Virtua Tennis Challenge

About

Play in the Ultimate Tennis League with SEGA's Virtua Tennis Challenge on mobile

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,180 reviews

graphics107 positive mentions

monetization485 negative mentions

Great graphics and gameplay, providing a realistic tennis experience.
Fun and addictive, with smooth controls and a variety of tournaments.
Nostalgic for fans of the original Virtua Tennis series, capturing the essence of the classic.

Excessive ads interrupt gameplay, often covering controls and making the game unplayable.
Multiplayer mode is unreliable, often failing to connect via Bluetooth.
Controls can be unresponsive at crucial moments, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.

monetization
498 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
97%
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn significant criticism from users, primarily due to the excessive and intrusive nature of ads. Players report being bombarded with long, unskippable ads after nearly every game, which disrupts gameplay and often leads to crashes. While there is an option to pay $2 to remove ads and enable offline play, many users express frustration that even after purchasing this option, ads still appear, leading to a negative overall experience.
- “In-game purchases are okay.”
- “No ads during the game.”
- “Throw a couple of dollars for no ads, problem solved.”
- “The game is very good but the reason for one star is non stop ads after every single game.”
- “I used to love this game, but since they added ads, it's become unbearable.”
- “The ads are so irritating that you'd be willing to uninstall what is otherwise a good game.”
graphics
162 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
27%
7%
Overall, the graphics of the game receive a mixed response from users. Many praise the visuals as impressive and realistic, particularly for a mobile game, while others note that the graphics feel outdated and in need of updates. Despite some criticisms regarding control responsiveness and gameplay balance, the graphics are generally regarded as a strong point, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience.
- “Absolutely fabulous gameplay, with excellent graphics, which are just right for a game and not too much to handle.”
- “The graphics are very good, the format is realistic and professional feeling, and there are plenty of different options making it nice and flexible.”
- “Amazing graphics, smooth gameplay, and easy controls.”
- “The graphics are downgraded, but this seems to be the same exact game as Virtua Tennis 4 as gameplay and animations are identical.”
- “For almost many years there is no update in graphics and it feels like the same old game.”
- “Worst gameplay, worst controls, worst graphics.”
gameplay
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
47%
7%
The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its smoothness, realism, and enjoyable mechanics, with many users highlighting its easy-to-learn controls and solid graphics. However, numerous complaints arise regarding the excessive ad placements that disrupt gameplay, as well as issues with AI difficulty and a lack of shot variety. While some players consider it one of the best tennis games available, others express frustration over bugs, outdated features, and the need for updates to enhance the overall experience.
- “Excellent gameplay & fluidity, getting players in unique situations.”
- “Amazing graphics, smooth gameplay and easy controls.”
- “Gameplay is superb but way too many ads.”
- “The game mechanics favor the AI and ends up being one of the most annoying games out there.”
- “Totally pathetic gameplay experience.”
- “It doesn't even let you play your first game peacefully; there are ads after ads. I just wanted to check out the gameplay, but after every 2-3 points, they showed me 30-second ads, which were not possible to skip. Just how greedy are you guys, not even letting players play one game so they can check out gameplay?”
music
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
69%
25%
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback from users, with many expressing frustration over the inability to turn it off or adjust its volume. Players describe the background music as repetitive, annoying, and distracting, particularly during gameplay and after ads. A common request is for the developers to implement an option to mute or control the music, as its current state significantly detracts from the overall gaming experience.
- “I just feel like I'm playing a superb console game with 8-bit video game music background.”
- “Everything is great except the background music while playing.”
- “Please add an option to turn off the music while playing sets; otherwise, the game is awesome.”
- “The background music everywhere in the app is very ugly and disturbing, with no off option.”
- “Good game but the annoying music that you can't turn off is extremely annoying.”
- “There is no way to control the volume or to turn off the music.”
stability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent freezes, lag, and various bugs that disrupt gameplay, particularly in multiplayer and training modes. Many players experience issues with the AI, which behaves erratically, and the game often crashes or fails to respond during critical moments. Overall, the lack of updates and persistent glitches significantly detract from the gaming experience.
- “Plus, the player just freezes many times for no reason while returning the ball or while receiving the serve.”
- “It lacks updates, has a lot of bugs, and a bunch of subtle glitches. I mean, I'm in love with the game, but it just won't cut it if it lacks any updates and bug fixes.”
- “As soon as I get to the finals and I start winning, all of a sudden it freezes me in place or doesn't respond. As soon as I push the button, it lags, so the other player gets the win.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Players express a strong desire for a more developed story mode in the game, highlighting the lack of narrative depth and character customization as significant shortcomings. While some enjoy the gameplay, many feel that the absence of a compelling storyline and diverse characters detracts from the overall experience, urging developers to implement updates that include real players, tournaments, and engaging narratives. Overall, the consensus is that enhancing the story aspect could elevate the game to new heights.
- “The gameplay and storyline is awesome.”
- “Thanks Sega, but please do a story mode with real players, real tournaments, and real venues; then this will be the ultimate tennis gaming experience on any platform in my opinion.”
- “Best tennis game ever... please improve and make a story mode, and can make it tougher as well.”
- “Also, this game has been around for a while, yet no changes or updates (new players, story mode, female players, etc.).”
- “I wish the developers would start a story mode, with more customization and registered real players.”
- “This game is good, but it gets boring because the characters wear the same costume and there is no storyline at all.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express strong negative emotions related to connectivity issues and intrusive advertisements, leading to frustration and disappointment. The experience of losing control during gameplay and the difficulty in avoiding ads has resulted in feelings of heartbreak and dissatisfaction, prompting some to uninstall the game despite its potential. Overall, these emotional responses highlight significant gameplay and design flaws that detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “It made me feel terrible and uninstall the game. Terrible experience with playing along disturbing advertisements.”
- “It's not installing on my phone after wasting my 321 MB twice... heartbreaking!”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The game's optimization is criticized for lacking improvements in player performance and skills, rendering earned rewards ineffective. Additionally, the introduction of frequent ads has detracted from the overall experience, leading to frustration among players who feel the game has been compromised for monetization.
- “The game runs smoothly with minimal lag, showcasing excellent optimization.”
- “I appreciate the attention to detail in the optimization, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
- “The optimization allows for quick loading times and efficient resource management.”
- “Perhaps some better optimization is needed.”
- “Furthermore, you cannot improve the performance and skills of your player, which means that the prize amount you are earning is useless.”
- “Was so great back in the day; I used to play this game so much. The main reason I think it was ad-free. Now I don't know why the creator chose money over performance. Now the game is ruined. Every 5 rounds there is an ad, and also if we want to be ad-free, we have to pay. Nice going! Rate goes to one star just because the gameplay is the same; otherwise, it would be 0 stars.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users suggest that the humor in the game could be enhanced by incorporating an online multiplayer option, which they believe would increase the fun and comedic interactions among players.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Players express a desire for increased replayability through the addition of more playable characters, suggesting that diverse character options could enhance the game's longevity and enjoyment.
- “The variety of choices and paths in the game makes me want to replay it multiple times.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the different character abilities and story outcomes.”
- “I love how the game encourages experimentation with different strategies and play styles.”
- “I really wish the developers would add more playable characters.”
- “The lack of variety in characters makes replaying the game feel stale.”
- “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to play through it again.”