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 Being totally new to the Top Spin series, I really didn't know what to expect when firing up the XBOX 360 version of Top Spin 3. After about an hour of play, I have really begun to appreciate the intricacies of this well-made game. I have to admit that I have no tennis experience whatsoever. I have watched it on TV in the past, but never played it myself, or played a video game based on it.
(Confession: The "main draw" to me watching tennis in my youth was to stare at tennis Hall of Famer Gabriella Sabatini..the raven-haired Argentinean smokin' hottie who retired in 1996..but I digress...) Anyway- so let it be said that I'm an extremely casual tennis observer. The good news is that 2K Sports has a very in-depth training mode that teaches you the fineries of playing the Top Spin 3. Believe me, that's a good thing, because it also teaches positioning and recovery after a shot, which has trained me not to be the "charge the net" fool I was in my first attempts at exhibition games. The training mode teaches you how to handle shots (both forehand and backhand), positioning, serves.. you name it. (Serves are my weakness right now. I'm very shaky with my placement. Need more practice. I also need to work more on post-shot positioning recovery.)
After some limited training, I took control of Monica Seles at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris and tried my hand at normal difficulty. One thing became painfully evident: I need more practice. The mechanics are easy to pull off, but shot placement and the "thinking" behind tennis takes time to master (as it is in any good sports game.) So let it be known I got crushed on normal difficulty, but I see where I need to improve. The sound and graphics of Top Spin 3 are top notch, as they are with most 2K sports games. The players themselves are nearly photo-realistic, and the usual 2K Sports attention to detail is there. The game also has the best looking crowds I've ever seen in any sports sim. Tennis outfits blow in the wind along with skirts for the female players, players get visibly fatigued, its all there. The sound of the crowd is awesome, and the judges often have accurate foreign accents- depending on which of the venues you are playing in. The first thing I checked out while controlling Monica Seles was if her patented "grunt" after every shot is in there. I'm happy to report that it is in there, and it sounds just like Monica. In terms of "tennis reality"- I also saw the occasional questionable call by the side-judges. I'm of the opinion that there should definitely be a 2K Sports patented "McEnroe" button where you can walk up to the side judge and totally berate them to the point of tears. ..however, that might be out of character for Seles.
In terms of the Top Spin 3 licensed player roster there's about 40 players available, including Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Andy Roddick, Amelie Mauresmo, James Blake, Andy Murray, and Gael Monfils. There are also classic players such as Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg, and the previously mentioned Monica Seles. So the roster is pretty full and pretty impressive, despite not having my beloved Gabriella Sabatini. :( There are also licensed tournaments too, such as the French Open, the US Open, and the Australian Open. There's about 40 tennis venues, so it will probably be a while before you get sick of seeing the same court. All told, Top Spin 3 is shaping up to be a very deep, fun sports simulation with tons of modes of play, career, and create-a-player offerings. The action is fast-paced and the controls are responsive. The game also does a fine job of teaching tennis basics.
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