When PAM Interactive announced that they were creating a brand new tennis game (in conjunction with Microsoft) many believed that it could never match up to the sheer stature and prestige of Sega’s Virtua Tennis series. The final development result proved to be staggering, as Top Spin went on to be the most successful tennis game of the last generation and was thought by many to have improved upon many flaws and aspects of the typical tennis simulation game. Now in the next generation, PAM has teamed up with publishing giant 2K Games to release the sequel, exclusive to the Xbox 360. Could it match up with the sheer “wow” factor of the original?
The game—while not offering a totally innovative sequel—still manages to impress in different, individual ways. Top Spin 2 gives gamers the ultimate tennis simulation, and while the original was the first to offer it at the time the sequel still retains some of incomprehensible fun and sheer intuitive gameplay mechanics.
Stretching all the way...
In terms of the engine, Top Spin has always offered an amazing experience, both control-wise and in all around general gameplay. PAM has managed to pull off an intriguing combination of both, and has allowed the gamer to enjoy the experience in a pick-up-and-play nature, whilst also letting a consistent player of the game to fully master everything about it.
The control scheme is pretty much unmatched; no other game can claim that they offer such a in depth and flawless layout like Top Spin 2. PAM has completely utilized the easy-handling nature of the Xbox 360 controller by thoroughly paying attention to the original scheme and some of the potential flaws it presented from its generational cross over. The layout is as follows:
A: Shot/Serve
X: Slice
B: Top Spin Shot
Y: Lob
Left Thumbstick: Control Player
Right Trigger: Risk Shot
As is evident, the layout allows anybody to come along and immediately play the game without a hitch. It’s all very reactive, too. One of the major annoyances of the original was that when pressing a button, sometimes the game would take longer to register than it should, amounting to many frustrating moments whilst playing. In the sequel, however, this thankfully is no longer evident. Pressing the button amounts to a lightning quick reaction on the screen, and it really does give you that overall sense of control.
Top Spin 2 also features a nice difference in regards to the way it can let a casual game player play yet also appeal to a tennis master. When playing for the first time, the basic shot buttons are pressed and help to give gamers a feel for the court. When played more in depth, however, gamers can start to become more confident in using different shots. Casual gamers will want to stick to using slices and normal shots, while the more advanced players can use things such as drop volley's, added spin on a serve, and even timed and efficient lobs. Using a degree of momentum, players can also start making counter shots, which in the heat of an intense rally can prove very helpful.
Making its return in the sequel is also the much berated risk shot, which was somewhat frowned upon in the original game. By holding the right trigger along with a colored button, players will be able to “risk” the ball going out by hitting a tremendous cross court shot. While the premise of the idea is good, on the court the execution is poor, allowing only the most skillful players to successfully carry a shot out.
High flyer..
One of the things that really struck me while playing is that everything feels right; every single thing you do on the court feels like it should in real life. Whether it's hitting an ace serve or performing a floated slice across the court, the game stays immensely true to the real thing. PAM has certainly done their research on the in's and out’s of professional tennis, and when playing it certainly shows.
Pages
