also known as Power Smash - Sega Professional Tennis
Sega Dreamcast
🇬🇧
Reviewed in 2000
87
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✪ Reviewed on April 23, 2026
83
A Sega tennis of instant joy, halfway between arcade and simulation. Snappy pacing, varied shots and a wholesome tone make every match a treat. A genre benchmark.
Your verdict
Category
Sports4 players3+
Description
Professional tennis players clash in this American version of Sega's Dreamcast tennis simulator. Published by Sega, released in the United States in May 2000. Tennis simulation with licensed professional players, varied courts, tournament and multiplayer modes, accessible gameplay. US edition.
Virtua Tennis review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Setting your feet well, picking the right shot, reading the opponent's line: beneath an instantly approachable surface lies tennis of formidable accuracy. Each rally becomes a duel of positioning where anticipation beats reflexes. The graphics have aged, but this perfect balance of simplicity and depth remains a model of arcade sport.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Trading shots at a frantic pace, rushing the net and threading a pinpoint passing shot: the clear handling hides a accuracy of simulation that makes all the difference. The joy of a clean hit is instant, and the four-player mode turns every match into a party. Snappy, elegant and fiercely addictive, arcade tennis in its purest form.
The NTSC release of Virtua Tennis is the US version of Hitmaker/AM3's NAOMI arcade port, distributed by Sega in the US. Collector value comes from this version establishing the modern arcade tennis standard and from the Dreamcast port being considered one of the versions most faithful to the original arcade.
Better with friends
Arcade tennis of magical fluidity, best savored in doubles where partners' complementarity works wonders. The pair's teamwork converses with the rivalry across the net: covering your buddy, lobbing at the right moment and closing out together bring immediate joy. Crystal clear to pick up and heady to master, it strings together spectacular rallies and rematches.
Is Virtua Tennis still worth playing in 2026?
Designed by Hitmaker, Virtua Tennis redefined accessible tennis simulation with immediate readability and a World Circuit mode as clever as it is addictive. The training mini games have become cult classics and the ball feel remains an absolute reference. Visually dated by now, the title keeps a very rare playful punch and works wonderfully in local two player matches. An absolute reference that still amply deserves to be pulled from the shelf for short, electrifying sessions.
