Top Spin 4 (Wii)

(More than a little frustrating at times!) (I apologise to the poor computer players at whom I have ranted, the little tantrums I have thrown, etc!)

I'm a huge tennis fan and have been playing this game for a few months. My first character in the career mode was somewhat undistinguished (you could say, though I enjoyed changing her appearance every so often!). It took me an absolute eternity to progress to a certain point of the game (the point where the player faces off against the legendary players and undertakes the final challenges and tournaments) and I eventually gave up on my first character after a zillion (that's what it felt like!) attempts at beating Nadal and co.

My second career is going much better, and I've created a third player too. I love the satisfaction of hitting clean winners (my first player didn't have such weapons!): I love the feeling of a crunching forehand winner. Overall, this game has been more than worth the money for me and I recommend it to other gamers and tennis fans. Some points I would like to raise, though:

I'd LOVE for there to be an option to save the game halfway through a tournament (if there IS such an option and I've missed it then please accept my apologies, I have searched and willed for there to be such an option at times!). Some of these tournaments can take an awfully long time (okay, I admit that I am not the best player!) and I really think this game would benefit from an option to save.
Maybe this is picky, but I'd like the game to progress at a faster pace. I'd appreciate just pressing A (or B, or whatever) to skip the player's celebrations/frustrations after points and the sit-downs at the change of ends.

I've played Grand Slam Tennis for the Wii (a game I love) but admit that I did not really utilise the Wii Motion Plus to full potential there so I'm not qualified to comment on such an issue (the lack of Wii Motion Plus) here.

To reiterate, the game has brought me pleasure (and driven me crazy!): thanks to the makers for this game, and look forward to any future games...

Firstly, I must point out that I am (at least) an above average gamer (especially of sports games), and also play and follow tennis in 'real life,' knowing a lot about the game, the players, etc. Secondly, I am confused by the negative reviews here, as people seem to be very critical of the fact that you have to move the wii remote a bit to hit certain shots. Isn't that what the wii was always supposed to be about? I admit at first I was slightly frustrated, but I found out that you only need minimal movement at times, and certain shots need virtually no movement whatsoever, the shots being performed by basically pressing one or two of the buttons. The top-spin shot is the hardest to execute, but I eventually (more or less) got the hang of it.

I admit this game isn't perfect. Minor gripes include the fact that it was released in 2011, when Andy Murray was already establishing himself as a truly 'great' tennis player, (winning many events throughout the year and being a regular in the top 4 of the world) and yet in this game he isn't great at all. He is good, but not great. I can't understand that during my career with the male player I created, I had so much trouble beating a female player (Vera Zvonareva), compared to the relative ease in which I beat Andy Murray (who in reality must be a nightmare to play against).

But like I say, minor gripes. The game overall is very good. The graphics are good and many of the players quite realistic, either in appearance or game style, or both. The career mode for me is now almost complete after only a few days of acquiring the game, and I found knowledge of the game helped a lot in my bid to reach the top! After numerous defeats against a certain Vera Zvonareva, I finally beat her, but then realised (not knowing this at the time) I would've found it easier if I'd completed one or two more of the training exercises (therefore increasing my players' abilities) before taking her on in the exhibition match. I like the fact your player does seem to tire at certain times, which adds to the realism of it. I also like the fact that if you get your players' serve attributes to the full 'level' 6, with a bonus from your coach, it means serving aces is easier. I love the fact the player I created can rattle off service games in no time, sometimes serving 4 aces in a row (not in the same place, I like variety). And it is fun because serving aces isn't easy, it takes practice, but it's easy once you know what to do and then it becomes hugely entertaining and satisfying.

I also advise anyone wanting to get through the poorer players and the easier challenges early in your career without too many problems, to come to the net and finish the point off with a volley as soon as possible. This will save time, especially if your groundstrokes don't allow you to dominate from the baseline. My player now has the following attributes, and I feel following a similar look for your player will be beneficial:

Serve: Level 6 (+ bonus)
Forehand: Level 6 (+ bonus)
Backhand: Level 3
Volley: Level 3 (+ bonus)
Speed: Level 3

Again I must stress that the speed attribute isn't that important early on, but will need to get it up to at least 2 or 3 to avoid getting frustrated by the faster players such as Nadal and Jelena Jankovic (especially if your player gets tired). Having a decent knowledge of the game and the positional aspect of the game and where your player needs to be will help too.

This is probably the best one I've played in a while (and I've played a number of tennis games on various consoles throughout my gaming days). The controls are tricky but can be conquered without too much trouble, and the exhibition mode is another very good aspect. I recently played a match on the very hardest level as Nadal against Djokovic, and even with skipping through changeovers, and allowing for there being no breaks in play that you'd get with a 'real' match between these two, it was typically a close match. Eventually Nadal prevailed in a 3-set epic that lasted about 1 hour and 15 minutes!

All in all very good and much recommended.

Five star amazing quality great product no problems. Good packaging and postage was on time . . . . .