Top Spin

"This is real tennis. Why? Find out here."

Top Spin tennis is one of my favorite games for a reason. Xbox did it correctly, finally. Tennis has never been made like this before. Sure, dreamcast came out with some pretty good tennis games, but this is the first tennis game that actually emulates real tennis, and how it is supposed to be played. The style of hitting, the options that you have, everything is absolutely fantastic in this game. Not to mention, you have Xbox Live to play with this game. If you can name anything better (besides maybe Top Spin 2) then I would be a quite surprised.

So first, let me tell you a little bit about the options that this game has to offer. Basically, you have sevearl options for hitting the ball. You can hit hard shots, soft shots, drop shots, spin shots, wide angle shots, down the line shots, lob shots, and just about everything else you can think of. The serves have absolutely amazing controls, allowing you to aim, put spin, place power, and tweak your serve any which way to give you the ultimate serve for the given situation.

Doubles is also an option. I never though doubles could be played so well on a video game, but there is very good strategy in this game. Lobs, spin shots, and wide angle shots are extremely effective in doubles games. As you play the world circuit in this game, you will have to play doubles matches, as well as singles, and there are so many different courts to choose from, you will never get sick of your environment. You can even play on little practice courts that you and your friends are familiar with.

The type of court is very realistic. Grass courts make the ball go much faster, which forces the player to change their game style. Clay courts make the ball go much slower, causing even more strategy. There are endless possibilities to play people in different environments, and this is what makes Xbox Live so interesting. You can cutomize your own game type, and people can join to face you in a ranking system style game. You will learn, after playing on Xbox Live, that there is tons of things to learn before getting to the top of the list on Xbox Live. It could take you months before you begin to win many of your matches, and I think that says something about this game.

So, I would strongly urge any of you to buy this game. If you are a tennis game, this is a MUST have. If you are not, you should still get this game because it is worth it for multiplayer, single player, and just general fun with mini-games and such. I think tennis will be much more appreciated after playing this game. Thanks for tuning into this review.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 08/21/06