It would be difficult to see how a tennis game on the Wii could not work, and any improvement on the basic Wii Sports tennis would be a bonus. A game that involves arm movement is perfectly suited to the Wii style of control, so how does the already successful Virtua Tennis brand measure up on the Wii?

I was lucky enough to witness this game in action at Masters Monday so I already knew that to be able to play it in my own living room was something of a treat. Obviously, things always feel different when you are at home compared to playing at a group event, so I reserved judgement for playing at home.

To add to the excitement of a new Wii release, there is also the addition of Wii Motion Plus, with the aim of making the game more realistic.  There has been much published in anticipation of the new add on, so does it live up to the hype?

Firstly, the game itself. It is immediately simple with a menu that is pretty self explanatory. Options include ‘Play’, ‘VT Coach’, ‘Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection’, ‘My VT’, and ‘World Tour’. Selecting ‘play’ then bring several options. ‘Exhibition’ mode just allows a single game, with up to four players (playing doubles), ‘Tournament’, well, plays a tournament for up to four players, ‘Games’ brings up the mini game options, and ‘Arcade’ is just for one or two players to play a quick game.

Gameplay itself is fairly straightforward, if a little tricky to get the hang of at first. The first time you play, it is best to just have a practice, or even begin with the VT coach to learn how to move around at hit the ball correctly. To serve, give a flick of the Wii Remote, and then follow the rest of the serve with a natural swing of the arm, in good tennis fashion. Your player will move automatically towards the ball when it is returned, unless you choose to move it manually with the directional arrows. It is probably easier to let it happen automatically, but for more of a challenge moving them manually is best.

The trick to getting a perfect shot without Motion Plus, lies with the on-screen help bar, that shows the exact time to hit the ball, and to which area it will head. The faster the ball is travelling towards your player, the faster the bar moves, so keep your eyes peeled. With Motion Plus, the bar acts with the same purpose, but the flick of the wrist matters much more, so even though you are following the instructions of the bar, the ball may not land precisely where you imagined it to, if you do not get the swing right. This makes for a far more realistic gaming experience. You can of course turn the bar off, for a far more tricky and life like account of tennis playing.

The mini games are brilliant for improving aim, and I would recommend these to anyone before they wish to turn off the on-screen assistance bar. The ideas for the game may seem a little silly, but this brings a fun factor to the game of tennis, and each one has a genuine point. The aim of one game is to feed the correct animal with the correct food, which may sound pointless, but as there are more animals on the screen, the game requires far more concentration and aiming skills that you can imagine without playing it.

It cannot be said that this game is too easy. There is definitely the opportunity to increase your abilities with Motion Plus, and also have a bit of fun while doing so. Motion Plus provides a much more physical and mental test, and in ‘World Tour’ mode your own made up player can build up to become a master in the world of tennis! The online function within the ‘World Tour’ career is good fun, and very competitive. Girls and boys play in separate competitions, so there are no unfair advantages. There is also the ability to build up player stamina by resting for a week, before playing a new tournament or mini game.

There is also training from “tennis legend” Tim Henman, which is useful for both online and normal play. It teaches skills such as hitting the ball across the court, and hitting balls close to the net, all of which are useful for bettering your game, and beating opponents. Perhaps if I were to criticise anything about this function, it would be the explanations, which were a little vague. Once you receive instruction, you then have to practice this new skill, and if successful, your created player will grow in skill.

As far as graphics are concerned in this game, it seems to be as good as is available on the Wii. It is not by any means spectacular, but you can see who the players are, and their movements are lifelike, both when playing and celebrating. The courts and venues are well illustrated too, with the added bonus of different surfaces playing very differently in terms of speed and difficulty.

The musical soundtrack isn’t great, and a bit off putting, so I chose to turn it off. Having said that, if you like the feeling of playing a 90s game with the soundtrack to match, then keep it on! The rest of the sounds are good, especially during gameplay. There are a few grunts, especially from the female players, and the sound of the racket hitting the ball is played through the Wii Remote, which makes it sound like it is actually being hit beside your body.

This game is a must for tennis lovers, and in fact anyone who just likes a good sports game. The full potential of the Wii in the sports genre has been utilised, and the Motion Plus is a breath of fresh air. Personally, I would spend a long time playing this game, improving my player and competing against others. It certainly has lived up to the success of previous Virtua Tennis releases.

+ Motion Plus makes gameplay more realistic
+ Enjoyable gameplay online and alone
+ Creating and training your player is enjoyable

- Using friend codes to play online is a little limiting
- Some tutorials are a little vague
- Moves can be tricky to master

Score: 8.5/10