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Top Spin Tennis
The hit XBox tennis game has finally hit
the courts on the PlayStation that not only featured some of the most
realistic and enjoyable tennis action in the console world but also some
of the nicest graphics. Originally a Microsoft game, 2K Games decided to
buy the license from Microsoft in order to re-release the game for other
formats but unfortunately for one of the best tennis games available on
the XBox, the PlayStation 2 version has taken a little bit of a
battering when compared to its competitor.
The game is basically a straight port of the XBox version with a few of
the original players missing such as the lovely and "talented"
Kournakova being replaced by the equally talented Sharapova. The game
itself is your stock standard console tennis game that lets gamers
choose from a plethora of different gameplay modes and also challenge
not only their friends but also computer controlled characters in some
exciting tennis matches worldwide.
The gameplay is similar to the XBox controller with the shoulder buttons
used to perform special manoeuvres and the analog stick and d-pad used
to control your player. All in all the control system is rather
intuitive and relatively straightforward to master, especially if you've
been playing the PlayStation 2 constantly for the last 2 years or so.
Graphically, Top Spin Tennis on the PlayStation 2 looks rather dated and
a little unfinished with must of the detail missing from this version.
However, the background environments and character models for the
players are rather detailed, if a little bland when compared to the XBox
version. All the characters move with a human like grace and match that
with some realistic textures and it's almost as if you're watching the
Australian open. With that said, the graphics are not great but their
not bad either.
The sound effects of Top Spin contain all the sounds you would expect to
hear at a tennis match from the sounds of balls hitting the courts to
the sounds of the racket hitting the ball and of course the cheers and
boos of the crowd. Add in a very modern soundtrack and Top Spin tennis
has all the sound features that you would expect to hear in a tennis
game.
In conclusion, Top Spin tennis is a little dated on the PlayStation 2
and perhaps 2K games should of spent a little bit more time refining the
game for this console. However, the control system is relatively perfect
and if you're looking for a decent tennis game for the PlayStation then
it would be hard to look elsewhere. Perhaps a rent before a buy, unless
you're a die hard tennis fan!
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