Anybody picking up Table Tennis today?

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:46 am

Just thought I'd ask. I'd be curious to hear some impressions on this one. I don't know if anyone here is interested in this one but you never know.

AJColossal · Post by **AJColossal** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:47 am

I'm curious too. Any reviews up?

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:48 am

Sorry guys, I posted on the other thread. I didn't realize Scoop had started a new one.

Badgun · Post by **Badgun** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:55 am

Is this anything more than Pong with good graphics? Maybe I'm missing something, but I just don't see the attraction to this game.

AJColossal · Post by **AJColossal** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:57 am

The IGN review states it's kind of bare bones, but it sounds like it's fun. Price is decent too at $39.99.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:59 am

grtwhtsk wrote:Sorry guys, I posted on the other thread. I didn't realize Scoop had started a new one.

Assume the position. The penalty is 20 whacks:

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Tue May 23, 2006 12:01 pm

I am picking it up. The attraction to me is that it appears to have Virtua Tennis type simplicity and addictive qualities. Top Spin 2 is great in many ways, but the lack of decent character balance really frustrates me (those became very apparent in our online tourneys). If this game has better character balance it could be my choice over tennis.

IGN's review seems pretty good on this one actually.

I'll post some impressions later tonight...

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue May 23, 2006 1:43 pm

It should be great online, but I'll be waiting for impressions first.

bdunn13 · Post by **bdunn13** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:08 pm

Seeing some people are actualy considering this game shows what a poor selection of new games are currently on the market.

Phototropic · Post by **Phototropic** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:15 pm

I disagree. I'm thinking of picking it up just because I love ping pong, and it's one of the more innovative titles to come out.

Nozzleman_216 · Post by **Nozzleman_216** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:15 pm

it has nothing to do with what "NEW" games that are on or not on the market. To me this looks to be great. Its intriguing, it looks damn fun, and i like table tenning /ping pong. As I said b4 it is played in our firehouse a lot. I think if anything this shows someone wanting something fresh and new that has really NEVER been done before. So what there are no new shooters out right now, we have them already, and the real sports games are just around the corner.

I respect your opinion bd, but do not agree with it

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:25 pm

Like Seminole said, I'm more interested in this title because it's something that hasn't really been done before. Sure, it's a lot like Pong but noone has ever made a Ping Pong simulation before to my knowledge. For me the interest is more for the newness rather than the lack of other titles coming out. I really would like to see a lacrosse game too. If Ping Pong can do relatively well it'll only be a matter of time before we see an actual lacrosse game.

gabeschw · Post by **gabeschw** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:35 pm

I picked this up today and had a chance to play for a few minutes, going through the training mode and one exhibition match. I think the game is going to be a lot of fun. The controls are simple to understand, but because of the speed of the game, it's very tough (in a good way) to hit the ball where you want, hit it with the correct spin, AND move around your character, all basically at the same time. I lost the game, on easy level, something like 11-3, 11-4.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:52 pm

bdunn13 wrote:Seeing some people are actualy considering this game shows what a poor selection of new games are currently on the market.

Did a "Ping Pong" game ever existed since the creation of Donkey Kong or that little white ball going left to right in a black & white screen? I saw the preview gameplay and I thought it was cool. Having said that, I still look forward to people's impressions before spending $40 bucks.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue May 23, 2006 4:05 pm

Im passing...This one thing one game Im actually better at in real life...

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Wed May 24, 2006 1:58 am

Well I've put in several hours of gameplay on this addicitve title and I'm really not sure what to say. It sure looks good, and the fact I played for about 4 hours is a plus.

This game is challening, at least it was for me, in the begining stages. You really have no time to think before you act. In fact most of the game is played re-acting and thinking about your next move before the return shot is even coming your way. I assume this is much like real ping-pong. My biggest gripe with the gameplay so far is the controls are clunky, the left analog stick controls player movement but also aiming. So I constantly find myself getting out of position because I aim to far to the left for example.

In single player you have the option of exhibition matches of a tournament. That is pretty much it, of course there are different difficulty levels. Winning matches, winning tourneys unlocks more outfits, more players and more venues. There is no create a player that I saw. I actually found it easier to win in the tournament then in the exhibition matches. I lost 5 exhibition matches on Easy, went into an easy tournament and won all 4 of my flights and then procede to lose 6 more exhibition matches.

I have not tried it online yet, so can't comment there. Would I recoomend this title, I honestly can't say. There is nothing really outstanding about it, but I can;t seem to stop playing it. If I didn't have some control issues, I would really love it.

Not sure if this helps anyone or not, but these are my random thoughts.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:09 am

Played one online match and then did the tutorials proceeded by about 3 or 4 exhibition matches.

So far I think the game is absolutely genius for what it is and is trying to accomplish. My first thoughts when I heard about this title where 'how the hell are they going to pull that off?'. Well, they did and they did it in an extremely unique, yet intuitive way. I am a bit shocked to be honest.

Now, the fact that I absolutely love it so far and think that it is one of the more unique, original competitive tiles in a while does not mean that the game is perfect as an overall package. It is fairly bare bones (which is fine for me as I will play it almost exclusively as a multiplayer game), with no create a player or season mode. However, the gameplay itself might just make up for the lack of features.

The control and feel are really good and the ball physics are stunning. The pace and speed of the ball and player movement are incredibly realistic yet totally controllable. I like the thought process behind the types of shots and how to distinguish them by the colored ball trails (the color of the ball trails correspond with the controller face buttons).

The game may very well still have some major flaw or issues, but in my brief time with it I am glad to say that it is exactly what I was hoping for and more. It really does have a simple to pick up yet hard to master feel and there are definitely direct comparisons to a Virtua Tennis kind of experience. The rallies can get extremely intense, especially when they go over 50 or so hits. The atmosphere is done really well actually with the crowd reactions spot on and the music intensifying when the rallied get higher. Neat stuff!

So far I am very impressed and excited to play much more!

AcemanPR · Post by **AcemanPR** » Wed May 24, 2006 9:59 am

I put about 3 hours in this last night and can't wait to play more of it later today. Rockstar no doubt made a great effort in translating table tennis to a videogame.

This is Rockstar's first sports game, and this time of year is perfect to launch this type of game. I'm sure Rockstar knows that the single player mode is pretty bare bones, but their thinking is probably "Let's get this out on the market, see what the reactions are, and if they are positive, we have something to build on in the future". Plus, with the marketplace, I'm sure that you'll see some tournament additions in the future.

I don't think a Create a Player is really necessary for this game. It would be tough to come up with fun minigames for table tennis to build up attributes. However, I think a season mode could be alot of fun. I'm sure if this game is successful enough, we'll see some type of season system in place in a sequel.

Like Spooky said, the physics in this game are spectacular. I've played my fair share of table tennis throughout my life so I can certainly tell you that the ball reacts very realistically in the videogame. After completing the training modes, I had no problems jumping right into the game playing, having 20-40 hit rallies in no time. Initially, the control of my player took a little getting used to, but I was able to quickly adjust after a couple games. I'm also using the right stick to add spin to the ball, as it feels more natural to me than using the face buttons.

The atmosphere in this game is awesome. The use of 5.1 surround sound is done excellently. Also, I love the added effects Rockstar used once the hit rally count started climbing. At 10 hits, music kicks in. Every 10 hits there after, a boom a bass is sounded and the music gets louder. My longest rally was 43 hits, but I read that even later, the lights start dimming except for around the table and the crowd cheering is incredible.

I was able to complete the Novice Tournament last night using Liu Ping. I breezed through the first couple opponents, but then went up against Jesper, a character that is maxed out in power but has little spin skills. And boy, did that power come through. I lost my first couple matches against Jesper. I finally beat him though. It took 3 games to do so, and both games I won had to go to extra points (12-10, 8-11, 13-11). Then I was able to dispose of Kumi in 3 games for the championship.

I played two ranked games online, and spectated one match. One of my games I played online was spectated as well. Both games I played, the ping meter was in the yellow, but there was no hint of lag at all. I got my ass handed to me both times, of course my opponents chose to use Jesper.

The match I spectated was exciting. It was tied 4-4 when I started watching, then one player got up 7-4, before it got tied again at 9-9. Then the winner won 11-9, winning it on the 42nd hit of a rally.

Finally, the stat tracking in this game is extensive. After each match, there are about 25 different stats to view (Aces, Smashes, forehands, backhands, points won with topspin, ect). In the options, stats are separated by offline play, play vs. a human, and online play. They are further broken down by each player you use as well.

Overall, I am extremely impressed with this game. I certainly hope it is successful enough where Rockstar will want to develop other niche sports games as well. I'm sure they are listening to gamers and will incorporate some type of season mode in future games as well. But I'm happy with what we got now.

reeche · Post by **reeche** » Wed May 24, 2006 10:47 am

Played it as well myself. Really fun against another player. Very similar to Virtua Tennis. Didn't try any of the other modes or online but I played with a friend for at least two hours or so. Not sure I like how the focus system is handled but it's a pretty fun game. Certainly more than "pong".

gabeschw · Post by **gabeschw** » Wed May 24, 2006 11:03 am

I'm still having a lot of fun with the game. My only real complaint so far is that I don't think the focus meter is explained very well. Is being in "Full Focus" just having an automatic focus shot hit on every shot (without having to hold the bumper), or is it something different? And what do the red/yellow/green colors of the meter mean?

It would also be nice to have a few more characters and locations available from the start.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Wed May 24, 2006 11:26 am

gabeschw wrote:I'm still having a lot of fun with the game. My only real complaint so far is that I don't think the focus meter is explained very well. Is being in "Full Focus" just having an automatic focus shot hit on every shot (without having to hold the bumper), or is it something different? And what do the red/yellow/green colors of the meter mean?

It would also be nice to have a few more characters and locations available from the start.

The 'Focus Meter' is not that intuitive, however, I think I figured it out...

You start with it being red, then, after you fill it via good shots and winding up your shots by holding the 'spin' buttons down, your player automaticllay goes into 'Focus Mode' which is when you hear that littel swoosh sound and your shots are a bit more powerful and accurate. Then, once the meter is drained, it automatically goes to the next level/color, yellow and you start filling again. Then it goes to green and the same thing applies. I am pretty sure thet the different color meters represent increasing levels of 'focus' power.

Also, you can still use 'focus' shots when you meter is not full by holding the right bumber during your shot as long as you have some of the meter filled in the bar. It just drains it quicker and prevents you from getting to the next level as fast as well as going into auto focus mode.

One other thing is that you can turn 'off' the auto focus mode option in the games option menu so that when the meter is completely filled, you have to manually activiate 'focus mode' by pulling one of the trigger buttons.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed May 24, 2006 11:50 am

Are there different spins to the ball that you can apply, such as underspin and topspin? After a long rally is there a "finishing" shot like Topspin 2, where you would press the LT button plus B or A.

reeche · Post by **reeche** » Wed May 24, 2006 12:14 pm

10spro wrote:Are there different spins to the ball that you can apply, such as underspin and topspin? After a long rally is there a "finishing" shot like Topspin 2, where you would press the LT button plus B or A.

You can apply top spin. Back spin. Left spin and Right spin in addition to just normal shot placement. The longer the rally and the more spin you put into your shots ( I think) the more your focus meter builds up. Focus allows you to do finishing style shots (meaning faster hits and more severe spins) although if the other player is ready in time, he can still return them.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Wed May 24, 2006 12:19 pm

10spro wrote:Are there different spins to the ball that you can apply, such as underspin and topspin? After a long rally is there a "finishing" shot like Topspin 2, where you would press the LT button plus B or A.

Each face button (or right analog stick direction) represents a different spin. A- Topspin, Y- Backspin and X & B are side spinds towards the corresponding left and right directions (or pushing up, down, left or right on the analog stick). When you or your opponent hit the ball there is a little trail or highlight on it with the appropriate color (green for A, yellow for Y, ect...) that let's you know the type of shot so you can prepare for it and counter it better (by hitting it back with the same type shot/spin - blue for blue, red for red, ect...). Countering it supposedly gives you a bit of a better shot I guess but I have yet to see a noticable advantage in my limited playing time.

maddoc1979 · Post by **maddoc1979** » Wed May 24, 2006 2:46 pm

Picked this up as well and am really enjoying it. Just wanted to add that you can also combine top spin and backspin with the 2 sidespins for added variety to your shots. I really like what they've done with this game...it's a ton of fun and, even better, it got my wife to pick up a controller last night.

Doc