Games for Lunch: Top Spin 3
In a nutshell: Mario Tennis it ain't.
12/8/2008 7:06 PM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 3
0:28 I get on the board when my crappy serve goes right past my opponent. He doesn't even swing! Is he having trouble with the controller, too?
0:29 After a quick 7-1 loss where I hit exactly one return, we go and shake hands at the net as the crowd at the Chicago public courts cheers. All right, I give ... where's the tutorial?
0:30 Out of the Career mode and into "Top Spin School" to figure out how the heck to play. Who knew it would be so tough? Not me!
0:31 Ah, so apparently I have to hold the button before the shot gets to me, then actually let go to hit it. Timing is actually important, too, so I can't just mash the buttons.
0:34 I'm consistently too late with my swings, as indicated by a helpful message in the upper-right saying "Too Late!" Also, I have to be in precisely the right position or hitting the shot becomes near impossible. This is tough stuff!
0:36 To compensate for my chronic lateness, I simply let go of the button way earlier than I think I have to. It works, and I'm suddenly moving and hitting balls with panache.
0:39 Now that I'm getting a feel for the swing timing, I'm getting pretty good at moving to the right spot and fielding balls. Of course, the little red circles on the court don't hurt.
0:41 Hmmm ... positioning serves involves not just tilting the control stick but also timing my movements correctly. Not sure how I like this, yet.
0:42 My guy does the cutest little victory fist pump when he completes a successful shot. Dude ... it's just practice!
0:43 Done with the how-to's. There are a lot of other lessons, but I think I've got the basics down enough now. Let's try that tiebreak challenge again.
0:44 The loading screen tells me R2 adds power to shots. That wasn't in the how-tos!
0:45 I win the first four points easily before he finally gets one by me. My opponent looks like he's not even trying on most shots, which is fine by me.
0:47 I mess up my timing a few times and suddenly it's 5-4. He's definitely getting better as we go.
0:49 He's no match for my net game, though, and I win 7-5! We got into a few good volleys there. Well, I mean, they weren't "pro"-level or anything, but the animations made it look like we knew what we were doing.
0:50 My wife, who just woke up, comments on Andre: "He's kind of tall for a tennis player." You bet he is!
0:53 After quickly going down 3-1 in tiebreak match No. 2, I'm back up to a 4-4 tie. I'm impressed with the way positioning and balance affect not only the success of shots but also how quickly you can change direction and sprint. It's decidedly different from Mario Tennis, where you just have to be kind of near the ball to hit it well and can zip around the court with impunity.
