Let's start by saying the Top Spin 3 tennis roster is small, with only 16 licensed players and three legends. The PS3 version gets some Spanish guy as extra while we don't, but it's Spain so who cares. Now how is this game different from Top Spin 2 or even Pong? It's a hell of alot more complex to learn. You got to position the player accurately to make the shot, and you have to time it right if you want the shot to be a lob or smash. Now this may be more realistic, but when we're talking about a little white ball and pixels, you know it's going to cause problems.

So the learning curve is very steep as you adjust your eyes and controller to match the action. As for the gameplay modes, it's all pretty standard stuff. You've got exhibition and tournament for singles and doubles. You've got 40 venues and all types of courts. The gameplay even includes a few finishing moves that keep things interesting.

The graphics are acceptable for a 360 title with good textures for the clothing, but a lack of polygons for the body. The faces look great during closeups, but otherwise, the detailed features are lost during gameplay. The loading is especially long for this game. The soundtrack is a diverse group of mainly rock.

You can play online in single matches or tournaments that start twice a month. The very steep learning curve will confuse and frustrate gamers who are used to arcade type tennis games. But those who love tennis and are looking for deeper gameplay will find that Top Spin 3 was created for them. But not for anybody else.