Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis

If there were any company that could tackle a game like Table Tennis, I believe that Rockstar could do it. Of course, a company responsible for producing some of the most entertaining and yet controversial games ever made doesn't sound like the sort of company that'd make a ping pong game, but guess what' yeah, I'm not even going to finish that statement. The good news is that this game is pretty fun. Rockstar has created some solid gameplay. Bad news? There isn't much, beyond the simple fact that if Table Tennis isn't your thing, you just aren't going to get anything out of this game. Still interested? Good, let's look deeper.

First, although the graphics and audio aren't of prime importance in a game like this, I think it succeeds on both counts. The models and backgrounds remind me of some of the other next gen sports titles, like NBA Live 06, with all of their bump mapped glory, and the audio does an amazing turn in delivering a game that knows when to be quite as well as when to actually use audio.

But that's not what you're interested in, is it? You want to know how it plays. Fortunately, the answer is an unqualified good. Controlling both the spin and direction of your ball is important, and many of the more difficult strategic choices are handled for you. Although it takes a bit to pick up, there's a great tutorial mode that walks you through the entirety of basic strategy. If you study it well, it'll let you pickup the game quickly, but I wouldn't advise passing it by.

Beyond the gameplay itself, there is a thin single player tournament mode, pointing you clearly at the game's obvious focus. Online play. It's almost like Rockstar decided that their best strategy would be to make a multiplayer game that presented itself and then got out of the way for a little fun. Highly specialized fun, but fun none the less.

Although this game obviously isn't for everyone, it has solid features and great multiplayer functionality. If you're into sports titles, this is a must have.