Recently scheduled for a June release in Europe, Atari today announced it will publish Namco Bandai’s upcoming Xbox 360 title Smash Court Tennis 3 in North America.

Featuring an impressive roster of 16 professional tennis players including Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, the game promises realistic visuals, a host of character customization options, online play via Live, and offline multiplayer for up to four.

While a firm date was not announced, expect the game to hit North American store shelves in August 2008.

Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR), one of the world’s most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher and distributor, today announced the upcoming launch of Smash Court Tennis 3 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the latest star-packed tennis smash in the renowned series from Namco Bandai Games. Featuring the biggest names in tennis including Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, highly realistic visuals, a host of gameplay enhancements and online play via Xbox Live online game service, Smash Court Tennis 3 will be lobbing and smashing its way into North American retailers in August 2008.

The first in the revered tennis simulation series for the new console generation, Smash Court Tennis 3 for Xbox 360 tests the player’s skills against 16 of the world’s finest international tennis players. From established stars such as world number one Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Rafael Nadal and Martina Hingis, to rising talents including Italy’s Andreas Seppi and Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic, each player has their own strengths and weaknesses which come into play on the game’s painstakingly rendered courts.

Making the most of the power of Xbox 360, Smash Court Tennis 3 boasts enhanced graphics including improved player animations, realistic shadows, skin shaders and High Dynamic Range rendering which combine to deliver a greater level of realism and immersion for the player. A host of customizing options allows players to choose rackets, shoes, hairstyles, skin tone and clothing to create their own unique star of the courts. New gameplay includes a system which lets all players, no matter what their skill level, benefit quickly from the powerful shots and finely honed skills of the star players.

Gameplay modes include Tutorial, Arcade, Pro-Tour, and Exhibition mode where up to four players can go head to head offline. The game also features an online mode allowing players to play online via Xbox Live online entertainment network. In addition to Xbox Live voice chat and rankings, players can take on opponents in online tournaments and in a range of different matches. Online doubles matches let players team up side by side for a long distance match against another pair, bringing the action and interaction alive like never before.

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