I have always
found immense enjoyment with the sport of tennis, whether by watching it on TV,
getting some fresh air and actually playing it, or hitting the courts virtually
in video games. Sega’s Dreamcast hailed one of my favorite sports titles –
scratch that – titles ever – Virtua Tennis. It was, in my opinion, the first
game to strictly inhabit the sport. A year later, there was the unrealistic gem
Mario Tennis on the GBC, which while unrealistic, was frankly a handheld
masterpiece. But in 2003 things heated up when Top Spin from XSN Sports rolled
around and reinvented the genre yet again with its responsive controls, flashy
graphics, and online play. So where does this take us? Top Spin 2, the
original’s stellar sequel, is where. It doesn’t promise to reinvent the wheel
this time around, but it does pledge to improve upon its already established
formula. So, strap on your tennis shoes (literally, not just the all-too-common
used stereotype term for non-dress shoes) and get ready for some hard-hitting,
bone crushing, ankle-bending action.
Top Spin 2’s
gameplay is very similar to its predecessor. It’s still good ol’ tennis and
nothing out of the ordinary has been thrown in. The heart of Top Spin 2 is found
in its career mode where your goal is to become the #1 tennis player in the
world. You’ll accomplish this objective by winning tournaments, but before you
can enter into a tourney to earn the big bucks, you’ll need to hone your skills
in training mode. Training mode includes several mini-games which by completing
will score you some attributes to add to your custom character’s stat list. Each
particular training process will carry different types of stats for you to add,
not like in Tony Hawk titles where you get points and are able to implore them
to any facet of your character. This forces you to try all the different
training mini-games. Most of these training games are rather humdrum ordeals.
There are a few that are fairly exciting, though, and one (baseline control)
will have you hitting tennis balls into a bowling ball to knock down pins in
order to rack up the required points to finish the task.
Before starting
out in career mode you will need to mold your custom character. And when I say
mold, I strongly mean mold. The amount of options is mind-blowing. There are six
main selections you have to choose from: skin, face shape, hair, morphology,
attitude, and talents. Skin is where you’ll simply decide the color you want
your face to opt, but it’s face shape where this create-a-player mode starts to
get in-depth. Here you can fashion your eyes, cheeks, chin, brow, nose, mouth,
forehead, and jaw. Wrinkles, ‘’vein intensity,’’ and freckles will also be able
to be mingled with. You can make your character look vastly unique with this
option. Next we have hair, where you, among other things, will be able to select
the style and color. In morphology, your body type (fat, muscle, height) will be
morphed into form. Attitude will have you choosing if you want your tennis
player to be a screamer or a meek, Pete Sampras-esque saint. Serve stance and
primary hand (right/left) you desire your character to possess are selectable as
well. Lastly we have talents, or attributes, where you are given a small number
of stars to develop your speed, power, focus, reflexes, stamina, etc.
There are three
key things you can do in career mode. Train, play in a tournament, or enter a
special event. It’s one heck of a ride, through and through and is much improved
over Top Spin’s single-player. The opponent AI is second to none, and you can
feel the difficulty gradually go up as you enter tougher tournaments and are
playing against higher ranked rivals. Its create-a-player feature is amazingly
well implemented, and you won’t want to stop playing until you’re the best in
the world.
Exhibition mode is
where you can freely match up your favorite real-life tennis pros and partake in
a dream match. But before you get too frolicsome, remember to bring your A game.
It’s no question some hard stuff. Heck, my first few times playing I found
myself losing miserably. Exhibition mode should provide a wholesome challenge
for seasoned players and a headache for rookies. But what if you don’t fall into
either category and just want to sit back and relax? That’s where the party
modes come into play. There are three self-explanatory games in total (time
bomb, wall breaker, and splash court). They’re all mildly fun, but keep in mind
you will need to own at least two controllers to participate in the madness as
they’re multiplayer-only.
Online play,
though not being this title’s best aspect, is nevertheless quite possibly its
biggest attraction. I’m happy to report it’s nearly flawless aside from its lack
of options. As one could imagine, lag would deeply tamper such a time-sensitive
game. When playing, I only had a loading icon pop up once to regain a stable
connection. No hiccups, frame-rate drops or visual glitches to articulate about.
However, speaking of lack of options, there are only ranked and non-ranked
matches. In a non-ranked you will be able to play with a professional character
or your created beast, whilst in ranked you can only play as your created
character. Fair enough, but I really wish you could develop your stats online
instead of just in career mode. It would have added a substantial amount of
replay value.
Tennis games
wouldn’t be anything without intuitive controls, and thankfully Top Spin 2
wholeheartedly delivers with a plethora of risk shots, shot types and candid
sense of power. You can execute a risk shot/serve by combining the right trigger
with a face button (A, B, X, or Y). For example, to pull off a dump serve, which
is ideal for tricking your opponent, you simply hold the right trigger and press
X. You can also muster a drop shot by using the same combination while the game
is in play, as opposed to when serving. In addition to risk shots, there is what
this game aptly titles advanced shots. These are done by mixing the left trigger
with a face button. Advanced shots can be unlocked in career mode by finishing
particular training courses.
All in all, Top
Spin 2’s gameplay is superlative. You’ve got a deep career mode, a great player
creation mechanic, a superb online component, and an extraordinary exhibition
mode that finally isn’t child’s play. And to put the icing on the cake, Top Spin
2 possesses wonderfully done controls and bonus party games. There’s not much
more you can ask for in a sports game.
Top Spin 2’s
visuals are a bit on the lacking side. While the environments and things of that
nature are first-rate, the character models, faces in particular, are
substandard. The good news is you probably won’t notice the bland textures as
the animations are slicker than an icy road in the winter. Players gracefully
glide across the vivacious courts as if they’re doves. Professionals represent
their real-life counterparts exceedingly appropriate as well. Anyone who’s
observed Lleyton Hewitt knows he hops and slides a great deal. The same is
apparent in this game. It’s truly remarkable.
Fans of Hoobastank
rejoice! Their song, ‘’Just One,’’ is the opening theme, and I must say, it fits
the atmosphere. It’s upbeat, catchy, and energetic. However, if only the menu
music was half-decent. It’s extremely repetitive and annoying. On the flipside,
the custom soundtracks option takes care of this setback in a flash. Sound
effects such as your racket hitting the ball are fantastic – maybe a little too
much oomph at moments, but overall fairly well done. Top Spin 2 also nails how
some players yelp when they swing their racket for a blast. Agitating, yes, but
it’s most definitely realistic.
|
Review Scoring Details Top Spin 2 |
Gameplay: 8.6
The gameplay is
packed to the brim with features. Its career mode is deeper than the Atlantic
and you’ll get lost in the player creation facet due to the massive amount of
customizations you can perform on your character. The online packs a powerful
punch, too, with seamless production and brutal competition. Snuggle accessible
controls and extras into the recipe and you’ve got yourself a Sports Title of
the Year nominee.
Graphics: 7.2
Beautiful
surroundings, but the characters look as if they could appear on the original
Xbox. However, that’s not to say the visuals are bad. The animations and court
variations are exceptional.
Sound: 7.6
Whether Hoobastank
is trying to promote their new album due out in a couple weeks or not, ‘’Just
One’’ is a show-stopper in the opening sequence. The sound effects are nothing
to write home about, but they work.
Difficulty:
Medium
Exhibition mode,
difficulty-wise, has been overhauled. Tournaments in career start out generally
easy to win, but as you progress they’ll get harder and harder.
Concept: 8.5
Tennis, unlike
football, baseball, and basketball, hasn’t been overdone in the virtual realm.
It’s still a refreshing experience, and you don’t see tons of companies dishing
out cash-in renditions every year.
Multiplayer:
8.3
The online play,
as I mentioned several times, is a seamless occurrence. Offline multiplayer is
encouraged as well through party games and tournaments. However, the main chunk
of Top Spin 2 still lies within its single-player.
Overall: 8.4
Top Spin 2 is a
dream title for sports gamers. Not only does it improve upon its forerunner, it
completely revamps its gameplay engine making for an absolutely blissful virtual
tennis experience. And at twenty bones below other Xbox 360 titles, there’s not
much to fret about.
