Top Spin

It seems that 2K Sports has managed to crank out some spectacular sports titles this year with their stellar NBA 2K6 game and the magnificence that is NHL 2K6. Joining their ranks is Top Spin; a game released awhile back on the Xbox and now finds it lighting up the PS2. While the Xbox game was gorgeous to look at and played decently enough, the new PS2 version is simply a game tennis fans will not want to put down.

Top Spin features 16 of the sport’s most recognizable professional players in both the men’s and women’s divisions. For the ladies division there’s Sharapova, Williams (Venus only, sorry Serena) and Hingis among others. The men’s there’s Hewitt, Moya and Federer ... among others. The result is a game that will allow you to compete against these pros or have them as a partner during doubles matches. Either way, you’re in for a challenge.

There are four main game modes: Career, Exhibition, Custom Tournament and online multiplayer. Custom Tournament allows you to set up your own tournaments that you can share with your friends. Exhibition, of course, allows you to play a singles or doubles match using any of the players available. It’s Career mode that will have you playing this one for weeks to come. It is here that you get to create your own player, choosing from the limited facial features or using the PlayStation EyeToy USB Camera to put your own face on your created player. From there you can navigate through a world map attempting to gain sponsorships from real companies. Once sponsored by a company you can train, honing your skills in order to enter tournaments. The tournaments range from minor pros, major pros and the Grand Slam tournaments featuring the top pros. It’s not a very deep mode but it does have you working hard to get to the top.

The game’s controls are also the game’s strongest features, mainly because they’re the type you can simply pick up and play without trouble. It’s pretty basic stuff, really. There’s a risk shot, safe shot, topspin shot and slice shot. You can aim your shot with the analog stick and its pretty responsive. Serves are also easy, and by pressing the L1 button you can perform a spoon serve. There is, of course, a Power Meter that indicated the level of power your serve will have when you hit the ball. It’s merely a question of timing and hitting the X button.

Another of the game’s best features is its opponent AI. Your opponent is prone to mistakes, just like in real life, and can also be overwhelmed by a good return. You’ll also find that many of the pros, particularly Venus Williams who has a powerful serve and is able to keep up with a fast pace. Really, this is what makes the game so good; the challenges feel like a real challenge. Of course, you can also have these pros as a doubles partner for the right price; the cheapest (strangely enough) is Sharapova. Just about the only fault this game possesses are the long load times between matches and the unflattering graphics. 

Graphically speaking, Top Spin is not an attractive game ... not even a little bit. From afar the player models look Ok but up close they look like they’d be much more comfortable on the PSOne. This is really too bad for those male admirers of Maria Sharapova. The backgrounds in the game look flat and uninteresting and the audience looks like they’ve been painted on. Then again it’s the gameplay that wins over the awful graphics.

The sound won’t blow you away either but this is a tennis game where silence is golden. The best part is that the game sounds like a televised event, with all the detailed sounds that make up the game including the sneakers across the court, rackets smacking the ball and the strained cry of each athlete during a serve. There’s an announcer during official matches and the audience claps in all the appropriate moments.  

Top Spin for the PS2 is, without a doubt, one of the most addictively entertaining tennis games you’ll want to play if you’re a fan of the game. It’s the type of game anyone can simply pick up and start playing and thanks to online multiplayer you’ll be playing this one for quite awhile. It’s also a game that will make you forget about its visuals and enjoy the game for its great gameplay. This is a Must Have for any sports fan.

Gameplay: 8.5
The game possesses controls easy enough that you can really pick up and start playing immediately. The opponent AI is excellent and thus offers plenty of challenges and the singles or doubles matches are addictive fun.

Graphics: 4.5
For those who love good eye candy be prepared to be very disappointed by the ugly graphics this game displays. Not only are the character models unnatural but the flat backgrounds and tennis court are just eyesores. The animations are limited to a few gestures that are repeated often.

Sound: 7.5
The authentic sounds of a tennis game during an official tournament make this all the more satisfying despite the game’s poor visuals. It sounds like a televised match complete with fans applauding, squeaky sneakers and the smacking of a tennis ball.

Difficulty: Medium
Boy, even Venus Williams in video game form can still beat me with one hand tied behind her back. The pros play a good game and things get tougher for you the higher up the ladder you climb in Career mode.

Concept: 8.5
There are loads of pro tennis players to play against and even online play. Use of the Eye Toy means you can even create a player that look just like you even with the bad hair options.

Multiplayer: 8.0
The multiplayer features in the game make for a really entertaining game whether you’re playing with your friends offline (two players using a single PS2 or four in total using the PS2 Multitap) or online using a Broadband connection. Online the game runs fast and smoothly and there’s Exhibition games you’ll really enjoy playing.

Overall: 8.5
Top Spin is one of the most satisfying tennis games to grace the PS2 in a long time. It’s easy to ignore the awful PSOne-like graphics and not-so deep Career mode when the game plays as addictively as this one. If you like tennis I suggest you consider buying this one right away.