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missing a lot

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: June 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

i was intrigued when i heard rockstar was doing a game that wasnt somewhere along the lines of gta so i picked this up....i have to say, im pretty unimpressed with it. dont get me wrong, the graphics are really very well done. the character rendering and movement is all above the bar. but darn if there is just very little to actually play on this game. you have your exhibition mode, and an easy, normal, and hard tournament. and the only unlockables are a couple of tables and uniforms. i was hoping for at least some career mode, something that would engage me and make me work toward something a bit longer than one tournament. too bad.

Lacks depth and variety

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 08, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is not a full fledged game like Virtua Tennis. It is fun to play with others, that's about it. There is no shelf life for this game. Gets repetitive and boring very fast. They should have thought about modes, mini-games and other stuff. Rent or borrow and play it for couple of days. Buying it is not worth it.

Over rated

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Rockstar Table Tennis is a glaring example of how industry adoration can inflate ratings of otherwise poor games. It is no secret that Rockstar is beloved by many for giving us the GTA series amongst others but it is a puzzle as to why this game had universal praise since it was released.

Just to be clear, Rockstar San Diego developed this title using the RAGE engine which coincidentally powers GTA IV now. It was obviously a test for the developer and the engine. Fine. I would not rate a title poorly simply for this notion alone. It may be simple and far less value than a GTA title for instance but it still has the right to play well and offer a unique experience.
This was possible with Table Tennis, but unfortunately the game suffers from impossible AI and shoddy mechanics.
The single player Tournament mode is where the most obvious of these flaws presents itself. Imagine practicing the 4 various spins in the game along with the timing of shots, placements and almost uselss "focus shots" only to be faced with computer opponents who will volley the impossible. Whats the point you ask? Why does your character miss the ball when you've timed it right and the shot is not a reach? You can time a shot perfectly but for some reason your character will straight up miss the ball. If this was some kind of realistic odds manipulator placed in the game's code I would beleive it. Much of the games mechanics rely on your reactions but if your character's animations fail to reflect your reactions, then you're screwed.
Another bad mark on this games charts is the fact that the computer's AI (especially Jesper) can near impossible even on a Medium setting. This AI will decide when it wants to that it can reach any shot, score any ace and defend against the best shots you can send its way.
Characters are dull and quiet and there is no motivation to unlock any sort of jersey because they all look pretty bland. Yes the characters are unbalanced (Jesper) and you will always get beat by the stronger character.
Multiplayer isnt so plagued with the tyrannical AI but thats ok because the game trades that flaw in for a new one. LAG. lag is great in table tennis. Especially when you see a ball come back at you that nobody hit. nough said?
Finally the AI rubberbanding in this title is unforgiving. This is painfully obvious when you trounce the computer 10-1 only to be beat 11-0 the next time. If you can beat someone 10-1 why wouldnt you be able to score at least 1 or 2 points in the following match? Because the computer has increased it's own abilities mid tournament.
It is not that I want to rate this game as a bad game from start to finish. Its a slap in the face because it really should have been better. It was a arrogant and sloppy job on Rockstar San Diego's behalf and I warn whoever tries to buy this title. Don't.

Short Term Fun - No Long Term Rewards

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 29 / 42
Date: July 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Table Tennis is the classic game of dorm rooms and cellars. Rockstar - famous for its Grand Theft Auto series - has brought this tame game of white balls to the XBox 360.

First, the basics. You get a practice mode, a one-shot exhibition game (best 2 out of 3) and then a tournament series. In practice you learn all the basics, of course, and I highly recommend you go through this. Make sure you can get a perfect score in each test before you try a human. Then go on to an exhibition, to try your luck in short sets. You'll learn how to read the color of an opponent's ball, to see if it's a top, bottom, left or right spin. If you match your hit to the ball spin, you do much better.

Finally it's time for the tournament. Tournaments are relatively short - just 4 or 5 games of a few matches each, and then it's over. End of game. You start anew.

Yes, you unlock jerseys, players and boards, but there really is no long term fun here. You can't build a character up, and work on her career. I'm not that thrilled about new jerseys - I want to learn new skills, to build up my stats. The color-matching is fun at first, but it seems that there should be more finesse available besides just 'hard' and 'soft'.

Gameplay might be really frustrating for people who are good at "real" table tennis - I've certainly heard this from tennis table players I've gotten to play the game. The reactions are very sluggish. But for "gamers" like me, it's not about realism, as much as learning what works in the game. In this case, it's about deciding on a move by the time the ball is at the net. If you wait too long, your character is unable to move for the ball. If you're off balance, you are sure to fail. If you don't match the spin, you're also pretty sure to fail even if it looks like you SHOULD get the ball. So it's all about set-up. If you're in the right place, and hit the right spin, it goes smoothly. It's like a visual matching game more than a table tennis match. So when you get into that rhythm, it doesn't seem sluggish at all. It's timing of a different sort, you're timing it to when the ball releases from your opponent.

The graphics are really very pretty - the detail in the stands is quite impressive. However, in a way it's wasted. When the ball is zooming at 500 mph, you don't see anything else. It's just you, the ball, and maybe your opponent's paddle. That might be just as well, because the opponents looked a bit like plastic skin dolls. They had nice details, but very plasticky skin.

The sounds are very basic. Gnip. Gnop. Crowd cheer. Angry retort from your opponent when you crush him.

Which brings me to the part of the game that really bothered me - and the main reason I didn't feel like playing this for long periods of time. The whole game exudes anger. Either your character is furious at herself (or I suppose himself) for missing a shot or doing something silly - or your opponent is stomping around in front of you growling. There's never a happy moment in this game. You're angry, they're angry. If your opponent is winning, he is taunting you with obnoxious moves. I suppose you deserve it, because when YOU are winning you start taunting your opponent with hand gestures and sneers.

I'm playing games because I am worn down by work and need a break and relaxation. When I play real table tennis with my friends, it's a way to release some steam, have fun, and relax. It's not to get snarled at!

So while I quickly got the hang of playing - and was winning readily where my table tennis playing friends were losing - I didn't have any *incentive* to keep playing once I was set with my testing for the review. There are plenty of games I can play that feel very rewarding as I progress. In this game there's no progress - and there's a lot of angry feeling.

Marginal Game - Very Limited Scope

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 8
Date: May 28, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Tennis game has been made available on console systems as early as for the 8-bit Nintendo (as far as I remember). So why not table tennis? The only good reason I have come up so far is that table tennis is not a very well known and loved in this country (US) as comparing to tennis.

I love playing table tennis and with the above reason, I definitely give Rockstar credits for making this game available for the Xbox 360.

These are the Pro's and Con's of the game:
Pro's:
1) Fun sport. It's table tennis! It's different.
2) Graphic is good.
3) There is no learning curve. It's very simple to play.

Con's:
1) There is no career mode.
2) The game mode is too simple. There is no "upgrade" in this game. Meaning the game wasn't designed to allow you to use either money or points (or your progress) to buy or invest in better equipment.
3) The tournament is very simple. The game just shows the tournament tree instead of making it look like you really enter one.
4) It is a little sluggish to move the player.
5) Only two view modes (near or far).
6) No tournament for double.
7) There is no choice for picking either shake-hand or pen-holder style (the way you hold the paddle). You just pick the pre-built player with his/her holding type.

I guess for its price $39.99, I can't expect much out of it. After all, it's still a fun game to play.

I hope you enjoy.

Fun? Maybe. Longevity? No.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 5
Date: May 27, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game has received alot of hype regarding the gameplay and fun factor. I was disappointed after playing the game...

1) The controls are basic (left spin, right spin, top spin, back spin). It doesnt feel like you have much control over your character...moving them is sluggish and non-responsive at times.

2) No create-a-player or story mode, just repetitive gameplay.

3) Online is too basic (again, created players would have helped here...)

I think this qualifies as one of those games that is fun to play for about a day...then the novelty wears off.

game is alot of fun plying on line

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 6
Date: August 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

this game look nice but the game play get tiresome and a little hard for non veteran player. plying on line is a experience .as a solo very good sport game I been waiting for this kind of game since I start playing games 12 years ago.recomended

Table Tennis

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 4
Date: August 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The best part of this game is XBox live play, solo is so-so.

no problems

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: January 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Everything was just the way is supposed to be.....

no problems with anything

thanks

Deservedly a budget title

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 27 / 33
Date: July 09, 2006
Author: Amazon User

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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