Topspin 3 (360)

[10spro]

There are some amazing dudes online that just own this game. I play my career on hard on the PS3 and consider myself pretty good at it, but when you face those guys out there that no matter which tactic you use against them , they just own you.

Great game indeed.

[Rodster]

There are some amazing dudes online that just own this game. I play my career on hard on the PS3 and consider myself pretty good at it, but when you face those guys out there that no matter which tactic you use against them , they just own you.

Great game indeed.

I bet they are but I don't have a Live Gold account so I save myself the embarrassment.

[Rodster]

You nailed it. Once you get used to the controls (and it is not like it is that different - plus it is a more logical swing setup) it is an amazing game of tennis. Has terrific varied AI and the risk shot setup is much better over the previous editions (though still too easy to risk serve).

If they had a descent career mode this would be my sports game of the year. They really should force you to play the first match of this game with pros in an exhibition to see how good the tennis is. Playing the early career mode matches is not a good indicator of the quality of the game and the pace is mind numbingly slow.

Sadly they skimped in many aspects of the game, like presentation, features and accessories. How in the heck do you make a tennis game with Bjorn Borg and not have wristbands?

Here is hoping PAM is working on Top Spin 4.

Yeah I agree, the presentation is crap as the audio sucks. What I do like in TS3 is that you can now effectively deliver Aces. The CPU is also prone to lapses of play which results in errors depending on their composure.

[Rodster]

I played another 3 Set 6 game match between Roddick and Federer. I love how the game plays out in TS3. I won the first set 6-4 lost the second to Federer 4-6 and lost the third 1-6. What I love most about TS3 is the level of concentration required throughout the match and how you as the one holding the controller can get worn down hitting shot after shot. I was drained after the third set.

Love this game even after a loss.

[Zlax45]

Would you guys consider this the best tennis game on the 360? I am getting the vibe to get a tennis game as I watch the Aussie Open.

[JackB1]

Would you guys consider this the best tennis game on the 360? I am getting the vibe to get a tennis game as I watch the Aussie Open.

Yes. It's either this or Smash Court Tennis and that game doesn't have a "next gen" look and the controls are different. I was able to buy Topspin 3 from Gamefly's used section for $10.

[10spro]

Best Tennis sim-game for the 360 and PS3.

[rhymes450]

Picked this up at the beginning of the year but just starting to give it a bit of time now. Definitely better than Topspin 2 and the new control system is a step forward but IMO it's not in the same league as the soccer sims in terms of capturing the essence of the sport. Maybe on the higher levels it gets better in that respect. In any case, it's good fun.

Which leads me to my question...anybody know if it's possible to change levels in the middle of a career mode? My created player (Nadal on the 360) was so crappy at the beginning that I started the mode on the 2nd difficulty level but now that I've been able to increase his stats, it's too easy. I don't see options to increase the difficulty. If that's not possible, will my created player retain his improved stats if I start a new career mode?

[10spro]

Rhymes, if you start a new career all your previous stats gets erased. I still have my copy for the PS3, too bad we could have hooked up for some games.

[rhymes450]

Thanks for the info. 10s. I'll have to decide whether to restart career mode at a higher difficulty level with one of the in-game players or just play tournaments for the time being to improve my level before embarking on a career mode with a crappy created player.

As regards playing online, I prefer soccer games in one-player mode but playing this today, it struck me that it could be great fun playing online with somebody of similar ability. If I invest in a PS3 (a big if!) in time for Topspin 4 and get in some practice in the meantime, we can talk...

Credit to the developers. They've taken the game a step or two further from previous tennis games. On the other hand, there's a fair bit to be done. They could start with the atmospherics. IMO, the game is very lacklustre in that respect.

[rhymes450]

Ahhh! Menu navigation for dummies. Found the option to change the difficulty level within career mode. Staring at me in the face all the time. So ready to roll...vamos Rafa!

[Rodster]

Topspin 3 still goes down as my favorite Tennis game. I remember all the flack the game got when it was released but the aspect of loading up your shot and having to be in the correct area to pull off the maximum shot was awesome and if the two conditions weren't satisfied your shot was either off or it lacked power.

I thought the devs did a good of trying to make TP3 as sim like as possible. I'm always amazed how hardcore gamers usually want Sim and when they get it and see how difficult the real sport can be then they start to rip the game apart and say no, no this is how it should be. It's damned if you do, damned if you don't for the devs.

[vader29]

I still think Smash Court Tennis 3 is the best playing tennis game even though the graphics aren't near as good as Topspin.

[sportdan30]

I still think Smash Court Tennis 3 is the best playing tennis game even though the graphics aren't near as good as Topspin.

100 percent agree. Any word on any new tennis games coming out in the near future?

A broadcast style presentation is sorely needed and would add more excitement. Here's hoping.

[vader29]

I had hoped that EA was going to do a Grand Slam Tennis game for the 360 and PS3 but it then got delayed to make it work with the motion controllers but haven't seen any info on a release date or if they are still making it at all, personally I'd prefer if they just released a version that could be played with just a regular controller. No news on a new Top Spin or Virtua Tennis either.

[Rodster]

I still think Smash Court Tennis 3 is the best playing tennis game even though the graphics aren't near as good as Topspin.

I never tried Smash Court Tennis 3 but I did hear good things about the way it played Tennis including the AI. I remember reading it was a letdown for the graphics and presentation, IINM.

[rhymes450]

Agree with Rodster in that loading up the shot and then letting it rip is a major achievement of Topspin 3. It's very representative of the real sport and a very specific aspect of Topspin 3 that takes the game beyond Virtua Tennis and previous iterations of Topspin IMO. Being picky, one of the main issues I'd have at this point is that most of the basic rallies I play in the game are down the line rather than crosscourt, as would be the case in the real game. IMO, this is related to the fact that player direction and shot direction are both controlled by the same analogue stick (or the D-pad depending on preferences), which makes going crosscourt less intuitive and more risky than in the real game. This has been a constant problem with the tennis games I've played.

I'm intrigued by the comments on Smash Court Tennis 3. I haven't played the game but I'd be interested to know about the specific aspects that make it better than Topspin 3. Also agree with Sportdan as regards the broadcast presentation and Vader on a preference for a top-notch simulator with a regular controller as opposed to a motion controller effort.

For the moment, this game is keeping me away from soccer games, which is no mean achievement.

[10spro]

I'm intrigued by the comments on Smash Court Tennis 3. I haven't played the game but I'd be interested to know about the specific aspects that make it better than Topspin 3. Also agree with Sportdan as regards the broadcast presentation and Vader on a preference for a top-notch simulator with a regular controller as opposed to a motion controller effort.

For the moment, this game is keeping me away from soccer games, which is no mean achievement.

I've been hoping for EA to follow up on their Wii product as it played a fun game of tennis albeit with some control issues in the execution of the shot. I think personally that Topspin 3 is the best product out there. I do recall playing Smash Court and I just didn't feel it. The controls were rather sluggish but the presentation of the sports was done better than TS3.

The one aspect of the game that 2K needed to improve was the career mode and better presentation. While the controls took an initial learning curve, you do realize in the end that's a very logical swing setup while the risk shot setup was better done than the previous editions.

I still have the PS3 version which I bought initially because of Nadal, but if there's some interest still in this game, I may have to snatch the 360 version which I saw in the used bin for $15 bucks and get some rallies going with some of you.

[Rodster]

Man if you guys want to play i'm up for that.

[rhymes450]

I'm guessing that it'd be impossible for someone with a European PAL version of the game (me) to play online with users of the North American version. Also my current internet connection is a mobile USB thingy, which I suspect mightn't have the horsepower needed for online gaming. And I'm on holidays for the next 3 weeks added to the fact that I don't have an XBox Live Gold account. Looking at it in a cold, detached, unemotional kind of way, I think you'd have to chalk me down as a "maybe" .

[Rodster]

I'm guessing that it'd be impossible for someone with a European PAL version of the game (me) to play online with users of the North American version.

Wrong, it doesn't matter what version you have. You can play against anyone from around the world. The only thing that might hurt you is the mobile USB internet.

[rhymes450]

I'm guessing that it'd be impossible for someone with a European PAL version of the game (me) to play online with users of the North American version.

Wrong, it doesn't matter what version you have. You can play against anyone from around the world. The only thing that might hurt you is the mobile USB internet.

In that case, once I get back from holidays towards the end of August, I think I might take out a month's subscription to Xbox live and put that mobile connection to the test.