Top Spin Tennis

[CarterS]

There's a tennis came coming out on the Xbox in the near future which, apparantly, and this is a big apparantly, is better than any of the Virtua Tennis series! I know it's all hype and **** but this one really does look good - I still drag out the original VT on DC every know and then for some multi-player action.

Lleyton is on the cover of the game too Anyway, the game is out pretty soon but I'm not sure exactly when. Anyone have a release date? Also, before you ask, the game isn't on ps2!

 

[Lethal]

November 7th is what I've heard now. I can't wait for this, should be a top game.

 

[rfctigerarmy]

Experience intense action and realism: Top Spin delivers all the intensity of professional tennis, from cross-court winners and crushing ground strokes to rocket serves. Master all the shots, including slices, lobs, drops, spins, and several trick shots, while perfecting your play on various surfaces, including clay, hard court, and grass.
Get into the zone: Top Spin challenges you to take risks. Try difficult shots to "get into the zone," and use that momentum to improve your play. Develop your player's image on the court by pumping his or her fist after a great shot, slamming a racket to the ground, or arguing a bad call.
Become the world's best player: You may be number one in your own living room, but Xbox Live gives you the chance to prove it, any time and any place, on a global scale. Climb worldwide ladders, play tournaments, take on all challengers in singles matches, or find a skilled partner for doubles play.
Build a career: Personalize your player's look, style, and personality and get coaching to correct a weakness or perfect an aspect of his or her tennis game. Work your way up from the local playground, through the amateur ranks, to playing real pros in the world's top tournaments… while earning endorsements along the way.
Play with the world's best players: With 16 professional tennis players, Top Spin tests gamers in a five-set match against Lleyton Hewitt or as Martina Hingis' partner in the final match of a doubles tournament. Some of the players featured in Top Spin include the following:


Lleyton Hewitt
James Blake
Tommy Robredo
Jan-Michael Gambill
Michael Chang
Gustavo Kuerten
Meghann Shaughnessy
Sebastian Grosjean
Anna Kournikova
Daniela Hantuchova
Martina Hingis
Barbara Schett
Ashley Harkleroad
Elena Dementieva
Amanda Coetzer

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/topspin/

 

[coxon]

sounds good...

been waiting for a decent tennis game on x-box...

was addicted to virtua tennis (arcade) for a while...

 

[gPhonque]

Develop your player's image on the court by pumping his or her fist after a great shot, slamming a racket to the ground, or arguing a bad call.

Finally!

The McEnroe button!

I always thought that was the only thing the Virtua Tennis series lacked.

I'll wait to see Top Spin in action before I buy it though. It will have to be an amazing game if it's to top Virtua Tennis 2's gameplay. Feature-wise, it will romp it in.

But gameplay.......?

I'll wait and see.

 

[gPhonque]

Well.....I've been playing this since Friday and I have to say that Virtua Tennis 2 has been defeated!


Mind you, Top Spin Tennis wouldn't exist if it weren't for Virtua Tennis.......


Sega could almost sue the developers for ripping off their gameplay ideas!


But Top Spin is definately a much more pure tennis game than Virtua Tennis, which was always an arcade game first and tennis sim second.

I was a originally a bit worried that the risk shots and drop shots (using the standard old boring "stop the bar when it hits the middle line" mechanism) would take some of the natural feel away from the game, but the way they've implemented it is quite nice as once you get a feel for the timing, you never need to look at the meter anyway.

Online however is CRAP!

Lag city.

Such a disappointment.

I've only played about 5 games online so far, but the games I've played have been ALMOST unplayable. (a couple were "alright", and the others were "bad") Hopefully, I've just been unlucky, but the fact that I haven't had ONE perfectly smooth game so far is a bit worrying.

But it's still playable, and still fun online.

Offline multiplayer is fantastic. You can play up to 5 sets (something Virtua Tennis seriously lacked)....I played a 3 setter last night against a friend......it ended up in a tie-break in the 3rd.....it was very tense to say the least. (we're both good players)

Presentation is a bit average - the menu music is ok (I read one review where they thought that some of the menu music bordered on racism, and I can kind of see where they're coming from ) ....loading times SUCK.......graphics are fine for a tennis game, and the animations seem a little more fluid than Virtua Tennis.

One thing that ****s me - the crowd sounds!

a) There's not enough variation - I'm getting sick of hearing the same sample after every point.....

b) The crowd are too slow in cheering after a point! eg. You hit the winner..............silence.........CROWD CHEERS!

They're only small complaints, but very annoying! (some of the crowd sounds are great too)

The fact that they're just about the only complaints I have so far says how good the game is.

(apart from the online lag.....damn that's disappointing......but still playable and still fun....most of the time)

In the end, it's basically Virtua Tennis 3, and I'd recommend it - if you're a tennis fan who owns an Xbox (preferably with Xbox Live), then there's no question that you need this game.

So who else is playing it?

 

[gPhonque]

Originally posted by gPhonque
Online however is CRAP!

Lag city.

Such a disappointment.

I've only played about 5 games online so far, but the games I've played have been ALMOST unplayable. (a couple were "alright", and the others were "bad") Hopefully, I've just been unlucky, but the fact that I haven't had ONE perfectly smooth game so far is a bit worrying.

But it's still playable, and still fun online.

Ok - forget I said all that.

It is possible to get a perfectly smooth game! (hooray!)

I just finished playing 3 fellow Aussies and each game was pretty much completely lag-free.

Playing somebody from overseas however is still a b|tch, although it's still fun.

 

[CarterS]

Definitely will pick it up soon enough and the fact that you can play 5 setters rules!

 

[ScouseCat]

Is there any chance this game will be released on PS2??

 

[Lethal]

Originally posted by ScouseCat
Is there any chance this game will be released on PS2??

Nope, It's a Microsoft game so now game for you.

 

[Lethal]

Originally posted by gPhonque
Ok - forget I said all that.

It is possible to get a perfectly smooth game! (hooray!)

I just finished playing 3 fellow Aussies and each game was pretty much completely lag-free.

Playing somebody from overseas however is still a b|tch, although it's still fun.

You forgot to mention that you lost at least one of those.

 

[gPhonque]

Originally posted by Lethal
You forgot to mention that you lost at least one of those.

You mean I got my arse handed to me in one of those. (what was it? 6-2?)

 

[Lethal]

Yeah,it was something like that. ut it was good have a smooth connection for once though. Will have to have a rematch sometime.

 

[ScouseCat]

Originally posted by Lethal
Nope, It's a Microsoft game so now game for you.

I thought about going and buying an X-Box just for this game, but they'd have to release a few more sports games including Cricket 2004 before I go forking out the cash for one at this stage.

 

[CarterS]

Same position, vice-versa. I'm thinking of getting a ps2 for pes. Either that or upgrade the pc as its confirmed for PC now.

 

[gPhonque]

WARNING!

Prolonged sessions of Top Spin Tennis will result in very sore thumbs.

Ouch.

Although I'm now ranked in the top 400!

(time for that rematch Lethal. )

 

[gPhonque]

Alright.......make that top 200.

Come on Lethal.......where's my rematch?

 

[Lethal]

I've retired.

Nah, just haven't been on Live for a few days. Next time you're on we'll have that rematch.

 

[Lethal]

Bugger, got my arse handed back to me last night by gPhonque. Although flogged a guy in the top 400 earlier today 6-0