Table Tennis, or Ping Pong as most of us call it is a popular past time and even an Olympic event. It’s not surprising that someone has made it into a 360 game. Perhaps what is a surprise is who brought the game out. Rockstar Games is known for their over the top titles so leave it to the guys to bring out something that even Jack Thompson could not find anything to gripe about. While it is a new genre for Rockstar, it shows the company can deliver a great sports game. How does it play on the 360? Read our full review of Rockstar Games Table Tennis and find out!

Gameplay

Anyone who has played Topspin or Virtual Tennis will find it easy to pick up most of the controls given the similarities between the two sports. The only exception is the serving and the fact you are playing on a smaller playing surface. At first glance I would agree but after playing the game for awhile you learn there are some major differences in the gameplay and the action. You soon learn the art of spins can make the difference between a point and missing the ball. You also will find the game to be a lot faster and more aggressive. Rockstar captured the look and feel of the sport perfectly and the game has some expressive areas. Even if you have never held a ping pong paddle you can learn the basics of the game. The finer and advanced points will take time just like the real sport itself.

In the single player mode gamers will try to beat each tournament and unlock new players as well as clothes and special items like tables. It starts with a training mode. Beat it and earn an achievement, however, you don’t need to finish it and can jump right into the action if you wish, although it is a smart move to play through this mode to learn the spins and basics of the game. Having played ping pong growing up, I was surprised at the accuracy of the controls and physics of the ball. The AI starts out fairly easy and most will breeze through the first tournament. In a way the game is setting you up by allowing you to get confident. In the next round gets harder and the AI gets more aggressive and starts to show shots and spins you have never seen before.

Another impressive feature is the fact that the players will sweat, react to missed serves, and act very life-like. At times even a player’s clothing will come into play as the ball will take a strange bounce and hit them. Overall, the game looks great and the only drawback or downside to the single-player mode is that all the matches are limited to one-on-one matches. The more you play the game the more it separates itself from the other Tennis titles and shows just how unique the game is on its own. Of course, for those wanting a real challenge there are achievements for unlocking every player and item in the game. They even added a few for beating a tournament with each player. The players all have their own style and skills. Some tend to rely on power and accuracy while others will rely on spins and killer back hands. It is one of those games that can be very addictive but also challenging.

Control / Playability

The controls are easy to learn but can be used with more advanced ones during the gameplay. For example, there are four different spins and each has its own color, which happens to match the four buttons on the 360 controller. You can add even more spin by adding a counter spin by hitting the opposite color. If the AI serves up a shot with top spin, you can cut it with a low spin shot. The buttons are easy to learn and most will be playing in a few minutes.

Now the advanced spins can also be switched by using the left analog stick and the power by the right analog stick. Here is where it pays off to play through the whole tutorial level. Serving is the most important part of the game of table tennis and the controls allow for a dead-on accuracy with some practice. A meter will show both the power of the spin and the power of the serve. You will want to try and make both as even as possible then later on learn trick serves and how to mix spins with different power levels for some wicked serves.

In about 45 minutes most should have all the controls down and then learn when to use the advanced ones for more of a challenging game. The controls are smooth and take full advantage of the Xbox 360’s controller layout perfectly. No complaints at all but it will take practice which may turn off some who may want to be able to do everything right away.

Xbox Live

Here is where the game really shows off and offers some real challenges. You can choose to play a ranked or exhibition match, set the number of rounds or even host up to eight player tournaments. You can also use the spectator mode and watch a match over Xbox live while it is going on. While the set up of the room is great, the only complaint I’ve heard and had myself is that after playing a match, you need to set up another room and invite your friend again. Also like most 360 games, ranked games cannot be played with friends. I understand why but still disagree with this and feel that this rule has made some that would normally play online not want to. Hopefully, as the 360 gains popularity and with each new update they will allow this to happen. For now friends can play in exhibition modes only.

Now if you keep in mind that each player has their own reactions and real physical changes and all the different movements, the game is pretty lag free. Although at times it will kick in but in rare cases for the most part. You can talk and hear the other person and even with eight players there are no issues with this. There are a few times when you will see a player stand still but then the ball comes at you this is probably lag and while it does not happen often can mess with your head a bit. Other than that a great online mode that offers the chance to see who the better player is or play for the fun of it and learn the game a bit more with a friend.

Graphics / Presentation

There are better looking games out there for the 360 but for the theme the graphics work for this one. The animation is fluid and the way they were able to capture the real bounces and the slow motion touches help add to the overall presentation. There are several venues and while each has its own look, they could have added more to make it stand out a bit more. Then again maybe with all the action and emphasis on the realistic gameplay they had to cut a few corners. The action gets so fast that most of the time you’re watching the ball or the player not looking around so it works just fine.

Rockstar Presents Table Tennis Xbox 360 Screenshot

Audio

The announcer is annoying and probably made so on purpose but he is also convincing. All the added voices fit each character and helps add an extra touch of realism to the title. A few lines were thrown in to make it have that Rockstar feeling but it is E Rated all the way. The music fits and does not get on your nerves. Overall a great job in this area as well.

Replay Value

Table Tennis offers plenty of modes online and offline and some challenging achievements. Not every one who buys this game is going to want to unlock every player or item. Then again, the ones who really enjoy sports games will want to unlock and beat every level. The online mode is the real appeal and the spectator mode offers a chance to see who really knows how to play the game well. As with any sports title, the more interested you are, the more replay value it has.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.3/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

At $39.99 right off the shelf the game is loaded with plenty of action and features of games that cost $59.99. It offers something a bit different and does it well. While it may not appeal to every gamer out there, for those who enjoy the sport it certainly tries to stay true to it. It offers a real challenge and the online mode offers a chance for eight players to compete. Even with the fact you need to remake a room it still has a solid online mode and a great overall game engine. It captures everything that makes the game fun as well as frustrating and is certainly worth every penny.

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