Tennis is the perfect video game sport. Something that Pong, although technically similar to table tennis, already proved in 1972. It’s a sport that is so stripped down and devoid of so many other things that it translates very easily to video games. Just two people, a ball and a net between them. However, this does not mean that a tennis game has to be as simple as possible. As with other games in the genre, sports games often benefit from being as visually realistic as possible, at least if that’s what you’re looking for. There are many arcade versions, but this one leans towards realism in both the presentation and the game itself.
With a good attitude, the latest version of Top Spin invites me as a player in a familiar and accessible way. If you’ve played any of 2K’s football, hockey or golf games in the last few years, you’ll be familiar with menus accompanied by hits that are doing well again. The game begins directly with a match starring Roger Federer, where the aim is to contest the decisive final of a match. Then you stand at the menu, look around, and the voice of legend John McEnroe tells you that it would be a good idea to practice the basics. Said and done, I’ll start with a few lessons, which mostly consist of learning the timing of this game.
If you hold down a button, you must release it on a green field to get the best possible shot. These visual aids can also be disabled, which is what I do when I have everything under control. Accurate timing of your shot is the key to getting good hits that your opponent can’t return. It’s a bit like old golf games where you just need the right time to hit your shot. Here, however, you have to hold down the button and release it at the right time to get a good swing, and then you get slightly different types of shots depending on which button you press. For example, if the opposing player is in front of the net, you can try to throw a lob, and while this type of button press may not seem that innovative, it works well. Overall, the controls are very precise and, as I said, there is the possibility of disabling various visual elements to make it more difficult and realistic when various interfaces disappear. What I think is the best thing about tennis are the duels that last a long time. Placement and concentration are put to the test.
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Top Spin invites you to do so. The nerve and essence of finally reaching the point with a precise hit or losing it by losing concentration for a second. When you strip away everything other than the actual feel of the game and focus on what happens when two people hit the ball back and forth to find the opening, you once again understand why tennis works so well as a sport. This is exactly where Top Spin does its best. Approach the sport in a simple way and let the games be the highlight and the main fun factor. The entire setting is relatively pleasant and apart from the slightly unfunny faces of the characters, which have a real role model, for example when you see Federer right at the beginning, the character models look quite good without being a shock. to one of the chairs. The same goes for the audience, which doesn’t immediately impress up close, but from a little further away the games look good, with good fluidity and good animations. I think it could have been refined a bit more towards realism as it’s a bit cartoonish and it definitely could have been better. However, I like details like the sweat that appears on the neck and shirts throughout the game. They’re small details, but I can appreciate them. The sound quality is a bit weak and aside from the good music in the menus, there is something I would have liked: a commentator. Now tennis isn’t on the same level as football and hockey, but a little commentary between sets and loud rounds could have done a lot for the atmosphere. It’s really a shame it’s missing.
Top Spin’s main game mode is My Career. It’s not a career mode with a story or anything like that, but rather a very stripped-down mode so that you can quickly switch between tournaments and matches. I won’t say that Top Spin’s content is boring, because it actually has almost everything you could want, but nothing particularly exciting. If you want a stress-free experience where the games are the main focus, you will definitely find it here, and that is of course the most important thing.
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It is very easy to start the game and start a match, whether through the player’s career, online or against a friend. There are many difficulty levels to choose from and you can also choose the length of the games, which also affects the number of experience points you get afterwards. Career mode is primarily a world ranking where you climb through wins, and even if you win just one game in tournaments, each win counts towards your total. It is also possible to rest after certain months, which is especially necessary if you have suffered an injury. During the game you have a stamina meter and will make more mistakes if it runs out and you don’t time your shots correctly. There are different surfaces and courts around the world, and things like skill points and leveling up happen in career mode.
Top Spin is more like a fun game of tennis when you’re taking part in a match, but elsewhere it doesn’t really create that feeling. I like the feeling of facing a strong opponent, I like the player animations and I especially like when a set is really hard fought or when you fall behind or feel like you have a good flow of the game. It all works well and there really isn’t much to criticize. It’s not like it’s missing much more than perhaps slightly more technically stylized graphics.
I don’t really know what it is, but there’s an excess of everything that’s “just good” here. It’s clearly a well-made take on tennis as a video game, and it’s at its best in exciting games where it really captures how well tennis works with its controls. However, the visual aspect could be a bit more detailed and realistic rather than cartoonish. I would also have liked small details, such as reactions to missed shots, for example when a ball was in a questionable offside position, and a little more excitement in career mode. Just those little things that could have taken him a step further. It’s hard to find more words to talk about something as simple as a sport in which two people hit a ball against each other, especially when the content doesn’t offer much more. Just as Pong didn’t require much more than firing at full power as the ball flew between players, this is also what shines brightest and continues to make Top Spin a great game of tennis.
