Virtua Tennis question(s)

[Obiwanshinobi]

So the first one (DC version) appears to have only 8-directional movement, even using analogue stick. Feels antiquated for no good reason (Power Stone 2 has got analogue movement, although I doubt coin-op version had it).
Which iteration of VT got a proper analogue stick support first?

[quash]

It was originally an arcade game, so... none.

Just get used to it, it's really not that bad. Virtua Tennis was my shit growing up and I never once thought of the eight directional movement as a hindrance.

[Obiwanshinobi]

See Power Stone 2 - also arcade, also released on DC A.D. 2000. Hard to believe none of the VT games had it.

[quash]

When I played VT4 last year, I don't remember it having analog movement. I'm guessing this is because it's based on VT3, which was also an arcade game.

Once you understand how Virtua Tennis works, you'll see that it's not that big a deal, and that analog controls may actually be undesirable. If you must have analog controls in a tennis game, I believe Top Spin has had it from the beginning.

[Obiwanshinobi]

I don't have a problem understanding; I just can't see any reason why it wouldn't be there. Most asinine omission since Ridge Racer Turbo (where even controls menu says "DualShock", but everything it adds is vibration feedback).

[D]

Sega should have disabled the use of the analog stick to prevent this thread from existing. VT's 8 way movement is perfect as it is

[Obiwanshinobi]

How come? I posted having played only 1 on Dreamcast (along with Power Stone 2 I might add) and it feels unnecessarily archaic without any real reason. Had analogue movement was there and I found it to be no good, I might have kept using d-pad.
Since analogue pad was the standard for DC, pretending it wasn't there would have been ridiculous.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Questions about VT2.
Since the PS2 version costs peanuts and having different iterations for different consoles makes sense to me, I feel like getting the PS2 version. I read it's about the same as on DC, gameplay- and features-wise, better a port than Crazy Taxi, except there's more aliasing than on DC. I can live with jaggies, but I'd like to know whether or not it's deflickered and if there's the 60 Hz mode in PAL version.
For what it's worth, I found VF4 Evo, Rez and Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs Zeon well-ported to PS2. If the VT2 port is anywhere near those, fine with me.
Question about the first VT PC port - is online multiplayer much good? I doubt it, but it's one substantial enhancement.
General question - who didn't play VT because of the subject matter (tennis)?

[Fudoh]

As with many other Naomi/DC ports, this should about your display configuration: the DC obviously supports 480p through VGA, while the PS2 version is likely 480i only, which doesn't look great and causes additional lag on LCD and plasma screens.

[Obiwanshinobi]

The DC games I've tried on a VGA CRT didn't look that much better to me than 480i on an RGB-capable CRT (Euro SCART). Obviously, 60 Hz in those few PAL DC games devoid of 60 Hz option in 480i I care to play will be the main reason to use other display than my telly.
Interlaced SD is a whole other topic, though, that I'd like to discuss elsewhere. For instance, I've been playing Monster Hunter Tri lately and while I can see why Capcom used whatever filter's cast upon, the engine looks like Onimusha 3 to me and I miss that game's clarity (viewed on the same TV, interlaced). I'd take jaggies over smoothed out edges in this case.
Nevertheless, I wonder why so many PS2 games aren't deflickered. The likes of MGS2, SoulCalibur II and Odin Sphere look every bit as tidy as anything I saw on other that-gen consoles in 480i, so the system had what it took. Why we've seen shimmery 480i as late in the day as 2003 (Battle Gear 3) or 2006 (OutRun 2006) remains mystery to me.

[D]

ps2's version of vt2 cannot be forced to 480p with gsm or hd xploder,
BUT it can be forced to 16:9 on the ps2 with a simple patch. It's amazing in 16:9.
That said, the ps2 port's graphics are a lot less crisp than the dc version, but if you're playing hard, it is not that distracting.

BG3 cannot be forced to 480p either, but also for bg3 there's a 16:9 patch!!!!!!
BG3 is my favorite game by far

[Obiwanshinobi]

Aaand, how's the Game Boy Advance version? Got VT2 for DC but I doubt it'll be unsealed soon (single player mode of 1 is too good to consider it obsolete yet); GBA version, on the other hand, could potentially be just as welcome as Super Monkey Ball Jr. is.

[quash]

VT1 > VT2

If for no other reason, the soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byjZh2UcHYQ

[Obiwanshinobi]

Begs for Ronnie James Dio.