Top Spin 3 (Wii) Review

Posted by JP Prag on 08.25.2008

When going up against Wii Sports Tennis, you think you’d get better, wouldn’t you?

In Review Of…
By JP Prag

Issue #4

Top Spin 3 (Wii) Review



Intro

Welcome to the forth edition (and second ever in the Games Zone) of In Review of…!

I am the one and only JP Prag, better known as the Wrestling Zone pioneer with the most positive article in all the IWC, Hidden Highlights and the only wrestling news report focused solely on the business of wrestling: The Hamilton Ave Journal!

Now let’s get on with the show!

The Basics

Game Release Date: June 24, 2008
Genre: Sports & Outdoors
Publisher: 2K Sports
Rating: E
Platforms: Wii
Online Play: None

Gameplay

When it comes to Tennis on the Wii, everyone has been crying out for a more comprehensive and thoughtful version. Sure, there has been Sega Superstar Tennis, but what the average Wii gamer is hankering for is something that takes the fun of Wii Sports Tennis and takes it to the next level. Unfortunately, Top Spin 3 is not that game.

I knew there would be trouble right when I started up and the game told me I needed to hold my remote control upside down with my index finger on the underside B-trigger. This position was extremely awkward for my hand and was only made worse because the game also demands that you use the Wii Nunchuck. The only reason I will not completely denounce the use of the Nunchuck is because it give you the ability to control your player and determine where they should go, a feature that is severely lacking in Wii Sports Tennis.

But just being able to control where your character can go does not make up for the other flaws. Unlike in Wii Sports Tennis, I did not feel my Wii-mote gave me any control over which hand I was hitting with, what direction I was hitting, how much power I was hitting with, nor what I was hitting at. Indeed, so long as I used my nunchuck to get me near the ball and slightly flicked my wrist I would hit the ball in any such direction as the game saw fit. Well, not always. The sensitivity seemed really off and I was missing shots that were light and easy.

With the controls being so difficult to negotiate, it did not make me want to explore a lot of the games features, but I took a trip down that path anyway. You have the options of playing with a variety of different players in singles and doubles matches in many courts (and count types that do have an effect on the game). The control of options would seem to make any tennis aficionado drool as you can even decide who you want to play against in how many sets in whichever mode you choose. I am always appreciated when nothing is “locked out” so I was glad to have the ability to do whatever I want with tennis here. Some may find the availability of so many options daunting, but it does give you vast freedom in a variety of playing modes.

Speaking of modes, there are a series of “party games” where you win “keys” not just for winning matches or doing challenges (like a target practice), but for doing such functions as the “highest percentage of swings with a good timing.” So if you are into fantasy tennis and keeping statistics, these party games are for you. If you are in to winning competitions, then you might as well keep away.


Graphics

The graphics, for the most part, are sharp and clean; but you can tell you are dealing with a game that was developed for the Xbox360 and then ported to the Wii as an afterthought. There are some things on the Wii that just will not look good and you have to accept that instead of trying to force them in.

Take for instance the audience. I’m the type of guy who watches backgrounds a lot, and these audience members were choppy frame monsters that seemed to have two to three movements. I’ve seen the Xbox360 version and saw that they were fluid and involved, but on the Wii version they would have been better replaced by simple Miis who would could have at least clapped their hands without losing bit rate.




Sound

Sound was spot on with the audience keeping quite during sets and the bounce of the ball and racket taking dominance. I especially enjoyed the soundtrack that was used in the menu screens and wished we could hear more of it as it really did add a pep to the game. Perhaps an option in a future version where you can have music on and off during sets would be more appropriate?


Lasting Appeal

Let’s discuss lasting appeal in the next section…


Fun Factor

Because the controls are so convoluted and do not take advantage of what was fun in Wii Sports Tennis, this game tends to fall flat. For tennis enthusiasts, it will be a lark playing as their favorite competitors and noting the differences in the famous courts you can have a set at. When it comes to the average Wii player who just wants a version of Wii Sports Tennis with better movement control and faster reaction time, they will be sorely disappointed.

I became frustrated in minutes when I realized that the game was not going to play like Wii Sports Tennis and had a hard time convincing myself to continue. And as I did so, the game became less and less fun, especially with all of the non-ending replay screens that take forever to get through.

Because of that, this game does not have a long lasting appeal. There are too many elements that are missing that hopefully another Wii game will pick up. For not, sticking with Wii Tennis makes much more sense than taking on Top Spin 3 unless you are a hardcore tennis enthusiast.


The 411

Overall, the convoluted controls and lack of the elements that make Wii Sports Tennis fun make this game a poor imitation that will leave most Wii gamers frustrated and uninterested. The Xbox360 seems to be the version to go to for the true tennis enthusiast while Wii players will stick to what they have.

Graphics	7.0	While players and courts seem fine, the background images and audience take away from a fluid look with choppy bit rates.
Gameplay	4.0	Frustration is the name of the game when playing with a Wii Nunchuck and a non-responsive Wii-mote.
Sound	9.0	The catchy soundtrack outside of the sets and the exacting sounds inside make it one of the games strong suits.
Lasting Appeal	3.0	After a few games, I’m ready to put this one up on my shelf for good. Back to Wii Sports Tennis for me!
Fun Factor	4.0	Again, it was more frustrating than fun, and fun is all you are looking for in Wii game involving tennis!
Overall	5.4   [ Not So Good ]