Top Spin 3

Top Spin 3 is much more realistic than the previous games of the series, mostly because of the new control mechanics. It takes more than just slapping the ball around to beat the versatile AI. However, to succeed one does not have to use the whole shot variety, which takes some depth out of the game. [Sept 2008]

A fast paced, fluid tennis simulation. The steep learning curve will put off those wanting a quick, arcade tennis bash, but if you take the time to learn the game it is a rewarding, fun experience.

It doesn't reinvent the genre or bring anything amazingly new to the community, but as Tiger Woods has done for golf titles, Top Spin does for tennis.

Reinforcing its clear contrast with other tennis games, Top Spin 3 is not a title for the simply curious. The gameplay is difficult and complex, but as soon as you get over the learning curve, you gain access to one of the most rewarding and realistic tennis experiences to date. And if you take in account the different game modes, all the real tennis fans will simply love it. [Aug 2008]

Top Spin 3 may seem hard to master, and effectively it is. It demands patience and commitment, but rewards the player with excellent play.

All in all, if you can get around the learning curve of Top Spin 3 and give it some time, you'll find a solid experience out of this tennis sim. If you're looking for a game that properly represents the sport of tennis, Top Spin 3 fulfills that criteria.

As longstanding fans of this series, we're partly very impressed with Top Spin 3 and partly let down. On the one hand the new gameplay mechanics have been implemented really well, but on the other we just can't believe the team still hasn't got the risk/power shots right.

Top Spin 3 is by far the best tennis sim on the market, but there's still plenty of room for improvement.

There is a huge learning curve and some frustration when you, as the gamer, react but the controls are sluggish in responding. However, once you find that flow in the controls, and once you start to work up your player to the point where you can compete well, start getting a feel for the court, serving up aces or returning that power stroke inside the line, the game rewards will a real sense of achievement.

A lot of work has gone into this title to make it challenging, rewarding and a lot of fun for the casual player (if a bit tough in places).

Top Spin 3 is a great tennis game, offering a deep challenge for diehard fans and one of the closest experiences to playing a grand slam.

The player-creation mode is decent but not great. Those gamers who have mastered the art of rendering their likeness onto the small screen may have a difficult time here.

The control scheme’s simple hold-and-release button press mechanic belies its depth, and while there’s a steep learning curve that makes the game somewhat inaccessible to newcomers, it’s worth sticking to. The game is beautiful to look at, and it provides a fantastic simulation of tennis.

Despite its obvious flaws, Top Spin 3 still manages to put Virtua Tennis to shame and provides a solid gameplay experience for both hardcore and casual gamers alike.

It’s in the emotional aspect of the sport that TS3 loses steam. There’s so much more to the present-day brand of tennis than what is represented here.

An acquired taste, but more rewarding than 'VT3" over the long term. [Aug 2008, p.70]

When all's said and done, Top Spin 3 is very much the best simulation tennis game out there, though it’s not like there's much competition in that corner of the tennis market.

Everybody who just can’t get enough of Tennis Games, should give this game a shot. Everyone else would be well advised to stick with Virtua Tennis.

With more responsive movement controls and a better transition game Top Spin 3 could have been king of the court, but for now it will have to settle for being tagged as a promising but flawed prospect. [Aug 2008, p.86]

Casual gamers looking for a pick-up-and-play tennis game are likely to be disappointed by Top Spin 3. But for those who are willing to invest some time in coming to grips with the game’s controls, there’s a seriously good tennis game here that will deliver a lot of satisfaction.

Top Spin 3 is a decent game with an incredible learning curve. Anyone who has the patience to stick with it will enjoy the game, but anyone who is just a casual fan of tennis games will be put off by the steep learning curve.

If you liked the previous Top Spin games, or if you wish to study the grand, majestic sport of professional tennis, then you should definitely buy Top Spin 3. But if you want to play tennis, the game, then you should probably go snag a copy of Virtua Tennis 3 (or even Sega Superstars Tennis) on the cheap right now.

Top Spin 3 latches onto back-to-basics tennis, focusing its full attention on the play, power, and flow of the sport. The result is fairly straightforward but strong enough for anyone to pick up and appreciate the sport for what it is.

The changes to Top Spin 3 are only good for hardcore tennis fans. For most gamers, the new animation-dependent learning curve will replace the fun gameplay elements with literal gameplay mechanics.

Virtua Tennis fans need not apply; this is tennis done more accurately...for better or worse. The game may not serve up an ace, but it makes for a solid set.

As you might have predicted, this is not for fans of pick-up-and-play titles and neither is it necessarily for fans of other tennis games, but for those with the determination and dexterity of an actual tennis player, it offers plenty.

Top Spin 3 really won't be to everyone's tastes, and Virtua Tennis fans needn't bother.

The game is also limited by what is missing. There is no Wimbledon, no Williams sisters and no Ana Ivanovic, and although Roddick and Murray might draw some interest from the US and UK, they don’t have the same effect at this end of the world. And there is also the fact that it’s a sport sim.

The learning curve is steep, but those who enjoy a challenge might just end up embracing the greater level of realistic gameplay that only Top Spin 3 can offer.

The most realistic tennis simulation ever made. With realism also comes hard work with challenging training, difficult gameplay and especially a very lengthy career mode. [Aug 2008]

Why would anyone make a game with not one but two sets of crippled controls? [Aug 2008, p.102]

Hardcore tennis fans may enjoy the practice and repetition necessary to master the game, but most gamers will be frustrated by the tedious process of acquiring that expertise. [Sept 2008, p.80]

It's a bit of an awkward comparison, but I see shades of "Ninja Gaiden" here: It's unassailably gratifying when the mechanics finally click and you start slicing and volleying your way to victory, but at the same time, it's prohibitive to folks who don't want to spend hours in the school of hard knocks, pursuing what should be a relatively uncomplicated act of learning the game's basic rules and logic.

True tennis fans will probably find some mileage in Top Spin, even if only against similarly minded friends, but for most this will go down as a bland and ultimately disappointing game that takes realism a step too far and squashes any concept of fun in the process.