Top Spin 2 Hands-On

Major tennis games for the PC have been almost nonexistent in recent years. The good news is that PC tennis fans can look forward to Top Spin 2 when it ships later this month. Basically a port of last year's Xbox 360 tennis game, Top Spin 2 will let you feel like a pro as you compete with the likes of Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, and Maria Sharapova.

There's plenty in Top Spin 2 for tennis fans to appreciate. You can participate in singles or doubles play, either in exhibition or career modes. A multiplayer mode will let you play online against others. And there's a party game mode, if you have a bunch of friends over and want to play fun minigames. For instance, in the time bomb party game, you have a ticking clock that counts down until you score a point. Doing so will cause your clock to stop ticking down and start your opponents to tick down until he scores a point. The first player to run out of time first loses.

The heart of any tennis game should be, well, the tennis, and that's something that Top Spin 2 does very well. You have four basic swings at your disposal at all times: a slice shot, a topspin shot, a lob shot, and a safe shot. In addition to the basic set, there are a set of swings that become available depending on the amount of momentum you've built up in a match. You gain and lose momentum if you score points or are scored on, and you can use this to power riskier shots that can help you win a volley--though they can also backfire on you. Matches then become the tennis duels that you'd expect, as you have to try and set up a situation where you can break a stalemate by mixing your combination of swings.

We should note that the PC version is lifted so directly from the Xbox 360 version that you will most definitely want to get a gamepad if you don't have one yet. We found the keyboard controls to be less responsive than a gamepad, and even navigating the menu system is a bit mystifying, as the controls are laid out in a way that's contrary to nearly every other game. However, everything changed once we plugged in an Xbox 360 controller, as the gameplay feels designed for the dual analog sticks and buttons of the gamepad.

Top Spin 2 has a fairly in-depth career mode that will let you work your way up the ranks of the tennis world. Character creation lets you build your own avatar by choosing a gender, age, and nationality, as well as physical details. After that, you can outfit your characters, selecting from a wide assortment of licensed apparel and gear from manufacturers such as Nike and Wilson. Once everything is set, you can start to train, which will help you get set for your first match. Training involves playing minigames that let you build up your character's skill set and attributes. When you're ready, you can dive into your first set of matches and tournaments. Your goal: climb the ranks and become top dog.

The tennis courts in the game vary in size. In the beginning, you'll play in small community centers, but you can earn yourself a trip to tennis' most prestigious venues, such as Wimbledon. As you'd expect, the court surface has an affect on the style of game. Clay courts are faster and offer less traction when you're running, while grass courts are slower. Meanwhile, the competition you face can be world class. The game ships with a large number of recognizable pros, such as the aforementioned Roddick and Sharapova. The graphical detail is very sharp, so you can easily recognize them in-game, but even more impressive is the fluid animation that makes them really look like they're running and swinging away on the court. Everything looks good, and Top Spin 2 ships later this month.