Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis: Information from Answers.com

Release Date: May 23, 2006
Genre: Sports
Style: Miscellaneous Sport
Similar Games: Top Spin 2 (Xbox 360), Virtua Tennis 3 (Xbox 360)

Game Description

Normally known for gritty, mature-themed action adventures, the development team at Rockstar San Diego serves up this unlikely sports game, intended to translate the furious and intense action of table tennis to the Xbox 360. Designed to mimic the exciting experience of international table tennis competition, the game allows players to choose from 11 distinct characters, which vary both in appearance and abilities. These up-and-coming athletes must train, to master various shots and techniques. When they are ready for competition, they will compete across 19 venues while sporting authentic equipment and apparel from some of the top names in table tennis, including Killerspin, Adidas, Joola, and Butterfly.

~ Damian Francis, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

After setting the industry ablaze with a revamped Grand Theft Auto series and then cementing its M-rated reputation with such homicidal handiwork as Manhunt and The Warriors, Rockstar Games built its success on delivering titles geared toward the adult action crowd. So the announcement of a Ping-Pong title on Xbox 360 seemed like a joke. The question was never how well the recreational sport would be translated, but what exactly were the developers planning to do with the paddles… the balls… the bounce?

Table Tennis is indeed a legitimate game, and a rather addictive one at that. While it doesn't have the level of depth you'd find in other sports titles, the action itself is as polished as the hardwood floors on which you'll play. On the surface, Table Tennis delivers a remarkably similar game to "normal" tennis, but its blistering pace and strategy make you wonder why this wasn't attempted before. It is not unusual to be mentally and even physically drained after a match, as planning and positioning shots must be done within split seconds as the ball slams across your side of the table with unrelenting speed.

While the highly detailed and expressive characters will certainly turn heads, the game's success is due to its realistic ball physics. Each of the four main spin shots react to the table exactly as you'd expect them to, given the variables of a character's attribute ratings, position of the paddle when he or she hit it, and the amount of "oomph" applied by holding down the button. Balls will glance off edges, hit players in the chest, kiss the net, and much more. There are only two camera angles, but both do a great job at keeping the ball (and your character) in focus at all times.

Table Tennis' biggest weakness is its variety, or lack thereof. Detailed statistics are tracked and players are encouraged to use each character at least once in the tournament mode, but there is no create-character option, no career, no offbeat outfits to unlock other than boring shirts, and no mini-games. Table Tennis is a title you will play online or off for 30 minutes at a time, so those expecting a full-fledged sports package will be sorely disappointed. Yet its fast-paced action, Xbox Live support, and stellar physics are easily worth the price of admission. Hopefully the game's success will inspire Rockstar to holster the weapons more often and tackle other quasi-sports. Badminton, anyone?