Hands-on with Virtua Tennis Challenge on Xperia Play

Virtua Tennis has something of a reputation on consoles and arcades in the field of tennis games, but I can't tell you how the Xperia Play version stacks up against that competition.

Partly that's because a comparison would be unfair: the machine is hardly a PS3 or Vita. But mainly it's because I haven’t - whisper it - played any of them.

However, I can tell you - despite my lack of knowledge on console tennis games - that Virtua Tennis Challenge is looking like a slick package for Xperia Play gamers.

In part this is thanks to the silky smooth animations, with what looks like motion-captured players stretching for distant shots or - in my case - tumbling over as I send them running too far.

Controls are fairly self-explanatory, with the various types of shots like slices and volleys given over to the face buttons and movement handled with the D-pad.

Serves, meanwhile, involve timing your presses so that you get the most power while simultaneously holding a direction down to pick your spot.

This latter press moves an invisible marker, so there’s a healthy risk-reward system at play for those who want to ace every serve.

One thing's certain - serving is a lot easier than receiving, which involves a healthy amount of guesswork.

During a quick few games over local Bluetooth multiplayer (which worked perfectly between two Xperia Plays) my chosen player with a fancy moustache was left wrong-footed on more than a couple occasions.

The lack of any licensed players is probably of concern for the EA Sports crowd, but Virtua Tennis Challenge makes up for that with its interesting SPT World Tour mode, which sees your customised competitor climbing his way up the ranks of the tennis elite.

All four of the major surfaces are present, from clay to indoor courts, with the All England Club at Wimbledon and its low-bounce grass making a welcome appearance nearer the end of the Tour.

With its classy presentation - including instant replays and slow-motion special shots - as well as what looks to be a lengthy single-player mode, Virtua Tennis Challenge looks like it could well leap to the top of the smartphone tennis pile when it makes its way onto the Xperia court on March 19th.

Other Android players will have to wait until May before they can wrap their hands around this particular racquet.