It stands to reason that sports fans would enjoy playing video games that are designed to replicate the action which they love so much. There are plenty of tennis video games to choose from for those who enjoy Wimbledon and the French Open. Whether you fancy yourself as the next Andy Murray, Venus Williams, or Rafael Nadal, there is plenty of console action available for you to choose from. So, from the Grand Slam to Super Mario Tennis, there are a myriad of exciting tennis video games on offer. Here are a few of our favourites.
- Grand Slam Tennis 2
One of the oldest but best tennis games ever made for consoles is Grand Slam Tennis which is now on its second incarnation Grand Slam Tennis 2. It was made by EA sports and is designed to replicate the game as closely as possible. It started on the Wii, but it’s now available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation. There are various play and training situations that one can undertake. EA games are known for their high end graphics, and the presentation is very good. If you are looking for a more realistic version of tennis, then this is undoubtedly an excellent place to start. It will help you learn all the vital tennis terminology and precisely what goes into preparing for world-class games.
- Mario Power Tennis
However, for something a little more light-hearted and fun, you might want to check out Mario power tennis. Let’s face it, anything with our Italian plumber friend and his brother is sure to be a total hit. The Mario games were released for the Nintendo GameCube, Gameboy, Wii, and Nintendo 64. It is hilarious fun, and you get to play with your favourite characters. It may not be serious Wimbledon style training, but there is certainly plenty of action and loads to do in this classic tennis game. If you love all things Mario, then this certainly is the tennis game for you to be trying next.
- AO Tennis
It goes without saying that games with the franchise are going to be big hits. Big Ant Studios have managed to get licensing for the Australian Open tennis as well as cricket and have been able to create cracking games for both sports. There is lots going on, and you get the option to download players and venues, as well as to practice the great game itself. An aspiring tennis ace could stand to learn something from playing a simple video game, in this case. This is certainly highly recommended and one of the best console tennis games ever released.
- Wii Tennis
What the Wii has that many of its competitors don’t is the expectation for movement, which is why we must factor Wii Tennis in our listings. Because the controllers can be used in the same way as a tennis racket, you are automatically learning a lot about timing and arm swing. In essence, you really are getting to play tennis on a console. It is addictive, and you find yourself going back time and time again to try and better the performance she gave last time. This is probably one of the best tennis console games ever made and will stand the time and line up in the Hall of Classics.
- Virtua Tennis
This is another classic game with more than one incarnation. First released in 1999, it may well be considered old, but it is certainly one that won’t be forgotten in a hurry. It was released originally by Sega and was available on the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 and then other consoles. The upgraded second version finished what the first started by introducing the slice stroke. When it was first released, it was certainly ahead of the time and garnered a solid following of fans who enjoyed playing Virtua tennis.
- Top Spin
If you really like tennis, then it’s safe to write off all the versions of Top Spin until we arrive at Top Spin 4. This is another excellent console game if you are looking to learn more about the intricacies of tennis. Rather than just playing for fun, you can learn something. Although it was initially released in 2011, the graphics are still quite good and, at the time, were indeed better than most. The number of strokes and the way they have structured the gameplay to differentiate your strengths and weaknesses to create the perfect skill level gives you a close to the court experience. It also wasn’t easy to learn to play, which is pretty much like real tennis, to be fair. If you are trying to learn to play tennis for more than just a bit of fun with your friends on a video game, then this is probably the tennis game for you.
Wrap Up
No matter which of these tennis games is your favourite, we know you’ll have a great time playing!
