment of titles. There have been hits - Virtua Tennis for the defunct Sega Dreamcast comes to mind - but they've been outnumbered by the misses. This summer, two more titles are being added to the mix, and fortunately they do the sport proud.
First is 2K Sports’ Top Spin 3, which was released in June at $60 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and $50 and $30 respectively for Nintendo Wii and DS. The Top Spin series, which debuted in 2003, has been well received by both tennis fanatics and casual gamers. While the second edition of Top Spin was a slight improvement over the original, Top Spin 3 is a quantum leap ahead of its predecessors.
Character and racquet controls have been upgraded to add more realistic shot-making. The players, their gear, and the venues look flawless, down to the minute details. Perhaps the biggest perk for hardcore fans is Top Spin 3’s player selection. All versions of the game feature Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, and others, and the PlayStation 3 edition includes Rafael Nadal. But PS3 and Xbox 360 owners get the added bonus of playing with three past legends: Monica Seles, Boris Becker, and Bjorn Borg. Ever argue over who would win at Wimbledon, Borg or Federer? Now you can settle the debate.
The other offering this summer, Atari’s Smash Court Tennis 3, was set for release in August on the Xbox 360 for $40. The game offers three main modes of play: arcade, exhibition, and Pro Tour, in addition to an extensive tutorial mode. The tutorial is one of its biggest strengths, as 22 different tennis skills are tested in order to prepare you for a year on tour. While the graphics can’t match those of Top Spin 3, the players (including Federer, Nadal, Sharapova, and Ana Ivanovic) are accurately represented in their mannerisms and playing styles. There are no actual tournament names, but Atari did a superb job taking artistic freedom when designing venues.
Smash Court Tennis 3 allows for online play, so you can take your customized avatar—who you can create with painstaking detail, if you choose—and find an opponent with ease. Both of these features are also available for Top Spin 3 on the Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo DS. On cyber courts, gamers will determine which player, and game, is superior.
Trailers for these games can be found on TENNIS.com's new YouTube Channel:
- Smash Court Tennis 3 [#1]](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uag1Cb4hTfI "Smash Court Tennis 3 [#1
- Smash Court Tennis 3 [#2]](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syf7KkAZwxA "Smash Court Tennis 3 [#2
- Top Spin 3 [#1]](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28vePr7pVYU "Top Spin 3 [#1
- Top Spin 3 [#2]](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM7FhBBzl-U "Top Spin 3 [#2