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How Metascores Are Calculated
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Altered Beast
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
Everything you loved about Top Spin is back and made even better. The peerless player-creator is reborn with the powerful Digital Identity that truly puts you in the game. Experience the pro tour in venues that are alive and dynamic with environmental elements that react to your play. Characters are even more stunning with the addition of HD technology and the inclusion of the top players in the world like Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer. Create realistic player models and customize them with the highest level of details. Hairstyles, sweatbands, shirts, shorts, shoes, and more allow you to create a player with your look and your style. Silky smooth animations, vibrant colors, and hi-definition technology delivers illustrious depictions of players, stadiums, and crowds bringing tennis to life on the Xbox 360. Take on, play as, or team up with 24 of the world's top ranked professionals, featuring tennis stars: Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, Carlos Moya, Tommy Haas, James Blake, Lleyton Hewitt, Guillermo Coria, Tim Henman, Max Mirnyi, Alex Kuznetsov, Brendan Evans, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Ai Sugiyama, Lindsay Davenport, Anastasia Myskina, Daniela Hantuchova, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Amelie Mauresmo, Alicia Molik, Angela Haynes, Jamea Jackson, and Corina Morariu. [2K Sports]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 90
AceGamez
Top Spin 2 takes everything that was great about the original and enhances it with some simply fantastic next generation visuals, adds even more depth to the gameplay and controls, delivers a comprehensive Career mode complete with sponsorship, trainers and even fully customisable bling and new rackets to buy, and provides a lag free and highly enjoyable (when you're winning!) online experience.
 90
Pelit (Finland)
An excellent tennis game. There is not much to complain about, except for the bit too steep learning curve. Freeform strike-practice wold not have hurt, either. [Aug 2006, p.46]
87
Games Master UK
Racquet-chuckingly frustrating at first, but rewardingly rich after a few plays. [May 2006, p.55]
85
Game Informer
Overall, Top Spin 2 gets the job done with an attention to detail that might be a bit offputting to casual fans. [May 2006, p.104]
85
Planet Xbox 360
The character development elements of career mode are well emplaced and coincide nicely with the unique features of training mode and the participation of your player in different regionals, opens, and slams.
84
GameZone
A dream title for sports gamers. Not only does it improve upon its forerunner, it completely revamps its gameplay engine making for an absolutely blissful virtual tennis experience.
84
Gaming Target
Top Spin 2 usurps its originator in every regard. The amount of detail is breathtaking at times and the career mode exhibits a vast amount of depth, not to mention the open-ended create-a-player feature.
83
Kombo
2K Games and PAM Development have crafted an immensely satisfying game of tennis that will likely draw in any gamer with the patience and will to make it through the fairly steep learning curve.
83
Next Level Gaming
It does look sharp, and the idea of making your own player and taking him online for his own Xbox Live career is intriguing. And the offline career mode is much better than the first game.
82
GameSpot
The gameplay has been sharpened to create an experience that expertly balances technicality and quick, accessible fun. Add to that a first-rate presentation and some solid solo and multiplayer offerings, and you've got a package that any tennis fan would be foolish to pass up.
81
Play.tm
While there is little new introduced to the series and the presentational side of the game feels a tad dated with hardly better than average graphics to show, the gameplay remains slick and highly pleasing.
81
VGPub
Graphically, TS2 doesn’t look a heck of a lot prettier than it did on its Xbox debut.
81
Worth Playing
The spotty player movement, slightly difficult-to-control shots and almost too highly skilled A.I. take what could have been a classic and make it into just a great game.
80
X360 Magazine UK
Just don't spend much time on your own, as those cheating AI bastards will make your blood boil. [Issue#6, p.98]
80
MS Xbox World
They have certainly spent a lot of time tweaking the gameplay mechanics to create something more entertaining and more importantly, fair online, however there are still some minor quibbles that will displease.
80
Thunderbolt
It obviously looks and sounds great being a 360 title, with subtle differences in audio over the different courts most obvious, but you’ll also notice that a little more effort has been made to make the courts more animated than in previous titles.
80
Operation Sports
This game is listed at $39.99 - which is twenty dollars less than most Xbox 360 games. If you are a tennis fan, you have no reason to not pick this game up.
80
Boomtown
The game looks and sounds delightful, and is every bit as good as you expect.
80
VideoGamer
Even with a number of sloppy audio problems and an overall game that feels strikingly similar to Top Spin on the Xbox, it's still hugely addictive.
80
Edge Magazine
Developer PAM has reinvented a game that no longer strives to be a thinking man’s alternative to Virtua, but something altogether superior. [May 2006, p.94]
80
1UP
And even though the character float problem persists, the new tournament save option and improved aesthetics (some really nice lighting work can be seen in some of the outdoor courts) are worth the upgrade.
80
GamerFeed
The career mode is loaded with challenges, the online play is suitable (if a bit average), and the create-a-player mode is off the charts in design features.
80
Official Xbox Magazine
On Xbox Live, Top Spin 2 shines just as brightly as its predecessor. There are leaderboards and tiered matchmaking--all of it lag-free. [May 2006, p.81]
80
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Top Spin 2 does a fine job of delivering tense smack-the-ball-back-and-forth action. [May 2006, p.88]
79
Team Xbox
The next-gen quotient could have been higher (the online area is fairly weak), as Top Spin 2 sometimes seems like a slightly better version of the original. A bit more thought put into the gameplay definition of “next-gen” would have paid large dividends.
79
Xbox Evolved
With all the gameplay mechanics still there, and good graphics, PAM have offered a ‘faster’ sequel, and one that should not be passed up.
78
IGN
It's tougher and has a steeper learning curve than its predecessor and is less pick-up-and-playable than Virtua Tennis, however, so it loses some of that instant charm and quick play that gave both of those titles such light touches.
78
Cheat Code Central
Perhaps it was my lack of real interest or the length of time since I played the first game, but the challenge level was a little intimidating.
78
My Gamer
The actual gameplay is pretty polished and the online play makes it easy to keep up a long-term love affair for tennis fans or, I suppose, people who really enjoyed Pong.
77
Jolt Online Gaming UK
It doesn’t look as good as it could quite easily have done, and nowhere near enough progression from the first title has been made to justify it being referred to as a sequel. However, the engine is still solid enough to provide an enjoyable and often blister-inducing game of tennis.
70
Play Magazine
It's all about the career mode in Top Spin 2, where you can build your own superstar through the ranks. [May 2006, p.54]
70
Games Radar (in-house)
Unusually addicting and accessible for a serious sports game, Top Spin 2 offers a lot of gameplay for a very reasonable $40.
70
Yahoo! Games
It has an uncanny appreciation for the nuances of real tennis. It's smart and unforgiving.
70
Eurogamer
Top Spin 2 is a fine tennis title and a game you'll have a lot of fun with off or online, but one that does little to justify its price tag, and is little more than a high def update of the original.
70
RewiredMind
What surprises me about Top Spin 2 is exactly how accurately it resembles a real game of tennis.
70
Total Video Games
Fun and addictive in short bursts with enough depth to sustain your interest to longer sessions.
70
Sydney Morning Herald
Though it's not without its faults, this is still an ace tennis simulation.
70
Official Xbox Magazine UK
Jaw-droppingly beautiful to look at, no worse to play than its excellent originator, but not really that much of a step forward. New balls, please!
70
games(TM)
Risk shots aside, though, this is a near perfect tennis game, making it even more of a shame that they’re so imperfectly implemented. [May 2006, p.110]
70
PALGN
If you're into tennis games then Top Spin 2 comes highly recommended, just don't expect a completely upgraded game.
70
Digital Entertainment News
Top Spin 2 is the first next-gen tennis game, and that in itself is bound to attract some attention. However, even with all the bells and whistles it still isn't any more fun than Virtua Tennis was so many years ago, and in fact it suffers nnumerous crippling flaws. Only the most devoted tennis fans should really care about this one.
70
Xboxic
Not mind-blowing, but it’s worth checking out if you like sports games.
70
360 Gamer Magazine UK
Close, but no Robinson's Barley Water. [Issue #7]
70
Gamestyle
The visuals are lovely, though, and although they're not the most fluid the frame rate is acceptable throughout given the realtime shadows, cloud effects and three-dimensional crowd.
67
GameShark
The online mode is very bare bones – there are rankings, but that’s about it.
67
Game Revolution
Its gameplay is genuinely good, particularly in the way it emulates the touch and feel that are such hallmarks of the real sport, but its uninspired delivery and dated Career design leave it a step or two behind the ball.
65
ZTGameDomain
Perhaps with a better balanced career mode and some optimized loading times we can finally get the tennis game we have all been dreaming of, for now TS2 will simply have to do.
65
Gamers Europe
A bit of a mixed bag. A half-decent tennis sim crocked by middle of the road graphics and an infuriatingly stupid and poorly implemented career mode.
60
Computer Games Magazine
Top Spin 2 is the most complete tennis experience on any platform to date. [July 2006, p.93]
60
GameSpy
A decent sequel to the first game that is ultimately mired by an intolerably imbalanced career mode.
60
GamePro
For a game trying to give a realistic tennis experience, the ranking and simulation system is downright embarassing.
40
G4 TV
Top Spin 2 shares a lot of traits with its predecessor, but they’re overshadowed a bit by the maddening difficulty and A.I. fluctuations and graphics that don’t really scream “next gen.”
Manolo B. gave it a9: Apocalypse Brown gave it a7: [Anonymous] gave it a7: Martin S. gave it a3: Reel World gave it a4: Jason A. gave it a9: Nick T. gave it a4: |
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