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30 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Deservedly a budget title, July 9, 2006
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
If I told you a year ago when the Xbox 360 was being finalized and games were starting to be talked about, that Rockstar was supporting the system, what's the first thing you'd think of?? Grand Theft Auto? Midnight Club? The Warriors? Sure, something like that. But then what if I told you in March that the first game Rockstar (keep in mind we're talking about Rockstar here) was going to put out on the Xbox 360 was Table Tennis (better known as PING-PONG!! in the US), would you have believed me? My very first reaction to that news was, "What, are they putting it out on Xbox Live Arcade??" I mean, seriously; Table Tennis?? From the guys that make rated M games? Were they serious? Was this a joke? The answer to those questions in order was: No, yes, yes, yes, and no. In fact, Rockstar Games was so serious about this game they really marketed it on the net and in game magazines. They were dead serious about it. And when you play Rockstar's Table Tennis, you'll see that too.While it's not a system seller, or a game that is going to revolutionize the sports genre, Table Tennis is not only solid, but authentic! This isn't an Xbox Live Arcade level game. And it's on shelves for $39.99, which is a relief from the usual $59.99 games. The question I pose is this: Is a Table Tennis game worth even a discounted price of $40? Well, Rockstar makes a heck of a case for it with a very solid game. And no, you're not playing against hookers, and armed Mafia gunmen aren't going to jump out from the stands with machine guns and start shooting at you. It's just Table Tennis.
Ok, some quick basics about Rockstar's Table Tennis. The game modes here unfortunately are pretty bare, and that has a little bit of impact on the game overall, but not a lot. There are 11 playable characters in the game; 7 men, 4 women. They come from all around the world; Japan, Germany, USA, Sweden, Brazil, and more. Each player has their own distinctive attributes and gameplay. Some are faster than others, some more powerful, some with more spin they can put on the ball. Who you choose to play with can be as important as the gameplay itself. There are only a couple of players at the beginning to chose from, and the rest you unlock by playing through the game. It seems like you unlock characters based on winning total number of games, but you also unlock them through playing offline tournaments. There are three tournaments to play with different difficulties. There is also an exhibition mode with three levels of difficulty. There's no create-a-player, nor is there a career mode; two things that a game like this should absolutely have.
There is some basic online play as well, and that's a given now with Xbox 360 games. And this game makes use of the 360's Spectator mode in it's "Table Tennis Network". In fact, you get achievement points for watching a match online. Then of course you have your ranked and non-ranked matches. The only problem with playing online is that there is no lobby system. Once you're game is done you're thrown back into the main area where you have to look for another game, or wait for another invite if you want to play the same person. You should have the ability to keep the room open to play another match. But that's minor.
What is amazing about Table Tennis is it's complete attention to the detail of the actual game. I played a lot of ping-pong in college. I am in no way, shape, or form, an expert or a tournament player. I played a lot for fun. But I did learn how to put spin on the ball, how to make drop shots, and how to take a step back from the table in order to really fire up my volleys. So I felt like I was a little more more than just a casual player. So I recognize the authenticity of Rockstar's physics engine they put in this game to make it feel and play realistic. In fact, I have to say this really is as authentic a game in regards to ball physics that I think I've ever seen. It's one of the reasons I am highly hooked on the game. Table Tennis as a sport is all about power and spin. In order for a player to dominate his opponent in Table Tennis, they have to master being able to put high amounts of spin on the ball so that when the ball hits the table it veers in that direction so sharply that the opponent either mis-places his paddle to where he can't effectively return the ball, or with the addition of power, simply can't react fast enough to get the paddle to the ball. The better your accuracy on the table, and the better your spin ability is, the better player you are going to be. It's a small table, but it's a big game. And I can't stress enough how impressed I am in the way Rockstar was able to capture that. The reality is that no volley will ever truly be the same. Just like in real life, you can place that shot that just grazes the table so that it still counts, but it never actually bounces. And yes, you can even hit the net with so much power and spin that a sure dead ball would actually "scoot" over and bounce on your opponent's side. I've seen that a couple times. But everything about the real sport is here, including high speed volleys, overhand slams, side-of-the-table saves, pop-ups, and every once in a blue moon a headfirst dive. That doesn't happen often.
The other thing that Rockstar did very well with their Table Tennis game was make the controls super-easy to learn, but challenging to master. And they give you two ways to play; letting you really pick your own style. Much like a regular Tennis video game, buttons have different shot types. With Table Tennis it's all about spin, and the amount of spin and power you want to put on the ball. You have topspin, backspin, leftspin, and rightspin. I am assuming I don't have to explain to you what each does? I'll say this, if you want the ball to slow down when it hits the opponents side, you use backspin. If you want to hit a real power shot, use topspin. So, you can do one of two things here. Each face button controls a spin, and if you look at the face buttons, you'll be able to tell which does what (A is backspin, Y is topspin, etc:). OR, you can use the right analog stick in the direction of the spin you want to put on the ball (up for top, down for back, etc:). As you might imagine, using the right stick is more challenging than the face buttons. But for some reason for me it seems more natural. I used them both, and I just preferred to use the stick. It just feels right. But you have the choice. Now the left stick moves your player around the table, but you also use the left stick to aim your shot. The longer you hold the spin stick or button, the more your ball will react in that direction; like pre-loading your shot. While you're doing that, using the left stick will stop your players movement and aims your ball. The longer you hold the left stick for aiming, the closer to the edge of the table you'll go. But too much and you'll hit the ball out of bounds or into the net; so be careful. If you're looking for a safe shot, simply don't use the left stick at all.
What makes Table Tennis so fun is that you get to focus on the table itself, and not running all over a court trying to return a ball. For the most part, you don't move a whole lot in the game; you stay fairly centric to the table. But when the time is right, you will begin to move your player around a little, getting into a corner, or stepping back to play longer volleys. And sometimes it's to play defensive as well when you have to go get a shot. But when you get to a point where you have to move around a lot and you want to sort of calm the game down a bit, or if you want to get that little extra oopmh in there to get your opponent out of position for a killshot, there are some extra controls you can use. The left bumper gives you a nice soft drop shot that has no spin, and no power. It's just designed to easily get the ball over the net so you can race back into your main position. It helps if it looks like you're about to get crushed. And if your opponent is far back from the table, dropping the ball in there could catch them off-guard and unable to return the ball. Now for the opposite when you want to get that little extra spin or power on the ball to maybe force your opponent to cover a deep corner, or do have to as I like to call "Tron Disc Block" the ball (holding the paddle like a shield) which can pop the ball up into the air for you to slam down, the right bumper is a focus shot. And with a focus shot you have a focus meter. The better you play and the longer your volleys, the more your focus meter fills. As you use focus shots, the meter depletes of course. If you are totally in focus and your focus meter starts to flash, you can get into a "full-focus" mode, where all your shots temporarily have that little extra spin and power to them. And your player will react a little faster as well. If you really want to see something cool, watch what happens when both you and your opponent go into full-focus mode. It's like the tournament scene in Forrest Gump. The screen around you gets dark and the crowd noise silences. All you see is the table, ball, and your opponent; and all you hear is the sound of the ball hitting the table and paddles. First one to flinch!
Now, I only have one complaint about the gameplay, and that is the computer AI. One would think with the power of the Xbox 360, AI in a sports game would improve. Not so here. I don't mind a competitive computer opponent. I can't always jump online, and if I want to get my achievements and Gamerscore points, I have to play the offline tourneys. But why is it that in every sports game, at some point the computer just decides enough is enough, and totally obliterates you? I could be playing the medium tournament and come up against someone statistically not as good as my player. But yet the computer decides that I am not going to win that round. So they just inject the computer player with virtual steroids and you get trounced badly. And I mean the computer player will make shots that you normally return with ease, but don't. And then you can hit the ball back and forth across the corners in a way that a ping-pong champion in real life couldn't handle. But somehow the computer defies the attributes of it's player and returns everything. And even if they have low power ratings, they'll shove the ball down your throat over and over. I've gotten beat by the same players 11-1 and I didn't even have a chance. Oh and while they never hit net, ever, I all of a sudden have this abundance of unforced net errors that just come up out of nowhere. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen enough to make you want to shut the game off and throw the disc across the room. Developers are going to have to start doing more with realistic human-like AI. Dedicate a whole processor core to it if you have to.
Believe it or not, there is more to the graphics engine than you might think. It's a pretty game, I must say. And sooooooo pretty in 720p HDTV. And not so much in the table or the background stuff, but in the player models and their animations. I am so impressed with the players and their realistic animation. Each of the 11 characters has their own style, own skeletal structure. The details in their face and skin are quit impressive, down to leg hair and other "attributes". When they are moving, you see actual clothing movement much like 2K Sports introduced in NBA 2K6, where the cloth actually moves independent of the player frame. In fact with some of the lady players when they move a certain way you get just a hair of midriff showing. Too bad Haley is just not that attractive. But I digress. You see scratch marks on their paddles from game wear. They even their own way of holding the paddle. Most hold in the traditional way, but Haley serves the ball with the paddle flat for example. And Liu Ping holds the paddle in a backwards position, using almost total wrist action instead of arm. All their movements and their ball-hitting animations are really authentic, and if you watch any Table Tennis on ESPN 2 or where else they show it, you'll see some of that motion in real life. Other things you see in the game's graphic engine are slight ambiance like overhead lights sheering off some player's clothes, or shining off the paddle surface. And you can see slight reflections of the players in the table. Little things Rockstar was able to do because you are focused in one area. As for the tables and the venues, they look all the same to me.
Sound effects are very basic. Paddle hits ping-pong ball, ping-pong ball hits table. Rinse, lather, repeat. The scorekeeper is very generic, and there is no commentary. The crowd noise is cool and if you do well they'll chant your name and such. If you make a great shot, the crowd will ooo and ahhh. When the volley gets intense you'll hear a little generic music in the background as if it was setting up for a climactic moment or something. For me, I always have my tunes streaming from my PC anyway so I can concentrate. I love that feature. I expect the PS3 and Wii to have similar features or I won't be happy!!
I'm at the end of the review, and I still can't believe Rockstar's first official game for the Xbox 360 is Table Tennis. Hey, at least it's not a port of The Warriors, or something that didn't require any original thought. The thing I am stuck on is the question "Is Table Tennis $39.99 good?" And I'm very much on the fence with that answer. If this were $19.99, even $29.99, this would be a no brainer. Heck, if is was an Xbox Live Arcade download it would have scored a 100. That said, I still think it's worth checking out, even if you're not a sports gamer. If you ever played ping-pong a day in your life, you will have instant respect for this title. I just wish it had more depth to it. That's all that keeps the game from being in the 90's. I still recommend this as at LEAST a rental with option to buy. It's no Midnight Club, but I have a lot of respect for the effort Rockstar put into this game. I went from laughing about it when it was announced, to playing a whole lot of it the last couple weeks. And that's what counts.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice spin from Rockstar's normal formula, June 1, 2006
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
Rockstar Games has a pretty notorious image across the world. They've created controversial games like Grand Theft Auto, Manhunt, State of Emergency, and the upcoming Bully. They wanted to stray away from that bad-boy image with Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis. In their conversion from big and meaty games like Grand Theft Auto, they've made this over-simplified, undeniably fun and extremely challenging ping pong simulator.
Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis...or just Table Tennis, to save my keyboard from deadly wear and tear, isn't a big smash, but it's definitely that smooth right spin that impresses the crowd with a few key twists and sends the weak and unskilled players diving in all kinds of directions.
Table Tennis is a difficult game. Though it's extremely simple in its concept, mastering the game is done on an entirely different level than simply picking up the controller and playing. This is something I couldn't accept for a very long time, and therefore went through a whole mess of emotions regarding the game. Like real table tennis, however, gaining skill and mastering the game is something that is extremely entertaining and exciting.
You see, Table Tennis is a whole lot faster than the tennis games you've played in the past. Imagine Virtua Tennis or Mario Tennis on speed, and you get the point. The controls are mapped to the Xbox 360 controller in a very simple way; with each face button corresponding to a directional spin on the ball and the left analog stick acting as your shot placement. At first, the system feels a little strange. Oftentimes, I felt that my player was "stuck" to the court and wouldn't react to my directions at all, and even more often I found myself using the A button for topspin almost 90% of the time until I got accustomed to the other controls. From there, it's a matter of knowing when and where to place other spins--for example, getting your opponent off-balance is the key to winning points in some rallies, and staying on your feet is the key to staying in the game.
And believe me, the games can be extremely exciting. I can recall several moments throughout the game's Tournament mode where I was sitting on the edge of my seat, staring wide-eyed at the screen and not speaking a word as my on-screen character swatted and dove for a high-speed table tennis ball. The hits would start to pile up and seconds started feeling like minutes. I held my breath and finally exhaled as I'd score a point, or I'd swear and shake my head as the opponent took advantage of my mistakes.
The A.I. in Table Tennis is truly next-generation. Some sports titles exercise obvious intelligence, like running through a huge gap in the defensive line in a football game or taking a wide-open three-point shot in a basketball game. Table Tennis takes it to a whole new level, a level where the A.I. is so unbelievably punishing to one's mistakes that one might begin to think the computer is in fact cheating. This was my thought at first. This attitude led me to truly hate the game until I finally realized what I was doing wrong, worked on my skills, and improved. That shows a truly great video game--a game that not only punishes you for your lack of skill, but forces you to improve through execution.
Visually, Table Tennis doesn't blow any fuses in the Xbox 360. However, it does have extremely detailed character models and some of the best crowd sound effects ever in a video game. You'll hear cell phones going off in the crowd, and when the action picks up, they'll even start chanting the name of the more threatening player. Though the overall look and sound of Table Tennis isn't something that would redefine visuals or sound, they're so well done that it's hard for me to care.
Table Tennis is a game that takes a lot of practice. Fortunatley, there are gameplay modes to accomodate that need. The Tournament mode is the primary source for single-player action, and it offers four cups, each one increasing in difficulty and number of matches required to win. The second mode is Exhibition, which serves as the host for same-screen multiplayer. Training mode is a must in Table Tennis, as it gives exercises for every single facet of the game except for human or A.I. competition. Last of all is an Xbox Live online multiplayer mode, which is obvious enough through that simple description.
Multiplayer will make your Table Tennis experience much better. While the single-player is fun enough on its own, I've decided that it's just practice for playing against friends. Skilled players will find themselves in 100, maybe even 200-hit rallies in no time. There hasn't been a better trash-talk video game since Halo 2.
Table Tennis isn't for everyone. Gamers without patience (i.e. myself, until a certain point) should stay far away from this game, because it's simply too technical and too difficult at first. However, those of you who enjoyed games like the Xbox 360's Top Spin 2 or maybe even the PSP's Virtua Tennis: World Tour, you'll most likely find something to enjoy here. Table Tennis makes the best use of virtual ping pong since the iconic Atari hit Pong, and it should be known that Rockstar can make great games that don't involve swatting at people--at least not swatting baseball bats and katanas.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Table Tennis? Why the heck? I'll tell you why!, November 6, 2006
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Ok I love table tennis in real life. I just have to try this game out and see for myself if it was real. At first you are fustrated at the controls and 10 minutes later. You're hooked like a little kid on candy. You don't wanna stop playing. It becomes addicting. Trust me if you pick this one up you'll make sure it doesn't hit the ground.
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