To me, to you, to me, to you...

Grand Theft Auto; Midnight Club; Manhunt; The Warriors: Rockstar Games certainly have a reputation for releasing streetwise trend-setting titles. Which makes Table Tennis all the more unusual. By turning its hand to this least fashionable of sports, Rockstar's San Diego branch have defied convention with a next-gen pong-alike that's every bit as brilliant as the firm's higher profile releases.

We say Pong with good reason - aside from the obvious relation to the ping-pong nickname, Rockstar's interpretation of table tennis offers an engaging experience that's nearly as simple as the original paddle-based masterpiece, and by today's standards almost embarrassingly easy to pick up and play.

Not that it's free of depth, mind - indeed, Table Tennis boasts a sophisticated shot system that's a joy to behold. Reminding us heavily of everyone's favourite 'proper' Xbox tennis series, Top Spin, the various types of shot are mapped to the pad's four facia buttons and form the core of the game's accessibility.

The A button is your standard flat top spin shot that's ideal for taking the game to an opponent; Y instigates a slower back spin shot that's best used in defensive situations; while X and B activate respective left and right sidespin strokes which can really open up the angles and turn an engaging seven shot rally into an exhilarating seventy stroke epic.

Control is also inherently linked to presentation. Each spin type creates a different coloured trail on the ball, and before long you'll find a subconscious synergy forming between the spin applied by opponents and your own shot selection. Moreover, aiming shots and moving your player are both done with the left analogue stick, so aiming by holding a direction for a long time is likely to leave you out of position if your opponent catches their return just right. Which they have a habit of doing.

Shot strength is dictated by the length of time a button is held; the drawback being that over-charging a shot will cause your pad to rumble uncontrollably - at which point you'll have to pull backwards on the analogue stick to have any hope of seeing your stroke hit the table. Like all of the best sports sims then, there's more to master than first meets the eye.

The good news is that extended play brings with it a deeper understanding of the ebb-and-flow of each point; the moment you start reading your opponent's spin, adjust your strategy and begin dominating rallies it really does offer a great sense of achievement.

Pleasingly, the game recognises and rewards such progress during matches with its Focus system; your character's bar at the top of the screen turning first red, then yellow and finally green when you do truly get in the zone. At this point, you'll move faster, hit harder and become able to employ a one-off Focus Shot with the right bumper - creating a fairly one-sided affair when you're outmatching an opponent, but also an amazing high-speed spectacle when both participants hit green at the same time; lights down low, spotlight on the table, and lightning-quick gameplay keeping you gripped to the on-screen proceedings.

If there's a drawback to all this free-flowing sporting fun, it's that number of modes don't match the depth of the gameplay. Training and exhibition do no more than the names suggest, while Tournament is far from the career modes offered by the likes of Top Spin and Virtua Tennis. There's no ongoing season, custom character, minigames or stats to increase: you'll simply select one of the predetermined characters, and go through a series of increasingly difficult one-on-one matches. It's still fun, but ultimately somewhat short-lived.

Amazingly addictive

Thankfully, the limited singleplayer offering is tempered by an amazingly addictive multiplayer aspect that works every bit as well on Xbox Live as it does with a second player on one machine. Be it online or off, the intensely competitive action of Table Tennis reaches new heights when played against human opposition, while the impressive Live aspect, featuring unranked and ranked games in exhibition and the eight-player Timed Tournament, and a surprisingly lag-free service overall, add hours to the title's longevity.

We'd go as far as to say that the Live service really is the title's saving grace, as it's a fairly light all-around package as next-gen games go - the list of unlockable extras really being limited only to new clothes, and the occasional player and new arena. Luckily, Table Tennis also looks great, which adds distinctly more value to such superficial extras: clothes ripple with each movement, and the character models are standard setters in both detail and animation.

Sadly, the arenas themselves aren't as starting, and the crowd lacks the same visual polish, but make up for it with some atmospheric chants. Sound effects meanwhile are also of a notably high quality - and the music sets a background ambience that thankfully never bridges the gap from cheesy to annoying.

Addictive, immediately accessible and superficially stunning - but also lacking options outside of the main gametype; Table Tennis carries all the hallmarks of a Rockstar title. Despite one: the cost. Released at a budget price, it's difficult not to recommend the game to anyone who doesn't have an almighty grudge against sporting titles in general. The only real reservations stem from the lack of singleplayer longevity, but can be easily overlooked for anyone with an Xbox Live account, while the core gameplay is worth coming back to again and again. It may not be the most expensive game on the system, then, but a game the quality of Table Tennis transcends pound notes and fashion to be regarded as exactly what it is: pure, unadulterated arcade-style fun, and another Rockstar cult classic.

GAME's Verdict

• Intense, addivtice and compelling pick-up-and-play sporting fun.
• Stellar multiplayer mode both off and online.
• Budget price.

• A lack of singleplayer modes = limited longevity.
• Few unlockable extras.
• Occasional CPU cheating and the odd unfair difficulty spike.

Review by: Mark Scott
Version Tested: Xbox 360
Review Published: 15.06.06