Top Spin 3

Developer: PAM
Format: Wii, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Sport

New balls? You betcha!

The Wii is not short of tennis games. The Wii isn't even short of good tennis games, just look at Sega Superstars Tennis as a fine example of making full use of the motion-sensor controllers.

But what the Wii does lack is a realistic tennis game featuring real players, not Sega characters or characters that don't even have proper bodies, as seen in Wii Sports. Top Spin has stepped up to fill that rather gaping hole. And we're very grateful for it.

Tennis fans will have the opportunity to play on more than 40 prestigious venues from around the world such as Roland Garros in Paris (French Open) and Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne (Australian Open). There's also a new Player Creator feature to customise their own unique tennis stars with free-form body sculpting, makeup and tattoos.

Not that there should be much need for it - Top Spin 3 boasts a full cast of talented real-life players including Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, as well as Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg and Monica Seles, three of the sport's legendary players. Finally, we get real players to play with!

Include an online mode and not forgetting the chance to wave a Wii Remote in front of your TV like a loon and you may as well serve some strawberries and cream to complete the experience! A release is scheduled for mid May.

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