Top Spin Impressions

Top Spin is the upcoming Xbox tennis game in development by Power and Magic Developments. The game aims to offer a new twist in the tennis genre with its blend of realism and arcade-style gameplay. The game will also feature Xbox Live support and a robust character-customization feature. We had the chance to check out an early build of the game and came away impressed by the character-creation feature and unique control.

The game will feature 16 top tennis pros: Lleyton Hewitt, James Blake, Tommy Robredo, Pete Sampras, Jan-Michael Gambill, Michael Chang, Gustavo Kuerten, Meghann Shaughnessy, Sebastian Grosjean, Anna Kournikova, Daniela Hantuchova, Martina Hingis, Barbara Schett, Ashley Harkleroad, Elena Dementieva, and Amanda Coetzer. You'll also find an equally broad range of well-known locations, each with different surfaces, including clay, hard court, and grass, all of which you'll have to learn to compensate for as you play.

Control in the game is a departure from the popular arcade-style tennis games currently on the market. Rather than using the standard two-button control input you'll find in most tennis games, you'll actually end up using almost all of the buttons on the Xbox controller. The A button is your standard return shot. The B button is a top-spin shot. X will serve up a slice shot, and Y will hit a lob. Furthermore, you'll be able to perform special shots by using the triggers: The left trigger will fire off a drop shot, while the right trigger will perform a risk shot. Risk shots actually require a slightly more intricate method of delivery. When you trigger a risk shot, you'll see a power meter come up. As the bar fills you'll have to time your input to achieve the maximum power for delivery. If you manage to get the timing right you'll be able to force your opponent into making a critical mistake. While the setup is a bit more complicated than most tennis games on the Xbox, you'll still be able to have a pick-up-and-play experience with the game. However, once you're familiar with the mechanics in the game, you'll find a nice amount of depth to be explored. One of the interesting elements in the game is the ability to get "in the zone" as you play, which affects your player's effectiveness on the court.

The graphics in Top Spin appear quite impressive, thanks to a generous polygon budget that uses roughly 20,000 polygons for your player's character model. The game also features highly detailed courts with a great deal of activity going on in the background. However, while the game's graphics offer an impressive showcase for the Xbox hardware's graphical muscle, the character editor in the game should provide players with an even greater appreciation for the eye candy on display. The editor lets you create your own original character by tweaking a stunning number of variables on the character model.

The Xbox Live portion of the game not only supports online play but will also support the upcoming Xbox Sports Network features that Microsoft will be introducing later this year. The combination of features will provide you with the opportunity for massive bragging rights if you're able to rise to the top of the real-time-updated leader board and take out the competition.

From what we've seen so far, Top Spin is shaping up to be a visually stunning game that's complemented by a promising mix of solid gameplay and an impressive selection of modes and online functionality. The game should be a very bright light in the next wave of Xbox sports games. Top Spin is currently slated to ship this fall for the Xbox. Look for more on the game later this week from the E3 show floor.