Ludography
Virtual Open Tennis cover

1996 · Arc System Works · Sports · Tennis

Virtual Open Tennis

Sega exclusive

One of only two tennis games released for the Saturn. Features include a 3 modes of play (tournament, exhibition and practice), 3 playing surfaces and 10 players.

Released
1 February 1996
Platforms
Sega Saturn
Genres
SportsTennis
Developers
Arc System Works
Publishers
Imagineer
Country
Japan
Age ratings
ESRB E
Languages
English

About

Virtual Open Tennis is a Sega Saturn video game developed by Imagineer. It was published by Imagineer in Japan on October 27, 1995, and by Acclaim in North America and Europe in 1996.

Keywords

  • tennis

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Virtual Open Tennis is a tennis simulation featuring exhibition matches, tournament competitions and a training mode. Players can select from ten fictional tennis players and compete on courts with different playing surfaces. The game allows players to perform various shots, including lobs, slices, topspin and volleys. Two tournaments are available: the Challengers Cup, intended for beginners, and the more challenging Imagineer World Championship.

Exhibition matches support singles and doubles, with up to four simultaneous players using a multitap, or computer-controlled doubles partners. The training mode includes exercises for serving, smashing and returning shots. Matches can be viewed from several camera perspectives, while an on-court indicator helps players anticipate where the ball will land. The game also features action replays.

Reception

Next Generation reviewed the Saturn version of the game, rating it three stars out of five, and stated that "If you're the kind of gamer who's pleased with the way tennis games currently play, then take a look at Virtual Open Tennis. But if squinting to see where that little ball is makes you tremble with rage, then waiting for a serious advance in the tennis videogame is advised."

European reviews were mixed. British publication Sega Saturn Magazine awarded the game 68%, praising its range of camera angles and innovative features, but criticising its cumbersome controls and awkward player animations. French magazine Consoles + was more enthusiastic, awarding 86% and praising its graphics, character animations, soundtrack and variety of shots, although it noted occasional visibility problems and delayed responses to player inputs. German magazine Mega Fun gave the game 66%, criticising its limited graphical detail, slow pace and imprecise controls. Spanish publication Última Generación praised its graphical presentation, while criticising the low-resolution appearance of the players during gameplay.

Legacy

In October 2018, the game's rights were acquired by Canadian production company Liquid Media Group along with other titles originally owned by Acclaim Entertainment.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

Releases by platform
PlatformReleasedRegions
Sega Saturn1 February 1996North America

Title IDsone per regional release, with its latest update

Title ids and disc serials by release
PlatformTitle IDRegionLatest update
Sega SaturnT-8129H-50Europe—
T-15007GJapan—
T-8129HNorth America—

Games like this

Collections2 collections

Platform libraries

Genres

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.