Has Top Spin lost its luster with you?

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 2:10 pm

I am really having a tough time deciding whether or not to keep Top Spin in my library. With games like Rivals, PGR2, Amped 2, Links, and Manhunt taking up a lot of my time lately Top Spin seems to have lost its luster for me.
 
 The single player mode seems to easy at first (I´m sure it gets harder the deeper in) and you really have to have a good chunk of time set aside to play some of the tournaments since you can´t save between matches (at least not that I´ve found).
 
 That leaves online play and the one and only time I played it on Live I took my created player online and the guy I played used Sampras and he pretty much nailed every serve perfectly and was a real dick. I´ve read a lot about people using Sampras all the time. To me that´s just not fun.
 
 What are your thoughts about Top Spin now that it´s been out for over a month?

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 2:14 pm

It lost interest for me the minute PGR2 came out (but most games did, so I can´t really fault it for that).
 
 It´ll probably get sold within a week.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 2:15 pm

Yeah, I have had no desire to play this game at all lately. Don´t know why exactly. I think it is a mixture of many things. I am really bummed that this game does not grab me like I thought it would. I thought for sure this would be my most played LIVE game. No even close. <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon27.gif">

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 2:17 pm

Although I have been playing mostly Links as of late, Top Spin is definitely a keeper for me.

Boom · Post by **Boom** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 2:17 pm

Lost the luster within 48 hours after opening it up. Took it back and was fortunate that the employee gave me a full refund.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 2:20 pm

Top Spin remains an excellent pick-up-and-play offline game for me. I really enjoy playing three-set exhibitions agianst the CPU.
 
 Had a sick match last night playing as James Blake against Grosjean. Lost the first set, 4-3, after being up, 6-3, in the tiebreaker. I took the second set, 4-2, and won the third set, 3-0, in a set that was closer than the score indicated.
 
 It was gripping, pulsating offline gaming.
 
 But the online component of Top Spin easily is the Xbox Live disappointment of the year for me.
 
 Like Spooky, I expected Top Spin on XBL to rock. But it´s mediocre at best. Online lobbies are teeming with assholes who use hopped-up players and constant top-spin corner shots to win and then talk s*** about it. Plus the Optimatch feature is horribly broken, really ruining any chance of finding opponents of similar skills.
 
 I´ve found one -- mark that, one -- cool person during Optimatch attempts with Top Spin. Top Spin may surpass ESPN NFL as the king of XBL cheesefest titles.
 
 I´m keeping Top Spin because it´s still really fun for me offline. But I haven´t played it online in three weeks other than the first round of one of James E´s tournaments.
 
 Take care,
 PK [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 02-12-2003 10:21 ]

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 2:33 pm

PK,
 
 Nicely said.
 
 Online dissapointment of the year !!!!

fossen · Post by **fossen** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 2:50 pm

Top Spin lost it´s lustre a while ago with me.
 
 I really felt that the "stars" accounted for too much online. While a lower skilled character, you simply couldn´t compete. You needed the full 14 stars to have a chance.
 
 And the single player game to get those stars? While the gameplay was fun, the inability to save made the single player game more of a chore than a joy. I´d find myself slogging through tourneys just to try and get enough money for a chance at a star.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 3:54 pm

Top Spin is a so-so title for me right now.
 
 I agree that the single player career mode offline is quite tedious, requiring you to slog through long, easy wins in order to open up more challenging matches.
 
 Online would have potential, you´d think, but for whatever reason TS hasn´t been adopted by DSP and this community. You don´t see the ´DSP 3 STARZ´ tournaments here like you do for Links, which has a similar problem of skill point disparity. There haven´t been Top Spin poker nights where everyone agrees to play with characters at around the same skill level, like we have with PG2 and restricted class racing where guys feel guilty about even taking the best car in each class if the other guys don´t have it available..
 
 I think a lot of the enjoyment in these kind of games comes from playing with the folks here, at least for many of us. Links and PGR2 online would be much less enjoyable if you golfed with everyone dozens of skill points ahead of you, or raced PGR unlimited all the time with folks who choose nothing but the top cars.
 
 I know there has been one tournament, but TS hasn´t been adopted here as easily as some of the other titles.
 
 Amped 2 also has lukewarm support here, but I liked it enough to start a pack. Not too many people putting up TS events, though.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 4:28 pm

Fossen, you put it perfectly. I´m hesitant to go back online until my created player has 14 stars, but I can always think of about 15 other gaming experiences I´d rather have than trudging through the single player game, losing one point in a whole match to some guy in army pants, THREE TIMES IN A ROW FOR A FREAKING HOUR.
 
 I´m considering trading it in.

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 4:31 pm

I´m all for DSP Top Spin tournaments. I still play online sometimes. The game is a definite keeper for me.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 4:37 pm

Lol.
 
 Classic,Slumber.
 
 I agree wholeheartedly.
 
 We should have some low stars or ´Pick-a-pro´ tourneys.

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:00 pm

I think pick-a-pro is a great idea. Maybe I´ll start up a tournament today.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:06 pm

We´re not the only ones who are losing that lovin´ feeling for Top Spin, especially online:
 
 http://cgi.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessa ... 079&page=0
 
 Take care,
 PK
 
 P.S.: I´d love to play in a Pick-A-Pro tournament! It´s a shame Optimatch doesn´t let you limit the number of stars of your opponent or let you play with Pros only. Or does it? [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 02-12-2003 13:07 ]

Toper · Post by **Toper** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:19 pm

I´m looking forward to trying this one out...will be getting it this week from gamefly, so count me in for any tourneys coming up soon.
 
 Toper

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:40 pm

I just created the DSP PICK A PRO tourney, and sent out 9 invites for 7 open spots in an 8-man bracket, so check your email. I grabbed the gamertags from people in this thread as well as those who listed Top Spin in their rotation in the thread concerning top XBox live titles. That included:
 
 webdanzer
 pk500
 JamesE
 TCrouch
 Slumberland
 todcomplex
 fossen
 Spooky Oooky
 BTK TheTruth
 osmarino13
 
 If anyone else wants in that isn´t listed there, let me know and I will send you an invite. It´ll be first come, first "serve" (wink, wink) but if all goes well we should set these up every couple of weeks, just to keep the Top Spin love flowin´.
 
 Toper, let us know when you get the game, I´ll include you in any future tournaments I happen to set up.
 
 The venue is Paris, and the tournament starts Thursday. You have two days for each round, so the first round matches must be completed by midnight on Friday, December 5th.
 
 How do you guys want to handle pro selection? I´m not averse to letting people pick whoever they want for each match, constistency be damned. I would entertain notions of a ban on choosing Sampras, however.
 
 See you on the clay! [ This message was edited by: Slumberland on 02-12-2003 13:41 ]

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:43 pm

In fact, I´m going to send you an invite anyway, Toper. Just be sure to forfeit your game before Friday night on the off chance it doesn´t get delivered by Friday...

mixdj1 · Post by **mixdj1** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:48 pm

I´d like in if there is a spot left.
 
 Thanks,
 
 mixdj1

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:50 pm

I´m in.
 
 How about player selection by reverse rank order?
 
 And we should probably specify...
 
 We´re using the men for this first one, right?

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:50 pm

I just sent you the invite, mix.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:51 pm

I´m all for a Sampras ban. There are a lot of other cool and fun pros that many people don´t use because Sampras is such a stud.
 
 Kuerten and Blake come to mind ... Blake really works well for me.
 
 Take care,
 PK

Slumberland · Post by **Slumberland** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:52 pm

Yeah, it´s only men this time.

mixdj1 · Post by **mixdj1** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 6:03 pm

I´m in. Thanks for the invite.

tsunami · Post by **tsunami** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 6:06 pm

Yes it did, which is why I sold it last week. Offline play is tedious and online was majorly disappointing.
 
 <TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD>Quote:<HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>
 On 2003-12-02 10:20, pk500 wrote:
 
 But the online component of Top Spin easily is the Xbox Live disappointment of the year for me.
 
 Like Spooky, I expected Top Spin on XBL to rock. But it´s mediocre at best. Online lobbies are teeming with assholes who use hopped-up players and constant top-spin corner shots to win and then talk s*** about it. Plus the Optimatch feature is horribly broken, really ruining any chance of finding opponents of similar skills.
 
 I´ve found one -- mark that, one -- cool person during Optimatch attempts with Top Spin. Top Spin may surpass ESPN NFL as the king of XBL cheesefest titles.
 </BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
 
 PK just about sums it up for me as fas as Top Spin online goes. The funny thing is that the first two online matches I played were against Web and DB and they were really good matches. Were were using pros and they actually felt like tennis matches. There was strategy and good shot placement and defense. No ridiculous angle shots or "no man´s land" play. Just tennis.
 
 Unfortunately, every other online match I played (including the DSP tournament) basically broke down into who´s created player was built up better and who could get that ridiculous angle first and draw the other guy off the court. It in no way resembled actual tennis. It was awful. The shots are way too effective and unrealistic and you didn´t have to adhere to any basic tennis strategy to be successfull. Utter garbage. And, I don´t have anyone close to play with multiplayer with, so it made no sense to keep it.

RallyMonkey · Post by **RallyMonkey** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 6:14 pm

Hey Slumber,
 
 If you have a spot, i´d love an invite. I´m still liking the game but have been reluctant to jump online due to some of the a**holics that are out there. Let me know.
 
 Rally