So far, the conventional wisdom seems to follow this path: Pong launched video games, and is therefore great; Table Tennis is like a greatly expanded Pong; therefore, Table Tennis must also be great. Most of the people making the comparison probably haven't played Pong lately.
Indeed, Table Tennis is pretty good. But it's (obviously) also a lot more like Pong than the real sport: fun in five-minute intervals, but can't sustain itself over any real stretch of time. In that respect, the game isn't much different from any given Live Arcade title. So why are we paying forty bucks? Oh, right. The name: Rockstar.
From a functional perspective, this is a thin package. Offline, you've got a basic solo tournament ladder and single-screen multiplayer; online it's basically the same thing. There are mini tournaments and single exhibition games. There's a tiny bit of lag when serving online, but otherwise the experience is fundamentally the same in each arena.
The only difference between playing online and off is the human element. Rockstar has put together some respectable AI for the offline game, mostly avoiding coding a single glaring flaw into each opponent. But there's not much comparison between playing the AI and a real person, and online at least you'll find the variety and unpredictability that people sometimes bring to the table.
What differentiates Table Tennis from the godfather of video games is a certain control depth. The face buttons and right analog stick interchangeably serve to swat the ball, though the face buttons are slightly more responsive. The button pressed correlates to spin put on the ball. Tap for a little, hold for a lot. Holding for spin also charges a focus meter, which can be used to put even more energy behind a hit.
The left stick, meanwhile, moves both the player and the direction of the shot. Early on, the game's challenge involves keeping your avatar on the proper corner of the table while trying to swat the ball to the opposite corner. Since the humans in the game don't move with the grace of the ball, it's a bit more difficult than it sounds. It's easy to end up several feet away from the table (and the ball) while simply trying to place a shot.
But Rockstar has compensated by largely automating the process of volleying the ball. As long as your character is in the general vicinity of the shot, there's a good chance paddle will find ball, as long as you swing at the right time. Not much lateral movement necessary until a volley begins to gain power and speed.
And of course there are options to soft hit the ball so it drops right behind the net, or slam it when your opponent flubs a return and pops it up like a softball. The ball's physics aren't outstanding, but they're good enough that you'll know a shot is going to dive into the net before it actually happens.
So Table Tennis is a bit more than "Pong with better graphics." The controls are easy to learn, but offer a wide variety of strategies for those who take the game seriously enough to develop them. But it's still not involving enough to generate the sort of devotion that's made the real game a phenomenon in some countries.
Visually, there's not much to crow about, though the basic details are captured well. There are only two functional camera views, near and far. The close position is a bit too tight, but is better for seeing the spin on the ball; the far view is more practical, but you'll squint to see the spin, especially on a non-HD set.
Rockstar has come up with a good package of sound effects. Different tables and halls have their own distinct tones, and the crowd noise rises and falls along with the fortunes of each player.
In the search for something really interesting to say about the game, we're tempted to muse that Table Tennis represents a conspiracy between Rockstar and Microsoft to sell the 360 in Asia. But that conspiracy is even less compelling than Dan Brown's. There's simply not that much to say. After all, it's freakin' ping pong.
Good Points: Polished controls; Solid online play; Good sound
Bad Points: Doesn't offer much for offline play; Wears thin quickly
Review
Title:
Table Tennis
