Rockstar Games' Table Tennis Simulator
(This review was originally posted on GameFAQs, and edited for GameSpot.)
Introduction
You might recognize Rockstar Games for their work on the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead series, as well as other games such as Bully and Manhunt. It is no secret that Rockstar Games house some of the best game designers in the business, however they also carry quite a few controversies due to the graphic and violent nature of the GTA and Manhunt games. When it came to the release of the Xbox 360, Rockstar decided to release a more simpler game with little to no controversy attached to it - Rockstar Table Tennis.
Before we get onto the review, you might reckon that I am viewing this game nostalgically, and you would be correct. This was one of the first games I played on the Xbox 360 back in 2006.
Positives
The core theme of Rockstar Table Tennis is basically just serve a ball continuously until you or your opponent fails to serve said ball. Although it sounds like a linear concept on paper (and in practice, it is a linear mechanic), the controls are tight and responsive to your movements as you rally the ball over and over again.
As you play through the game's two main modes: exhibition (which is a mode similar to free-play) and tournament (basically a sort of campaign mode where you play matches against several opponents), you proceed to unlock new characters with their own stats, new table tennis areas, new t shirts for your characters and so on. It makes the game more replayable to an extent, which is commendable enough as a positive point in my books - especially for a game about table tennis.
The graphics of Rockstar Table Tennis are surprisingly still quite good all these years later, especially for an early Xbox 360 game. As your match progresses, you actually see sweat form on your character's shirt, and the physics on both the ball and clothing are quite flexible and realistic - these graphics and physics would later be expanded upon on future Rockstar titles such as GTA 4, GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3; However for a new title for the Xbox 360, and the first game that showed the power of the RAGE engine, it holds up extremely well.
Additionally, the music that plays in Rockstar Table Tennis is also really good stuff. I wasn't really into techno / electronic music before, but I can't help but listen to some of these tracks occasionally outside of the game.
Negatives
Regardless of all the positive things to say about this game, Rockstar Table Tennis really doesn't offer much aside from being a glorified tech demo for Rockstar's RAGE engine. So if you're expecting more from Rockstar, go check out The Warriors or Bully.
There is also a strange difficulty curve when you play in tournament mode - some opponents may appear to easy to beat, whereas some will be too difficult. This might just be me who sucks at sports games, but it didn't sit right and I felt I had to put it down as a negative.
Conclusion
In summary, Rockstar Table Tennis is not a game that is going to please everyone - however this game shows that Rockstar are capable of making a game about the concept of table tennis fun and enthralling for you and the family! That's why I give Rockstar Table Tennis a 7/10.
Recommended for:
I would recommend this game for people who enjoy sports games, are Rockstar Games fans, or people who like amazing graphics and good electronic beats.
My recommended pricing for this game would have to be somewhere around £5 - £10.