Charge, focus and unleash
Topspin is the basic offensive shot and often causes the ball to rise high, the longer you hold down the spin button the more it will spin, this is called 'charging'. Whenever you charge a shot a focus metre fills up and, once it starts flashing, can be used to make your shots more effective and powerful. This is activated by using the right button on your control pad. Once you've activated the focus shots the metre will deplete and you'll need to build it up again by charging.
Click for larger image
Click for larger imageThe focus metre fills up when charging any type of spin shot and, if both players activate their focus shots at the same time, the game enters a super focus mode, where the ball travels across the net at lightening speeds. Rallies can often continue for many minutes, so it's these focus shots that really sort the men out from the boys. Once a focus shot is activated the action often slows down for a second, giving you the chance the weigh up the situation and unleash your shot with more accuracy. It's these focus shots and the pin-point accuracy of the control system that prevent Rockstar's Table Tennis from being an average sports game.
On top of the basic spin moves there are also soft shots which are activated by pressing the left bumper. Soft shots instantly take the speed off the ball and will often drop just over the net taking your opponent by surprise. This is why is always crucial to anticipate your opponent's positioning. If they're standing back from the table, a soft shot is often the best form of attack.
Table tennis isn't all about attacking flair though; Counterspinning is the safest way to return a shot. As the ball is returned to your side of the table you'll make out a faint glow of either red, green, yellow or blue around the ball which refer to the buttons on your controller. By returning the ball with the corresponding colour you'll ensure that you're still in with a chance. Unfortunately, it's often extremely difficult to make out the different colours due to the faintness of the glow; I'm forever getting my blues mixed up with my greens.
The final, and possibly the most satisfying shot, is the 'smash'. Timing has to be extremely accurate, as you'll need to not only position yourself in front of the ball, but also remember to start your swing early. On top of this you'll also need to make sure your aiming at the table and not too far to the side.
The mixture of all of these shots make for a compelling game of table tennis. It's tactical, intelligent gameplay that will win the match and many points will be lost by a brief lack of concentration. If a player has a liking for left side spin, try and force him to mix up his shots by sending the ball back with right spin, taking your opponent off guard is the way to win points. The movement of the players and their response to each shot are as accurate as one could imagine in a game of Table Tennis.