Top Spin

While tennis games have never been main stream, the success of Sega's Virtual Tennis has helped push them in the right direction. The solid gameplay and graphics allowed for a realistic tennis experience that many are still enjoying today and have little interest in moving on from. That is all about to change as Microsoft's Top Spin has served an ace, offering an even deeper experience few wouldn't enjoy.

It's rare to have the first attempt at a sports title be this well polished. Inevitability, typical pitfalls plague new titles such as parts of the gameplay failing to act correctly; usually with the athletes not responding correctly or the control system being loose or cumbersome. Top Spin however suffers from none of these types of issues and comes out surprisingly refined. The gameplay in particular is outstanding, as both the AI and control systems are able to mimic actual tennis strategies. In addition, different spins are easily selected, ball placement is challenging but doesn't require absolute perfection, and the physics of the game is on target creating an authentic experience.

Besides the great gameplay, Top Spin also has a full feature set including exhibition, career, and online capabilities. The bulk of the game is focused on the career mode, as you'll be able to create your own player from gender down to the hook in their nose. Mini games are also included to improve specific skill sets as you'll start with the small venues, working your way to number one in the world. The early tournaments do a good job of breaking you in and the larger venues increases the challenge at a reasonable pace. The career mode is matched by the online capabilities with almost identical functionality as the single player games but with the ability of moving up or down the leader board on XSN.

The graphics are also a big contributor to the quality of this game across the board. The players are highly detailed, the stadiums and courts are impressive, and the ball visibly reflects the intensity and power placed on it by the player. The sound effects also are appropriate and reflect the expected sounds from a tennis match.

Top Spin delivers a complete package that moves the bar up for tennis games. With solid gameplay and well executed online features, it is safe to say Top Spin has supplanted Virtual Tennis as the tennis leader and the series will be around for some time.