Ever since videogame tennis moved into the third dimension, one game has ruled them all – Sega’s almighty arcade treasure, Virtua Tennis (or Virtua Ten, as it is known by the cool and the lazy). It managed to capture the excitement of the sport and couple it with the high-speed gameplay of yesteryear’s tennis games, and as such proved to be wildly successful. Keen to ape this seemingly unbeatable formula, 2K sports created Top Spin, which was released to a modicum of success on the original Xbox. Despite its advantages (pun entirely intended), including Xbox Live capabilities and more real-life tennis stars, it never quite reached the dizzy heights of Sega’s sporting masterpiece. With Top Spin 2, though, the balance of power has definitely shifted.

At first glance, 2K Sports’ sequel is not hugely impressive. The character models, although vastly superior to their Xbox equivalents, pale in comparison to the best the 360 has to offer – including 2K’s own NBA title. However, first glances are often deceiving, and after seeing Federer and co move with striking fluidity and realism, it becomes clear where the development budget has gone. All the better too – what use is a photorealistic game that moves like a Duplo brick? The variety of shot types and techniques is simply astounding – every minute difference in timing and positioning leads to a unique animation, leading to rallies that would not look out of place on the Centre Court itself.

Ah yes, the rallies. Top Spin 2 uses all four face buttons as individual shot types. The A button is reserved for a ‘banker’ shot – essentially a stroke that can never go out of play, but will rarely cause your opponent much difficulty. It’s the slice and top spin that, when used wisely, can open up a rally and turn it in your favour. Mistime a shot though, or aim it too wide, and there’s a strong chance of it landing ‘out’. It’s a basic risk/reward mechanic that suits a sports sim perfectly, and also happens to mimic real tennis to a tee. The game also borrows Virtua Tennis’ now standard ‘early button press equals stronger shot’ system (also appearing in Rockstar Presents Table Tennis), so player movement and positioning becomes crucial in order to maximise the effectiveness of each shot.

At its most basic, Top Spin 2 is a prettier version of Virtua Tennis 2, but only when players begin experimenting with all the aforementioned shot variations does its depth and superiority come to the fore. It’s a far more realistic simulation of tennis, relying more on forethought, tactics and skill than Virtua Tennis’ arcade thrills. Adding to this are the ‘risk shots’ (activated with a tug of the right trigger) which require incredibly tricky timing, but when pulled off are nearly unstoppable. They’re all too easy to get wrong, so multi-player matches can be won or lost on a few brave choices – do you try a risk shot when break point down during a tough rally? Fortune favours the brave… or should that be fortune favours the AI…

Yes, Top Spin 2’s only real downfall is its inconsistent, and somewhat unfair, opponent AI. During the game’s otherwise entirely pleasant career mode (players rise through the tennis tour ranks, earning money and sponsorship as they go), winning tournaments becomes incredibly difficult due to the CPU’s unnerving knack to hit successful risk shots with alarming regularity. Given that, for humans, they genuinely pose a ‘risk’ and are sufficiently tough to pull off, the fact that the computer can choose to smack a risk shot down the line whenever they feel the need makes the single-player unbalanced.

With practice, though, even the devilish computer can eventually be vanquished and the delights of a prosperous tennis career can be enjoyed to the fullest. Where Virtua Tennis offers a mini-game marathon with undersized tournaments as its ‘world tour’, Top Spin 2 bears more resemblance to the real thing. Coaches can be hired and fired, training regimes set up and tournaments selected dependant on your cash and ranking. It’s slightly sterile, but makes for a sufficiently weighty single-player game.

As we all know, though, sports games are about real competition and Top Spin’s two- and four-player battles are magnificent. Tense, taut, fast paced and never anything less than exciting, 2K’s effort captures the drama of the sport superbly and with some superb crowd effects, the big game atmosphere is spot on. With Xbox Live to come, Top Spin 2 could prove to be an essential multi-player title in the coming months. Just don’t spend too much time on your own, as those cheating AI bastards will make your blood boil.

Jon Denton