So this is kind of weird. This is Sega Sports
Tennis for the PlayStation 2, which is actually a port of a Dreamcast game called Tennis 2K2…which
was the American version of Virtua Tennis 2. Don’t worry. That’s the most complicated
thing about this game. It’s…that whole paragraph of names…for
the PlayStation 2. So this game was originally released in 2001
as, again…Tennis 2K2, Virtua Tennis 2 internationally, but regardless, very much a Dreamcast game.
Since, like, five people bought a Dreamcast, it only made sense to bring this outstanding
tennis game to a platform where people could actually play it. And to change the name. Erase all the evidence. But obviously, the game itself is very much
the same. There’s a roster of 16 real tennis players, from Serena Williams to Lindsay Davenport
and some awesome Swedish guy named Magnus Norman. Sounds like the guitarist for some
melodic death metal band. Turns out he’s just a tennis player. Which is, like, the
exact opposite profession. Mathematically. Anyway, pick a player and hit the clay. I
think that’s a tennis phrase, right? And that’s where Sega Sports Tennis really shines.
This is a fantastic game of tennis, pairing an immediately accessible control scheme with
silky smooth gameplay. Move with your choice of analog stick or d-pad, use Circle, Square
and X for different shots. And what’s brilliant is that…this is pick-up-and-play
simplicity worked into what is an otherwise complex tennis game. For starters, the AI is just…brutal. I mean,
it’s not an easy feat to advance in the game’s tournament mode. Especially when
it slams you with the Williams sisters back to back. Poor Monica Seles…I lost, like,
ten times in a row before I finally figured out Venus’s tendencies. Then I get to Serena,
and it’s like a whole new game. That’s kind of awesome. Maddening, but awesome. And you know, for a decade-old sports game,
this thing is actually pretty packed with content. You’ve got a tournament mode, exhibition
matches, this RPG-like World Tour that gives you hours of matches and even character-strengthening
minigames. The game certainly isn’t short on content, and for its time, it’s downright
impressive. Of course, this is eleven years later, and
Sega Sports Tennis does show some rust. It’s not a great looking game, even by PS2 standards.
But the gameplay is as awesome as ever. Sports games are, by their annual nature, sort of
disposable products. But if you want a really good tennis game for your PS2, Sega Sports
Tennis still has it.
28 Comments
I thought the dreamcast sold well,but what do i know.if derek says it's shit,then it's shit.derek rules!.
tennis is my favorite sports to watch but i've got say playing this in a game is really boring 🙁
no solo para PS2 sino Tambien para Dreamcast Derek XD
Maybe you just suck at the game. Blaming AI. Pfffft.
Derek does in fact rule, but you should probably think for yourself. Also, the Dreamcast didn't sell well, that's why it wasn't supported for very long, and number of units sold does not equate to quality.
best tennis game ever
he never said it was bad just that no one bought it
Exactly, except he's wrong because until the PS2, the Dreamcast was the fastest selling console of all time. Wait until Mark hears Derek talking smack about the DC!
Wow, how ropey is this version compared to the Dreamcast? It really shows up the lower resolution and aliasing problems the PS2 had compared to the DC.
Try Tennis 2K2 / Virtua Tennis 2 on your HDTV through a VGA connection – it blows this out of the water.
It's sad that half of the Dreamcast library is still more entertaining than games today.
It did sell very well initially, but only for a year or so. I guess a lot of people only bought it as a stopgap between the PS1 and PS2.
Virtua Tennis, for when Atari Tennis just won't do.
I still have a Dreamcast. The one I got waaay back when it was actually in stores
didn't say i agreed with him, just that that is what he said
Booo, this should only be played on the Dreamcast!
I didn't say you did! 😉
I have this game on both PS2 and Dreamcast. Why? Because it's fucking cheap.
I don't own any tennis games at all, but the most recent hockey, basketball, and baseball games I own are all on Sega Dreamcast, because 2000-2001 level graphics in most sports games is good enough for me. (The exception where I buy current gen sports games is golf, but Dreamcast never got any decent golf games anyhow.) I may pick up whatever the Dreamcast version of this game is called should I see it at a thrift store.
Seeing this on PS2, and owning this on Dreamcast, I can honestly say this looks much better graphically on Dreamcast.
Are you kidding me? You choose to review the ps2 version of Sega's classic DC 2k games….why?
What's next? The original Soul Calibur played on Xbox arcade? Code Veronica for the Ps2? – What looked and ran amazing on the DC comes with jaggies, bland color, awful load times etc on the ports – why bother reviewing the worst version of great games?
I'm too middle class for this game.
P.S. people need to getting butt hurt over a DC comment, especially a sarcastic and cynical one.
God am I sick of Sega fans sometimes.
It sold, I believe, 10.2 million units in its initial run.
This guy is a Nintendo fanboy, I get that, I am a Sega die-hard.
It's his tone of voice that irks the fans, I think.
The Dreamcast sold 10 million units as opposed to say the PS2 selling 140 million units. The point is although you may know some people that owned the Dreamcast, that doesn't mean that everyone else you don't know has one as well. It doesn't mean he's saying the Dreamcast sucks.
Bloody hell Sega, what were you thinking with the name? It's Virtua Tennis 2…period…
I played this game at the arcade today. Yeah, the AI is definitely brutal after a few matches. Very fun game. Hopefully, I can get this for the PS2 someday.
and federer is still balling 18 years later lmao
Use to be in live with this game in 2007-8