Top Spin (video game)

A screenshot of a player serving the ball in Top Spin.

Top Spin is a simulation tennis game that recreates single and double tennis matches and exhibition tournaments, in which players compete against a computer or other players locally or online in traditional tennis matches. Players can perform several tennis shots using different controls for flat, top spin, slice, and lob swings. Serves are executed using a 'power meter' affecting the speed of the shot. Players can also use the trigger buttons to perform a 'risk shot', which is more difficult to execute. If the player is able to land the shot in the center of the meter, their shot will be harder to return. The chances of success of a risk shot are increased by an 'In the Zone' meter, which increases as the player wins games throughout the course of a match.[4][5]

Top Spin features several game modes. In 'Exhibition' mode, players can create customized matches by selecting one of sixteen playable professional players or a custom character,[3] and set the match as a men's and women's singles or doubles match, the number of games per set, sets per match, and a range of venues categorized from small courts to Grand Slam facilities.[5] In 'Career' mode, the player is able to create a custom character with a create-a-player interface to rise through the ranks of an international tennis league. In the career mode, the player is able to compete in tournaments, seek sponsorship from companies, and complete minigames in training sessions that improve the performance of the player in skills, including player precision and the ability to return serves, swings and risk shots.[4] Players progress by winning 'coin' from tournaments and sponsorship challenges, allowing them to pay for training sessions and purchase new cosmetic upgrades. The game's tournaments, taking place across the globe, feature an increasing level of difficulty, from 'Minor Pro' to 'Grand Slam' tournaments, with the player increasing in a global ranking based on their performance in tournaments.[5]

Top Spin features local system link play online multiplayer play for up to four players, with the Xbox version of the game featuring enhanced online features under Xbox Live as part of the XSN Sports series. Online matches include 'Exhibition' matches that are identical to local matches that do not affect the player's online ranking, and allow the player to specify the desired type of match, venue and difficulty of competitors. 'Official' matches, supported by XSN Sports, allow players to participate in matches with their custom character against a global ranking for official tournaments. Players can use the XSN Sports website to monitor leaderboards and game schedules, and record and share detailed performance statistics, including the player's ranking, rating, skills and career data.[3][5]

Top Spin was developed by a partnership between French developer PAM Development and Indie Games, the Salt Lake City division of Microsoft Game Studios. Indie Games had previous experience with developing sports Xbox titles, including Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding and the Links series of golf titles. Program manager Matthew Seymour stated that Top Spin was conceived as an Xbox competitor to the Virtua Tennis and Mario Tennis series, with the desire to create an "immersive tennis game" that "would also have in-depth and realistic tactical elements" absent in contemporary tennis titles. The developers experimented with several control schemes in creating the game's control scheme, settling on a "balance between ease of play and depth" by creating a series of 'safe' and 'risk' shots to introduce a tactical element "to make it true to (the) sport".[6]

Top Spin was released by Microsoft Game Studios under the branding of the Xbox Sports Network (XSN). XSN was a series launched in 2003 following the launch of Xbox Live in the previous year with enhanced online capabilities for sports games, including for players to set up leagues, build tournaments and review data on the XSN website.[7] The game was supported by a roster of sixteen professional players, including Tommy Robredo, Jan-Michael Gambill and Michael Chang,[8] with the cover of the Xbox version featuring Lleyton Hewitt,[9] and the PlayStation 2 version featuring Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova.[10] Motion capture technology was used to create a realistic likeness of the players and animate their movements.[11]

According to review aggregator Metacritic, the Xbox version of 'Top Spin received "generally favorable reviews", with an average score of 89%,[14] and the PlayStation 2 version of the game received "mixed or average reviews", with an average score of 67%.[13] Several critics praised the Xbox version of the game as the best tennis simulation of its generation and a superior successor to Virtua Tennis,[16][17][21] with GameSpot describing the game as "the most well-rounded, feature-rich game of tennis to be found anywhere, on any system,"[4] and GameSpy assessing the game as the "best arcade tennis game to date".[25]

Reviewers generally praised the game's accessible control scheme and learning curve. Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the game's "easy access", writing that "the game's intuitive controls mean anyone can pick up the controller and play competitively."[16] GamePro similarly described the gameplay as "responding intuitively and naturally right from the start", whilst noting the game "has its own quirks", such as power-up shorts and serves being "more challenging than they should be."[21] GameSpy praised the "smooth and accessible" gameplay and "wide variety of shots", but critiqued the game's risk shots as "not implemented well and too difficult to pull off in comparison to normal strokes".[25]

Critics praised the game's visual presentation and animations. Describing the visuals as "eye-catching" and "one of the game's best features", GamePro praised the game's "slick one-player camera".[21] Game Revolution highlighted the game's graphics, writing that "players look great and move smoothly and accurately", also praising the "realistic" courts and crowd animations.[22] GameSpot wrote that "the look of the game is unmatched", highlighting the "realistically rendered" courts, "clean and realistic" lighting and "fluid" player animations.[4] GameSpy similarly praised the game's "sharp-looking courts" and "gorgeous character models".[25]

Reviewers also praised the inclusion and implementation of online play. GameSpot wrote that the inclusion of Xbox Live support put the game "head and shoulders above the competition", praising the "good number of play options" and XSN Sports features.[4] IGN similarly highlighted the XSN Sports online features for their "leaderboards" and "number of opponents available for play", although wished "some original modes like point challenges" to "make the online component even more fun".[3] Hyper praised the game as an "integral part" of the XSN Sports lineup, stating "it's pretty obvious that multiplayer is what this game as built for."[28]

Critics expressed mixed views on the design of the career mode. Assessing that the "career mode could use a bit of beefing up", IGN found the mode "competent and enjoyable", but lacked the "great mini-games" of Virtua Tennis.[3] Eurogamer noted the career mode "could have been a lot better", citing the limited tournament pool of sixteen players and "lack of real competitions".[17] GamePro noted that the pacing of the career mode was "a bit off as it's easy to train up your player too quickly."[21] Despite finding the career mode to offer a "good amount of entertainment", Game Revolution found the game's skills system found the training sessions to be not "very thrilling", and the cash system to be "sort of useless" in its use to purchase cosmetic upgrades.[22]

Ports of Top Spin, including to the PlayStation 2, received less favorable reviews due to the reduced graphics. IGN noted that whilst the PlayStation title was "wholly the same" as the Xbox release, "its presence on the PlayStation 2 is marred a bit by the PS2's lesser hardware".[29] GameSpy similarly noted that the "excellent animation, lively arenas, (and) lighting" on the original release were "not to be found" on the PlayStation 2 version, with the character models being "just not good", the audience animations being "especially horrid", and the "graphics (hurting) the actual play".[24] Describing the game as a "half-hearted translation", GameSpot critiqued the "bland visuals" of the port and "dumbed down" character models, also faulting the game's "slow" transitions between menus and loading times.[23]

During the 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Top Spin for "Console Sports Simulation Game of the Year", which was ultimately awarded to Madden NFL 2004.[33]

• Top Spin at MobyGames