Top Spin 3 Hands-on Preview

In December last year we brought you our first look at Top Spin 3, PAM Development’s latest in the popular tennis sim. Even though we didn’t get a chance to play the game we could see that it was coming along nicely, with better graphics, added realism and a revamped online mode. Now, having got our racket-hugging hands on the game proper just ahead of its June 20 release date, we know that it’s coming along nicely.

You have to hold down the button then release to hit the ball. Sounds simple, but years spent perfecting the arcade fun of SEGA’s wonderful Virtua Tennis series has made it difficult to wrap our heads around anything else. If you’re new to the series, and tennis games in general, Top Spin 3 will take an hour or two to get the hang of. If you’re a Virtua Tennis fan through and through and have finally decided to take the plunge and walk on to the Top Spin court, it’ll take three or four exhibition matches before you get used to the slower, more considered gameplay. This is not a problem. Indeed, this is one of Top Spin 3’s strengths. This is a simulation – an attempt to present a fun but realistic virtual representation of one of the most skilled sports in the world. And, from our hands-on with the Xbox 360 version of the game, we reckon these goals have been achieved.

So yeah, back to how you make a shot. While it will take you a while to get to grips with having to press a button, hold it, position yourself then release, it soon becomes second nature. And, actually, if you think about it, real tennis is all about preparing for a shot, getting your body into position and letting fly, so the control system fits. If a ball is returned to your feet, you’ll have a hard time getting it over the net. If it lands far in front of you you’ll scramble forward and scoop the ball back. Anticipate the return, however, move into position early, and release the button just as the ball bounces, and you’ll unleash an unstoppable winner down the line.

There’s more to it of course. Lots more. On the Xbox 360 controller, A is your standard flat shot, B is a shot with height over the net, X is slice and Y is for lobs and drop shots. These basic shots can be combined with the left and right triggers if you fancy being flashy. The left trigger is for a sharp shot, one that goes for as close to the edges of the court as possible. The right trigger is for a power shot, which does exactly what it says on the tin. The thing to remember about both of these shots is that they add considerable risk. Aim for plum on the baseline and you might hit the ball long. Aim for the tram line with a cross-court winner and you might smack the ball boy in the forehead. You can even combine both of these into a super powerful, super risky shot that could result in Roger Federer greatness or Anna Kournikova mediocrity.

Speaking of famous tennis players old and new, Top Spin 3 will feature three of the best tennis players ever to pick up a racket: the BBC’s favourite German Boris Becker, Swedish peddler of fine underwear Bjorn Borg and grunting US powerhouse Monica Seles. I played a match against Bjorn Borg with inconsistent Scottish phenomenon Andy Murray and lost. Borg, it seems, has still got it. Murray, it seems, has much to learn.

Current players include the aforementioned Murray, Swiss genius Roger Federer, pint-sized Belgian Justine Henin, US heart-throb Andy Roddick and, thankfully, the long Russian legs of Maria Sharapova, who we also got a chance to play with (ahem) during our hands-on (ahem). Oddly Rafael Nadal will only feature in the PS3 version of the game. The roster has drawn criticism from some fans of the series because it lacks a number of famous players. While we admit the roster does indeed feel light, we reckon most tennis fans will find enough player variation to keep them interested.

You can of course completely forget about the official players in Top Spin 3 and indulge in the comprehensive player creation. We spent 20 minutes creating Eastern European beauty Svenka Korlov, and it seems as if all your creation needs have been catered for. We also got a taste of some of the many and varied courts you’ll be able to play in. We tried out the Tokyo Tennis Box, a court played on a glass floor which reveals a giant fish tank, complete with fish, underneath. From the curious to the beautiful, we then tried out Tennis Park in the Bermuda Islands, a court watched over by a gorgeous cascading waterfall. Of course, you’ll also have courts from well known events, if you want authenticity.

The most reassuring thing about Top Spin 3 is that it plays as well as it looks, and it indeed looks fantastic. We got a glimpse of the improved realism in our first-look at the game, but playing it has given us a healthy taste of how this has been incorporated into the gameplay. Players move realistically, sweating and tiring as the game wears on. Winning isn’t always about show-stopping passing shots. Grinding out results by out-lasting your opponent is as good a strategy. Depending on the speed of your player, changing direction quickly will be different. Going from A to B at the speed of light is a valuable asset indeed, but sometimes being able to react quickly to shot change-ups is even more essential to success. Recognisable player actions are impressively recreated, from Roddick’s snap serve to Murray’s forehand. Top Spin 3 looks, and plays, as close to the real thing as a tennis game has ever achieved.

The game is nearing launch and we’re very excited. We’re excited because rather than try to mimic Virtua Tennis’ classic arcade gameplay, the series offers more of a simulation. We can see no reason why the two can’t happily coexist in a virtual tennis garden of happiness, perhaps playfully knocking a tennis ball back and forth across a court made of flowers. Looks like PAM’s serving up an ace, and we’re ready to return.

Top Spin 3 is scheduled for release on Xbox 360 and PS3 on June 20.