Machine Guides

Game History

Virtua Tennis is a tennis arcade game developed by Sega AM3 and released in arcades in 1999 under the name Power Smash in Japan. The game was designed by Masahiro Akagawa and Hiroshi Kataoka, and ran on Sega's advanced NAOMI arcade system board, which was based on the same architecture as the Dreamcast console.

The game was a critical and commercial success, praised for its innovative three-button control scheme that made tennis accessible to casual players while maintaining depth for experienced gamers. Virtua Tennis introduced a revolutionary pick-up-and-play approach to sports games, with simple controls that allowed players to perform various shots including lobs, topspins, and slices with minimal input complexity.

Following its arcade debut, Virtua Tennis was ported to the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, where it became one of the console's most popular titles and helped establish the franchise as Sega's premier sports series.

How to Play

Objectives

The main goal of Virtua Tennis is to win matches by defeating opponents in tennis matches. You can play singles or doubles matches against computer-controlled opponents or other players. The game emphasizes accessible gameplay with realistic tennis mechanics, aiming to provide an authentic tennis experience in an arcade format.

Controls

• Joystick: Use the joystick to move your player around the court in any direction
• Button A: Press to perform a standard shot (forehand or backhand depending on position)
• Button B: Press to perform a slice shot or defensive lob
• Button C: Press to perform a topspin shot or aggressive shot

Gameplay

• Starting the Game: Press the Start Button to begin your tennis match.

• Player Selection: Choose your character from the available professional tennis players, each with different attributes and abilities.

• Match Format: Play matches following standard tennis rules with sets, games, and points.

• Court Movement: Move your player to the optimal position to hit the ball as it comes over the net.

• Shot Selection: Choose between different shot types based on your position and strategic needs—standard shots for regular play, slices for defense, and topspins for aggressive play.

• Serving Mechanics: Serve the ball by timing your button press to determine power and direction.

• Rally Building: Engage in back-and-forth rallies with your opponent, using various shots to gain tactical advantages.

• Doubles Mode: Play with a partner against another team in doubles matches, requiring coordination and teamwork.

• Tournament Progression: Advance through tournaments by winning matches against increasingly skilled opponents.

• Match Completion: Win matches by outscoring your opponent following standard tennis scoring rules to achieve victory.