E3 2001: Hands-onTennis 2K2

Virtua Tennis arrived last year on the Sega Dreamcast to universal critical and commercial acclaim. Its success has prompted Sega to include its sequel in the company's flagship Sega Sports lineup. The sequel, being released under the title Tennis 2K2, will include 16 internationally ranked professionals, including new additions such as Venus and Serena Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Mary Pierce, Jelena Dokic, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, and Alexandra Stevenson.

Specific enhancements planned for the sequel are primarily in the options department. Players will now be able to create their own pro, with customizable categories such as specific skills, appearance, and clothing. The created player can then be trained and entered into the game's World Circuit mode. Those interested in playing doubles matches can sign unique doubles partners. Mixed doubles matches are also available.

The gameplay system remains virtually identical in this latest game in the series. There are two primary shot options, the lob and the smash, and the player's positioning in respects to the ball and the shot angle dictates the final shot velocity. Naturally, the silky smooth analog-based player controls feel essentially the same in the sequel.

Visually, although Tennis 2K2 looks very much like the original, specific elements such as player faces and textures on the player models have been improved. The player's facial features in particular look more realistic, as they are able to show a broader range of emotion.

Sega's commitment to bringing the Virtua Tennis series under its Sega Sports brand meant that the game would have to include more realistic gameplay options and depth in its features. Judging from our early glimpse of the game, it seems as though Sega has accomplished many of those goals, with the new women professionals, the create-a-player options, and the slight tweaks to the graphical quality. Tennis 2K2 will be released this fall.