Tasteless, but a passable reminder of the summer.

Contrary to quick glance deceptions, VT Tennis is not Virtua Tennis. We're sure developers Virtual Toys would love you to make the mistake though. That's not to say they haven't tried to create the illusion, mind. Minutes after opening VT Tennis you'll be greeted by a cavalcade of soft-rock™ and metallic menu sound effects. It's all trying so hard.

Of course, its deceptive persistence only goes as far as VT Tennis' minimal asking price can afford. It plays a fine round of tennis, with the emphasis on fine. The animations are good and the controls are consistent and precise. Unfortunately poor sound effects and a lack of variety in shot options limit the appeal over lengthy play sessions. Sure the game includes top-spin and lob mechanics, but they don't really feel very different from the standard forehand return. Games boil down to the most straight-forward rallies, though occasionally will surprise.

The game's career mode is real the meat and potatoes of the package, serving up a wealth of unlocks, tournaments and options. Sadly there are no mini-games involving giant slices of fruit.

Conclusion

There are better tennis games available on PlayStation, but this is a tantalisingly cheap one. If, like us, you're constantly craving a new tennis game — this should do the business until the Grand Slam offerings from SEGA and 2K Sports later in the year.