Once again, Sega brings addictive, arcade tennis to the masses with Virtua Tennis 3, crafting a gorgeous looking and easy to pick up and play sports game that'll enthrall players for hours. It's just a shame that this version, developed by AM3, lacks online play, a staple in the Sumo Digital developed Xbox 360 edition. That omission notwithstanding, this makes a fine addition to every gamer's library, unless they own Microsoft's console.

Virtua Tennis 3 shines for a many reasons, accessibility being its most attractive feature. The easy to learn analog/face button controls appeal to a wide audience, offering tennis n00bs the opportunity to step onto grass, clay or carpet courts and unleash punishing serves. However, despite the game's delightful pick up and play design, it offers a reasonable amount of depth for those willing to master it. With practice, seasoned vets will throttle newcomers, spreading the court and forcing their hapless adversaries to chase the ball until their player(s) crumbles or falls victim to a vicious play at the net. Tiring someone out is one thing. Delivering a well-earned overhand slam into someone's face brings a great deal of satisfaction.

Like Sega's previous tennis games, this one lets gamers choose from a variety of options. AM3 packed 20 pros into the game, such greats as Tim Henman, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams. These respected athletes do battle in 23 courts pulled from around the globe, famous locales like London, New York City, Paris and Barcelona. Two people can square off, or four can compete in doubles matches. They may also adjust the number of games played, set count, position of the server and the computer's four difficulty levels. They can even switch off between kilometers versus miles per hour.

Furthermore, the game features enjoyable modes. Gamers may participate in four Grand Slam tournaments as well as create their own tennis prodigy (male or female) and take on the best in World Tour. The customization allows for thousands of possibilities, as gamers use sliders to adjust the shape of the face, eyes, nose and mouth. Skin tone can be played with, facial hair applied and outfits tossed on.

After completing their player, they select a home and travel across the globe, gaining advice from superstars, attempting to unseat them in ranked matches. On the way to stardom, players hone their skills in various mini games (also available for up to four players in the stand alone Court Games mode) that see them knocking down bowling pins, popping balloons and destroying aliens, among other zany activities. Avoiding gigantic fruit and playing with an oversized ball sounds crazy, but these zany things, the series' pedigree, only add to the game's charm.

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