Virtua Tennis 2
{{short description|2001 sports video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Virtua Tennis 2
| image = vt2box.jpg
| caption = European Dreamcast cover art
| developer = Hitmaker
| publisher = Sega
Acclaim Entertainment (Europe, PS2)
| director = Katsumoto Tatsukawa
| producer = Mie Kumagai
| designer = Kazuko Noguchi
| programmer = Mitsuharu Saikawa
| composer = Chiho Kobayashi
| series = Virtua Tennis
| released = Arcade
2001
Dreamcast
{{vgrelease|NA|October 23, 2001{{cite web|url=http://www.segasports.com/article.jsp?ArticleId=ART000000016|title=SEGA SPORTS BUILDS UPON A WINNING FRANCHISE WITH TENNIS 2K2 FOR DREAMCAST|date=October 23, 2001|website=Sega Sports|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011230224138/http://www.segasports.com/article.jsp?ArticleId=ART000000016|archive-date=December 30, 2001|access-date=March 29, 2023}}|JP|November 15, 2001|EU|November 23, 2001}}PlayStation 2
{{vgrelease|NA|July 30, 2002{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/07/22/hands-on-sega-sports-tennis|title=Hands-on Sega Sports Tennis|author=Douglass C. Perry|date=July 22, 2002|website=IGN|publisher=Ziff Davis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519155635/https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/07/22/hands-on-sega-sports-tennis|archive-date=May 19, 2023|url-status=live|access-date=February 16, 2025}}|JP|November 7, 2002|EU|November 29, 2002}}
| genre = Sports
| modes = Single-player, multiplayer
| platforms = Arcade
Dreamcast
PlayStation 2
| arcade system = Sega NAOMI
}}
Virtua Tennis 2, known as Tennis 2K2 in North America and {{nihongo|Power Smash 2|パワースマッシュ2|Pawā Sumasshu Tsū}} in Japan, is a sequel to Virtua Tennis that was released for the Sega Dreamcast, Sega NAOMI arcade unit and Sony's PlayStation 2 (known as Sega Sports Tennis in North America) in 2001–2002. New features included the ability to slice and play as female players such as Monica Seles, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport and the males such as Patrick Rafter, Magnus Norman, Thomas Enqvist and Carlos Moyá and mixed doubles matches. The game was created and produced by Hitmaker, with Acclaim Entertainment publishing it in Europe for the PS2. This was the last Virtua Tennis game to be released for the Dreamcast following its discontinuation.
Game modes
=Tournament=
The player must win 5 matches played on different surfaces and venues to win a tournament. If the player performs well enough, he is challenged by either King or Queen, the game's bosses, depending whether the selected player is male or female.
=Exhibition=
This is a single match in which the options are customizable.
=World Tour=
This is the main mode of the game. For the first time in the Virtua Tennis series, the World Tour mode features yearly based and calendarized seasons. Users have to play and win tournaments throughout the seasons, as well as to complete training exercises, in order to progress. Also, unlike any other game in the series, the World Tour mode on Virtua Tennis 2 requires the user to play and train both a male and a female players simultaneously, who can also team up to play in mixed doubles tournaments. The user enters with a rank of 300th for both male and female players, which improves as matches and tournaments are won. In addition, the players' abilities can be improved by completing different training exercises. The focus of the training exercises are to be fun, rather than realistic. Each exercise has four levels, with the difficulty increasing progressively. By completing the hardest difficulty with a certain amount of time left or points scored, an outfit is unlocked, which players can wear in all modes.
Game Content
=Playable Characters=
{{col-begin|width=50%}}
{{col-2|width=50%}}
Male
- {{Flagicon|AUS}} Patrick Rafter
- {{Flagicon|GBR}} Tim Henman
- {{Flagicon|FRA}} Cédric Pioline
- {{Flagicon|RUS}} Yevgeny Kafelnikov
- {{Flagicon|DEU}} Tommy Haas
- {{Flagicon|SWE}} Thomas Enqvist
- {{Flagicon|SWE}} Magnus Norman
- {{Flagicon|ESP}} Carlos Moyá
{{col-2|width=50%}}
Female
- {{Flagicon|USA}} Venus Williams
- {{Flagicon|USA}} Serena Williams
- {{Flagicon|USA}} Lindsay Davenport
- {{Flagicon|USA}} Monica Seles
- {{Flagicon|FRA}} Mary Pierce
- {{Flagicon|ESP}} Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario
- {{Flagicon|SRB}} Jelena Dokic
- {{Flagicon|USA}} Alexandra Stevenson
{{col-end}}
=SPT World Championships Tour Competitions=
- {{Flagicon|GRB}} London, Great Britain
- {{Flagicon|AUS}} Melbourne, Australia
- {{Flagicon|USA}} New York, USA
- {{Flagicon|FRA}} Paris, France
- {{Flagicon|JPN}} Tokyo, Japan
Reception
{{Video game reviews
|SDC = true
|PS2 = true
|na = true
|MC_SDC = 90/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/virtua-tennis-2/critic-reviews/?platform=dreamcast|title=Virtua Tennis 2 critic reviews (DC)|website=Metacritic|publisher=Fandom|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230729204752/https://www.metacritic.com/game/dreamcast/tennis-2k2|archive-date=July 29, 2023|url-status=live|access-date=February 16, 2025}}
|Edge_SDC = 8/10{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/8/8e/Edge_UK_105.pdf|title=Virtua Tennis 2 (DC)|author=Edge staff|magazine=Edge|publisher=Future Publishing|issue=105|date=Christmas 2001|page=85|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516183856/https://retrocdn.net/images/8/8e/Edge_UK_105.pdf|archive-date=May 16, 2023|url-status=live|access-date=February 16, 2025}}
|EGM_SDC = 8.17/10{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/3/31/EGM_US_150.pdf|title=Tennis 2K2|author1=Dan Leahy|author2=James "Milkman" Mielke|author3=Jonathan Dudlak|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|publisher=Ziff Davis|issue=150|date=January 2002|page=232|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331223540/https://retrocdn.net/images/3/31/EGM_US_150.pdf|archive-date=March 31, 2023|url-status=live|access-date=February 16, 2025}}{{efn|Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the Dreamcast version each a score of 8/10, 9/10, and 7.5/10.}}
|EGM_PS2 = 8.17/10{{cite magazine|title=Sega Sports Tennis|author=EGM staff|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|publisher=Ziff Davis|issue=158|date=September 2002|page=152}}
|EPD_SDC = 8/10{{cite web|url=http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=8119&full=1|title=Tennis 2K2 (DC)|author=Sean Miller|date=January 22, 2002|website=The Electric Playground|publisher=Greedy Productions Ltd.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020817100917/http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=8119&full=1|archive-date=August 17, 2002|access-date=February 17, 2025}}
|EuroG_SDC = 6/10{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/r-virtuatennis2-dc|title=Virtua Tennis 2 (Dreamcast)|author=Tom Bramwell|date=December 28, 2001|website=Eurogamer|publisher=Gamer Network|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020224204222/http://www.eurogamer.net/content/r_virtuatennis2_dc|archive-date=February 24, 2002|url-status=live|access-date=February 16, 2025}}
|Fam_SDC = 31/40{{cite magazine|url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=12435&redirect=no|title=ドリームキャスト – POWER SMASH 2|language=ja|magazine=Famitsu|publisher=Enterbrain|volume=915|date=June 30, 2006|page=54|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516183856/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=12435&redirect=no|archive-date=May 16, 2023|access-date=February 16, 2025}}
|GI_SDC = 9.5/10{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-105-january-2002/page/90/mode/2up|title=Tennis 2K2 (DC)|author=Matt Helgeson|magazine=Game Informer|publisher=GameStop|issue=105|date=January 2002|page=90|access-date=February 17, 2025}}
|GameRev_PS2 = B+{{cite web|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/35909-sega-sports-tennis-review|title=Sega Sports Tennis Review (PS2)|author=Ben Silverman|date=August 17, 2002|website=GameRevolution|publisher=CraveOnline|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929005215/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/sega-sports-tennis|archive-date=September 29, 2015|url-status=live|access-date=August 13, 2020}}
|GSpot_SDC = 8.5/10{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sega-sports-tennis-2k2-review/1900-2820011/|title=Sega Sports Tennis 2K2 Review (DC)|author=Ryan Davis|date=October 24, 2001|website=GameSpot|publisher=Fandom|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011218164903/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/reviews/0,10867,2820011,00.html|archive-date=December 18, 2001|url-status=live|access-date=February 17, 2025}}
|GSpy_SDC = 8.5/10{{cite web|url=http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/tennis2k2/|title=Sega Sports Tennis 2K2|author=Tom Chick|date=November 7, 2001|website=PlanetDreamcast|publisher=IGN Entertainment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131133413/http://www.planetdreamcast.com/games/reviews/tennis2k2/|archive-date=January 31, 2009|access-date=August 12, 2020}}
|GSpy_PS2 = 84%{{cite web|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/august02/segasportstennisps2/|title=Sega Sports Tennis|author=Gerald Villoria|date=August 7, 2002|website=GameSpy|publisher=IGN Entertainment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060101171304/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/august02/segasportstennisps2/|archive-date=January 1, 2006|access-date=August 12, 2020}}
|OPM_PS2 = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/official-us-playstation-magazine-issue-60-september-2002/page/118/mode/2up|title=Sega Sports Tennis|author=Todd Zuniga|magazine=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine|publisher=Ziff Davis|issue=60|date=September 2002|page=118|access-date=May 16, 2023}}
}}
The Dreamcast version received "universal acclaim", while the PlayStation 2 version received "favorable" reviews, according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. In GamePro{{'}}s January 2002 issue, Four-Eyed Dragon said of the Dreamcast version, "Don't throw out your Dreamcast yet! Tennis 2K2 simply rules by all standards, especially when played with a gang of four competitive friends."{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/9/9d/GamePro_US_160.pdf|title=Tennis 2K2 (DC)|author=Four-Eyed Dragon|magazine=GamePro|publisher=IDG|issue=160|date=January 2002|page=128|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041213054616/http://www.gamepro.com/sega/dreamcast/games/reviews/17580.shtml|archive-date=December 13, 2004|url-status=live|access-date=February 16, 2025}}{{efn|GamePro gave the Dreamcast version two 4.5/5 scores for graphics and control, 3.5/5 for sound, and 5/5 for fun factor.}} Nine issues later, however, Air Hendrix said of the PlayStation 2 version, "It's puzzling that this game could look better on the Dreamcast than on the PS2, but it does: Jagged edges, weird shimmering, and poor texture quality make this Tennis 2K2 uglier than its Dreamcast forefather. Even worse, the A.I.-controlled doubles partners make brutally bad mistakes on a regular basis, forcing you to continually scramble to cover their backside."{{cite magazine|url=http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/25656.shtml|title=Sega Sports Tennis|author=Air Hendrix|magazine=GamePro|publisher=IDG|issue=169|date=October 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041222015943/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/25656.shtml|archive-date=December 22, 2004|access-date=August 13, 2020}}{{efn|GamePro gave the PlayStation 2 version 2.5/5 for graphics, 3.5/5 for sound, 5/5 for control, and 4/5 for fun factor.}} In Japan, Famitsu gave the former console version a score of 31 out of 40.
Also in Japan, Game Machine listed the arcade version in their December 1, 2001 issue as the seventh-most successful arcade game of the month.{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 – TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)|language=ja|magazine=Game Machine|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|issue=647|date=December 1, 2001|page=17}}
The Dreamcast version was nominated at The Electric Playground{{'}}s 2001 Blister Awards for "Best Console Sports Game" and "Dreamcast Game of the Year", but lost to Madden NFL 2002, NBA 2K2, and NFL 2K2 (the latter two a tie), respectively.{{cite web|url=http://www.elecplay.com/feature.html?id=8152&page=5|title=Blister Awards 2001 (Console Games 2)|author=EP staff|year=2002|website=The Electric Playground|publisher=Greedy Productions Ltd.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030713062025/http://www.elecplay.com/feature.html?id=8152&page=5|archive-date=July 13, 2003|access-date=February 17, 2025}}{{cite web|url=http://www.elecplay.com/feature.html?id=8152&page=6|title=Blister Awards 2001 (Console Games 3)|author=EP staff|year=2002|website=The Electric Playground|publisher=Greedy Productions Ltd.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030713062313/http://www.elecplay.com/feature.html?id=8152&page=6|archive-date=July 13, 2003|access-date=February 17, 2025}}
{{clear}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{KLOV game|id=10880}}
- {{moby game|id=/5352/virtua-tennis-2/}}
{{Virtua Tennis series}}
Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games