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Top Spin - Hands On Preview
Chris Leyton
22/09/2003
We check out Microsoft's first tennis title; can it beat the mighty 'Virtua Tennis'...
There are two schools of thought for tennis videogames; stray down the realistic route offering a wide range of moves, depth and realism, or stick with the accessible arcade option favoured by Segaâs âVirtua Tennisâ series.
To be fair any tennis title that comes into the TVG office will always be compared to Segaâs mighty effort. Whilst it may not have offered the most detailed recreation of tennis and was essentially an evolution of âPONGâ, for pure pick-up-and-play gameplay it couldnât be beaten and quickly became a favourite of gamers regardless of whether you actually liked tennis or not.
âTop Spinâ rightfully takes âVirtua Tennisâ as a source of inspiration in both the way it plays and the controls, however Power and Magic Development have attempted to mould the formula, adding a substantial layer of depth through a wider selection of moves.
Instead of relying on two types of moves, âTop Spinâ allows you to pull off the full repertoire of tennis players shots. Players can perform normal shots with the âAâ button, lobs with the âYâ button and slices and top spin shots with the âXâ and âBâ shots respectively. In addition the control system makes use of the left and right shoulder buttons to perform âDropâ shots and âRiskâ shots; instead of charging these shots in a similar motion to âVirtua Tennisâ, you have to stop a line in the middle of the gauge - itâs a tricky system but successfully pulling them off will usually guarantee you a point.
Another new element to the tennis genre is the inclusion of the âITZâ or âIn-the-Zoneâ meter. Topping this gauge will improve the accuracy of your shots and conversely a low gauge will make it harder to win points.
Tied into this is the ability to taunt/applaud after a point has been played, simply by tapping the white or black button your player can have a strop and throw his racket or applaud the other player. Itâs a system that has split opinion across the board, some feel itâs merely a gimmick and wastes time however we quite enjoyed the idea and felt that it adds to the overall experience.
As with most Xbox games turning up these days, âTop Spinâ features Xbox Live! as a core component. Whilst weâve yet to sample the depths of the online mode, the game is heavily based around the recently launched âXSNâ service which allows you to set up leagues, view stats and even receive game alerts on your mobile.
To strengthen the online aspect, âTop Spinâ features an elaborate âCreate Characterâ mode that truly allows you to go to town with all manner of attributes, including nose length and eyebrow width to customising them with a wide range of clothes and items. Keep an eye out for âDexterâ the 70âs reject who has quickly become a favourite at the TVG Office.
Visually the game is one of the finest tennis titles weâve seen in action with some stunning TV replays and cut-away scenes that suitably help to dramatise the action. Without doubt the most impressive aspect is the games animation that even manages to usurp the mighty âVirtua Tennis 2â. Character models display a nice level of detail without being overly impressive, however we particularly liked the full 3D crowds (ok they look blocky but at least theyâre 3D) and the wonderfully detailed stadiums complete with accurate surrounding architecture. Tied into the whole presentation the crowd chants really add to the experience with player names shouted out at key moments.
