Top Spin 3 Review for the Nintendo Wii

System: Wii, PS3, X360	Review Rating Legend
Dev: PAM Development	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: 2K Sports	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: June 23, 2008	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-4	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

The Road to Glory mode, which attempts to extend the single-player experience due to the absence of a career mode, is very tedious. To complete this mode you will have to make your way through a plethora of incredibly similar events. There are slight differences such as who you will face, where you will play, the number of sets played, and how many rounds are required but they all end up feeling exactly the same. The Road to Glory mode also involves a major investment of time as each event can take an hour or more to complete. This is mostly due to Top Spin 3's impressively good A.I. opponents. Players looking for a challenge will definitely be pleasantly surprised by some of the game's more difficult adversaries.

Top Spin 3 screenshot

The lack of features doesn't stop with the lack of the career mode, as there is no ability to create your own characters here either. Without this feature, players' choices are limited to just the included pros. Though there are a good number to choose from, the option to create your own player is sorely missed. The absence of Rafael Nadal as a selectable character is also worth mentioning, just in case one of the most popular athletes in the sport happens to have some fans out there.

Graphically, this version of the game is drastically scaled back when compared to its bigger brothers' versions but does an admirable job nonetheless. Although Top Spin 3's characters are far from photorealistic, they are well represented and smoothly animated. Backgrounds also look fairly good, with nice touches such as lighting effects and flying birds that help to add some realism to the visuals. The only glairing visible issue I witnessed in the game came from its terrible looking 2D sprite-based crowd.

While this game certainly has its fair share of issues, it is perhaps the best tennis game available on the Wii. With controls that add depth and complexity to the gameplay, Top Spin 3 honestly feels like the natural evolution of what Wii Sports Tennis has pioneered. Although it may be severely lacking in options and game modes, this game can be relatively fun and should please most tennis fans. As long as you can stomach the lengthy and repetitive events found within, Top Spin 3 serves up some great tennis action complete with good controls, decent visuals, and difficult A.I. opponents.

By Adam Brown
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.4

Graphics
Decent looking characters are nicely animated, making Top Spin 3 visually appealing while in motion.

3.7

Control
Simplistic motion controls, use of the analog stick for player movement, accurate shot placement, and a few special shots provide players with a fairly complex and responsive experience.

2.2

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
A complete lack of in-game music is somewhat disappointing, although it is preferable to having to listen to some of the painful music that haunts you while in the game's menus.

3.2

Play Value
With a few more options and play modes, Top Spin 3 could have been an excellent game. As it stands, the lack of online play, a career mode, and a create-a-player option leave this game feeling somewhat incomplete and repetitive.

3.3

Overall Rating - Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Complete Wii Functionality: Through the Wii Remote™, a player's forehands, backhands, and serves are perfectly mirrored by the game's realistic swing motions.

Play With and Against Real Stars: The only full-packaged tennis game on the Wii™ featuring 16 licensed players on 10 real-world venues such as Roland Garros, the U.S. Open®, and the Australian Open.

Fun Party Games: Hilarious mini-games for single and multi-players are a blast while improving your technique. With four difficulty settings, everyone can be part of the action!

Easy to 'Pick up & Play': Intuitive controls that feel exactly like swinging a racquet and up to 10 in-game tutorials make it easy for gamers of all skill levels to master.

Embark on the Road to Glory Mode: Fully immerse yourself in an ambitious career mode that mimics a player's rise through the ranks through 11 challenging tournament events.

New Split-Screen Mode: Invite your friends over and experience full widescreen action with single or doubles and up to four different players.