Virtua Tennis 4 (PS Vita)

Virtua Tennis 4 is the first Vita game to be developed by Sega, and it quickly becomes apparent that they have done an outstanding job with the transition to this new platform.

One of the great things about the Virtua Tennis series is how easy the games are to pick up and play. They have a great arcade feel to them, and are aimed towards delivering fun gameplay rather than striving for the most realistic experience possible. The Super Shot feature that powers up throughout a match to deliver a deadly final blow is a good example of this.

As is to be expected in Virtua Tennis games, the Career mode is particularly well executed. Your character grows progressively stronger, and there are various unlockables on offer as you work your way through this mode. The different training minigames along the way are great fun to play too.

It is nice to see a game making use of the touch screen controls, but it feels overly cumbersome and unnatural to control your player using this method. I felt much more comfortable using the ordinary button controls, although the touchscreen option is perhaps something that you could get used to over time.

The graphics in Virtua Tennis 4 are particularly impressive. The movement and actions of the players look incredibly fluid and finely polished, and it clearly a game that makes the most of the opportunities presented by this new platform. Many of my friends were equally impressed with these visuals, and I think a number of them were tempted to get a Vita after playing it.

The crowd noises and sound effects within the game sound realistic, and really add to the atmosphere and sense of occasion that belongs to matches between the top players in the world.

There is great scope for playing with your friends via the Touch Versus mode, which allows you to play against one another using only one Vita system. Playing against people online seems to work well, although lag is occasionally an issue. You can also earn points to improve your ranking on the online leaderboards.

The game offers a traditional Virtua Tennis experience, but what it lacks in innovation it more than makes up for with its fluid arcade style. The fun gameplay has enough charm to appeal to players who aren’t even tennis fans, and is a great first purchase for your new Vita console.