Sloppy Potatoes

First Impression: Say no to Top Spin 3

This game would frustrate the crap out of me

After logging many frustrating hours in Top Spin 2 with a moderate level of enjoyment, it only took a few minutes of the Xbox Live demo to tell the sequel Top Spin 3 is not for me.

I got frustrated just playing the tutorial. They changed the control format, and while I could see it as a new and useful addition to tennis, it felt too precise. You don’t have a lot of leeway for hitting a shot with any sort of power. While they may be going for a more “realistic” approach here, I gotta call a balk. I can play tennis. I’ve never had lessons, am far from athletic, but still relatively good. Yes, precise is better, but tennis is not rocket surgery.

There are a lot of other things that could have been done to upgrade the tennis genre, instead of tacking on a gimmicky control scheme. I’ll stick with Virtua Tennis 3. Love that game.

If you’re up for a challenge, something that drastically changes what you know about tennis games, you may want to give it a try. But even those sadistic types should rent it first. In my opinion, the original Top Spin is still the highlight of the series. Here’s hoping this ship gets righted.

I’m not getting paid to do this, but even I can come up with better ways to get back on course. Game companies, if you read this, feel free to steal it. I just want to play some good tennis:

• No gimmicks necessary. If you want to change the shot process, make it less clunky to pull of drop shots and lobs. And where are the kick and slice serves? Let’s mix it up.
• Refine what the tennis genre already has. There is plenty that can be changed to improve the experience and draw in fans. How about making backspin shots more useful, so I don’t thump every ball into the the corner with a topspin?
• Why is it that games based on the NFL, NBA, MLB, Arena Football, Rugby, every soccer organization and college football (no names, but zillions of numbers and attributes) dump all their players into them, but in tennis games we get a whopping 15 to 20? Every. Damn. Game. I have been to the U.S. Open, I have seen other draws and there are a lot of tennis pros out there. Why can’t I play against real low-level pros or lead a low-level American to a win at Wimbledon? No, we’re allowed 20, that’s it.

Swinging the racket and hitting the ball already works, why not fix the other stuff?