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Hands on Preview
The original Top Spin which was released on the Xbox was published by Microsoft and was one of the few successful titles of the XSN sports branded titles released, for the next generation the Top Spin franchise comes under the care and attention of new publishers Take-Two Interactive 2K Sports label and is set to recreate the thrills and spills of grand slam all the way down to playground level.
The primary focus of any sports title is the career mode and Top Spin will not disappoint you as you are able to customize every little feature from facial hair to temperament. In fact there are so many ways to change your player that you could try and design it to look exactly like yourself, but of course that might take valuable time away from actually playing the game. Once you have created your character, you are on your way to compete against the very best the world has to offer including the likes of Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Carlos Moya, Tommy Haas, James Blake, Lleyton Hewitt and from the ladies ranks Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Ai Sugiyama, Lindsay Davenport & Anastasia Myskina, from a total of 24 top ranked professionals.
Training has been revamped and improved with the original star payment abolished in favor of a monetary system. Also, instead of just four areas of character development as seen in the original, you have more areas to develop and enhance via training with your coach including speed, zen (focus and precision), agility and strength. Player development is essential in any sport to progress and compete at the highest level and this is reflected in Top Spin 2 with coaching your player through training camps, junior championships, sponsored tournaments, and all four Grand Slam events, in simple terms…No Pain, No Gain.
Apart from the training, another major change is your career is now based using a calendar. Every date there is something to do and you must decide whether you want to compete in a tournament or train with your coach, no longer can you do both and reap the rewards, every decision will effect how your player progress throughout their career. During your long and hopefully illustrious career, you will unlock new coaches, sponsors and equipment.
Career is not your only game play option; there is exhibition, ideal for the quick game here and there against friends or the computer as well as a tournament mode. Both of these can be customized to accommodate your every whim. If that wasn’t enough, you can always play around in the party games which include time bomb, wall breaker and splash court.
The developers have kept the feel and relative ease of the controls similar to that of the original Top Spin title allowing both fans of the original and newcomers to smash the ball around the court with relative ease and safety. As well as being able to top-spin, volley, lob and smash you also have risk shots and advanced control shots. These shots are performed by combining the triggers and buttons with precision timing and unlike the risk shots, the advanced must be earned by playing well.
Naturally being a next generation title, Top Spin 2 delivers smooth animation on and off court with a wonderful palette of colours delivering a realistic and vibrant feel to the game which can only be truly appreciated when played on a HD television / monitor. The usual array of sounds associated with tennis are all present including umpire decisions, crowd jeers and cheers.
Overall Top Spin 2 has improved over the original in leaps and bounds. The many potential hours of gaming created by the depth of the career mode plus the addition of party games along with Xbox LIVE and the various on and offline achievements will only succeed in creating a title with a near unlimited lifespan. Recreational gamers can pick up and play with ease but those more dedicated will find enough features to master and perfect. You don’t need to be a tennis fan to enjoy the wonderful world of tennis recreated by Top Spin 2, which serves up as close to an ace without picking up a racket.
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