Virtua Tennis 4

[hankwangford]

This is great. Really, really great.

We always complain about sequels not making changes to their formula, but we play them anyway because we like to have more of the same good thing, so Sega have been brave with Virtua Tennis 4 by crossing the arcade pace and controls with... I wouldn't say simulation, but perhaps feel of real tennis.

The pace of the game has changed, and although it is still very obviously arcadey, it relies far more on a real approach to the play tactically. Players can't dart about the court with instant acceleration any more and it's necessary to think about slowing down play with slices and drop shots (and drop shots actually working is something new to the series too...), as well as think about positioning for shots and letting them charge up. The player animation too, is absolutely superb - there's real impact in every swing and hit. It captures the passion and excitement of longer rallies and bigger points more frequently than Top Spin, and although I have no doubt Top Spin is a more accurate representation of the sport, I much prefer the instant gratification than VT gives. It plays a great game of nonsense tennis

Online implementation is a little dodgy though. The game plays fine against most opponents, although there was extreme input lag when I played a couple of people from Germany and Hong Kong. No punishment/reward for/against droppers, and you can't skip the replays and cutscenes, which of course gets people angrier and more impatient.

[nakamura]

Can you actually hit a passing shot out?

[hudson]

There's no First Play thread for Top Spin 4 by the looks of it. I really want to know what people think of TS4 and VT4. Some friends keep telling me TS4 is the one to go for. I've always been a VT man, so I'm not sure what to do. Would download demos... That is, if PSN was bloody on!

[jimtendo]

Just a few questions:

- Is it possible to do the cord-ball and flat-shots still? If so, then it might make me reconsider buying this.
- Is online ranked/ player matches gimped like the abortion that was VT 2009, in that you couldn't play a default pro tennis player, and instead they forced you to create a player to level up.
- With concerns to playing doubles. In VT 2009 you couldn't save a private slot for someone in your friends list. So basically you had to create a lobby, send an invite to buddy, and hopefully the room wouldn't be full before he joins. Otherwise, repeat step #1
Virtua Tennis 3 allowed private slots. God knows why Sumo digital neglected to include it.

Otherwise I'll stick to VT3

[hankwangford]

I dropped it onto the cord once, although the timing seems different, not that I was any good at consistently hitting the cord before. Could've been a fluke and I'm wary of continually playing drop shots because if you get it wrong here the point is immediately lost. I'm yet to see it done to me too. I haven't hit a passing shot out, no.

You can select a pro now, and they are not gimped in comparison to the created characters, which you can also choose. Hard hitters seem to be the favoured selections at the moment, lots of Del Potro being selected. I don't play doubles online as I don't really care for it, so I don't know on reserving I'm afraid.

When PSN comes back up, I'd try the demo. It's a different ball game to VT3 in many respects.

[nonny]

This has kinect input on 360 right? I'd love to know how that has turned out if the rest of the game has improved so much.

[Sane]

Not that well according to Eurogamer:

->Open Spoiler<-

"Better with Kinect" proclaims the Xbox 360 packaging, a bald lie that will disappoint every person it convinces. While playing Virtua Tennis 4 with Microsoft's motion sensing camera is relegated to a bespoke Motion Control Mode specifically designed for the task, the execution is a resounding disappointment. Reasoning that the average living room floor is considerably smaller than a tennis court, Sega auto-handles your character running for the ball in the Wii Sports style, relegating the interactivity to swinging your empty hand around to set up strokes.

However, these map poorly to your motions, the racquet failing to turn as you swivel your wrist (and as the wrist is the only piece of the body the Kinect needs to pick up on, it's a fundamental flaw), while lobs are read as gentle forehands. Inexplicably, the camera jumps from first- to third-person in between each shot during play, a perspective shift that will make even the most focused player feel as though they're playing on the deck of the Titanic minutes before it sank

[Darwock]

This is the one that has Move support right? I would like to hear about that, I wouldn't be looking twice at this game otherwise but potentially it could be great.

From the sound of the above, it's possible the Move controls are also limited to a single 'motion control' mode. In which case, I'll pass.

[englishbob]

I'd read somewhere that this was going to be directly programmed by Sega's internal team, and not outsourced to Sumo (or other). Is this true?

[jimtendo]

I dropped it onto the cord once, although the timing seems different, not that I was any good at consistently hitting the cord before. Could've been a fluke and I'm wary of continually playing drop shots because if you get it wrong here the point is immediately lost. I'm yet to see it done to me too. I haven't hit a passing shot out, no.

You can select a pro now, and they are not gimped in comparison to the created characters, which you can also choose. Hard hitters seem to be the favoured selections at the moment, lots of Del Potro being selected. I don't play doubles online as I don't really care for it, so I don't know on reserving I'm afraid.

Cool, cheers for that.

I detest the cord-ball.
It was always a cheap play, and it was always the French/ Spanish players I matched up with that abused it the most.

I'd read somewhere that this was going to be directly programmed by Sega's internal team, and not outsourced to Sumo (or other). Is this true?

Yeah Hitmaker/ AM2 are back on the case for this one, which kinda perked my interest again, after the travesty that was VT 2009...

[Mr M0by]

This is the one that has Move support right? I would like to hear about that, I wouldn't be looking twice at this game otherwise but potentially it could be great.

From the sound of the above, it's possible the Move controls are also limited to a single 'motion control' mode. In which case, I'll pass.

Exhibition matches & two mini-games. That's all. It doesn't work very well either. The first person view point / angle is horrid (2 player split screen - not tried single player) although the fact that it is very forgiving to the point of stuidity (you can swing as the ball goes behind you and then it still retrieves the shot) is a good thing for my 5 year old at least. Actually he loves the game. Came home from work yesterday to find he had completed his own World Tour season & unlocked about 15% of the trophies To be fair what little I've played of World Tour myself seems quite good but if Move controls are the deciding factor for you then seriously give this a miss.

[Darwock]

Wasted opportunity then. In the hype before this was released they were touting it as designed for Move from the ground up... obviously that was utter BS.

KZ3 is still the killer app for Move then.

Thanks for the info

[Number45]

Ugh, Move controls are really not available for the main game? :'(

That said, I loved VT3 so I might pick this up at some point anyway.

[rmoxon]

There's no First Play thread for Top Spin 4 by the looks of it. I really want to know what people think of TS4 and VT4. Some friends keep telling me TS4 is the one to go for. I've always been a VT man, so I'm not sure what to do. Would download demos... That is, if PSN was bloody on!

TS4 is brilliant, I havent played VT4 yet but I'd be suprised if this was better than it as I'd go so far to say that it is the most perfect representation of the sport you will ever seen in a game.

I imagine VT4 is more arcadey and possibley not as exciting as a result.

[englishbob]

Got the 360 version yesterday.

First hour impressions.
Crap options. Music on/off for the whole game, including the menus. So in-game no music is best, but outside of the game the menus are like a sterile medical waiting room without it.
Arcade mode - its hard, the hardest yet I reckon. Did not clear arcade mode in my first hour, the 5th opponent is able to read your controller input to 100 percent accuracy and react accordingly.
Presentation and graphics are good, true Sega stuff.
Really crap thing. - The ball trail. Even when it is not travelling at speed, it looks like your hitting a sock around, a brightly green coloured sock at that. A truely terrible idea that, no suprise really, you cannot switch off. No doubt this is some sort of concession for Move/Kinnect controls.