Virtua Tennis 2 was never released on the PC. Strange, that, because the first one was very good. And publishers don’t exactly need their arms twisting to release sequels, it seems. Either way, the VT franchise skipped a generation on the PC, leaving VT2 as a console-only commodity. Now VT3 has been given a budget release, and aren’t we pleased about it?

There hasn’t been a radical departure from the previous formula – the graphics are obviously updated from the version, but look quite dated by today’s standards. Still, the movement and character animation is suitably fluid, minimising the number ‘that’s not fair! I hit that!’-style moments.

There’s a full tournament mode, but for those interested in something a bit different, there are also 12 mini-games. The aim of these games is to get you to practice and master different strokes, such as serves, volleys, smashes and the like. It’s quite an effective way to train, and further games are unlocked as the early ones are mastered.

You also get to face up to 20 real players, each with their own unique strengths (of course). So in one match you’ll be up against the volleying power of the now-retired Tim Henman, while in the next match (because, let’s face it, you’ll probably beat him) face up to the terrifying serve of Andy Roddick. And, yes, Maria Sharapova does feature as well.

It’s all done very well, in spite of the inevitable console/arcade-style presentation, and certainly ranks among the best tennis simulations to ever grace the PC. You can pick up and play very easily at a fun level, or go a little deeper and spend time playing at a more intense and advanced level. As with most sports sims, a suitable game controller really is an absolute must.

Now, normally at this point in the review we tell you about the niggle that really broke our strings. This time, however, we’re not going to. There isn’t one.