Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis

Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis is a 2006 table tennis simulation video game developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. The game is a realistic simulation of the sport table tennis, with the main objective to make the opponent fail to hit the ball.

Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis
Developer(s)Rockstar San Diego[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Rockstar Games
Director(s)Daren Bader
Producer(s)Darion Lowenstein
Designer(s)Benjamin Johnson
Programmer(s)Wil Paredes
Artist(s)
  • Joseph Pileski
  • Ted Bradshaw
EngineRAGE
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

The game features various methods of serving and returning the ball, designed for players to beat their opponent. Players can compete against the game's artificial intelligence, while the game's multiplayer mode lets two players compete in matches, either through local multiplayer or online. Initially developed specifically for the Xbox 360 console, the development team took advantage of the hardware's graphical power, allowing the game to play at a faster pace than with previous hardware. The game was the first to be developed using Rockstar's proprietary Rockstar Advanced Game Engine. The game was released for the Xbox 360 in May 2006 and was released for the Wii in October 2007.

Its announcement in March 2006 led to confusion and surprise, due to its significantly different style from Rockstar's previous projects. It received generally positive reviews upon release, with praise particularly directed at its simplicity, replayability and detailed visuals.

Gameplay

Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis is a realistic simulation of the sport of table tennis. In the game, two players hit a ball back and forth from one another. The goal of the game is to make the opponent fail to return the ball.[2] Players have the ability to challenge a multiplayer partner, either offline or online, or can select to challenge the game's artificial intelligence.[3] Players can select from a roster of eleven characters, which are unlocked as they progress through the game; each character has particular skills in different areas.[4]

Players challenge opponents in competitive matches, serving and returning the ball in order to score points.

The game features two modes: Tournament, which involves players participating against a variety of players in different circuits; and Exhibition, which involves players challenging individual opponents in non-ranked matches.[5][6] When preparing to serve the ball, players enter a stance. During this stance, players aim the ball, followed by selecting the amount of spin and power to place on the ball, as indicated by the spin meter.[7]

Players can also place a level of spin on their ball, curving it in a different direction. After the opponent returns the ball, players have the ability to "charge" their shots. As the shots are charged, the Focus meter increases; when the meter fills, players enter the Full Focus state, in which their shots are faster and more accurate.[8] Players can also perform soft shots and smashes, respectively decreasing and increasing the speed of the ball,[9] and Focus Shots, high-powered returns that help players counter difficult shots.[10]

The Wii port of the game offers three different control schemes: Standard, using the Wii Remote; Sharp Shooter, which uses the Nunchuk's analog control to place the ball; and Control Freak, using the Nunchuk's analog stick to control the player's position.[11]

Development
Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis was developed for the Xbox 360. The development team took advantage of the hardware's graphical power, and found that it allowed them to develop games at a faster pace than with previous hardware.

Preliminary work on Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis began in 2005, prior to the announcement of the Xbox 360, which the game was developed for.[12] Rockstar San Diego, the core team behind the game, found that the hardware allowed them to develop games at a faster pace than with the previous hardware. Rockstar president Sam Houser felt that Rockstar San Diego was a suitable developer for the game due to their demonstration of skill in developing advanced engines, particularly early in a console generation, citing Midnight Club: Street Racing and Smuggler's Run (both 2000), which were launch games for the PlayStation 2. Houser also said that, though the game's physics were achievable on the old hardware, the team waited for the possibility to develop for the Xbox 360 due to the "different level of production and technology" that it allowed.[12] In developing the game's concept, the team was fascinated with concentrating the entire power of a particular hardware into one activity.[12] The game runs off the proprietary Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE), and is the first game to do so.[13]

Network programmer John Gierach found the development of the online multiplayer mode challenging, due to the level of realism the development team attempted to create. In addition, the speed and accuracy required for the game was also a challenge for the team, due to the fast pace of the matches.[14] When discussing the possibility of porting the game to the Wii, the team agreed almost immediately, as they felt that the console was a "perfect fit" for the game.[15] While developing the Wii version, the team particularly considered how to serve all types of players, thus allowing a range of different control schemes.[15]

The game was first announced by Rockstar Games on March 3, 2006. Journalists noted the surprised reactions that the announcement caused within the gaming industry, which they owed to the game's significant difference when compared to Rockstar's reputation of developing mature titles.[12] The game was released for the Xbox 360 on May 23, 2006 in North America, and on May 26, 2006 in the PAL region.[16] On July 18, 2007, Rockstar announced that the game would be ported to the Wii, taking advantage of the motion sensing Wii Remote. The Wii version was released on October 17, 2007 in North America, and on October 19, 2007 in the PAL region.[17]

Reception

The Xbox 360 version of Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis received "favorable" reviews, while the Wii version received "average" reviews, according to the Review aggregation website Metacritic.[18][19] Reviewers particularly praised its gameplay, detailed visuals, simplicity, and online multiplayer. In Japan, where the Xbox 360 version was ported and published by Microsoft Game Studios on October 12, 2006,[34] followed by the Wii version, which was published by Spike on April 16, 2009,[35] Famitsu gave the former console version a score of one eight, two sevens, and one eight for a total of 30 out of 40.[23]

The technical aspects of the game, such as the graphics and animation, received acclaim. IGN's Douglass C. Perry felt that the graphics and motion capture are "exceptional", and the animation is "beautiful", as well as praising the stable frame rate.[31] GameSpot's Ryan Davis wrote that the characters were designed with "phenomenal detail", though felt that "there's not much else to look at".[27] GamesRadar+'s Dan Amrich commended the game's player models and lighting effects, stating that they "put the hardware to impressive yet playful use".[36] Tom Orry of VideoGamer.com felt that the visuals improve the gameplay, particularly applauding smaller details such as the player models and ball physics.[37]

Many reviewers found the gameplay simple yet effective. Perry of IGN found the gameplay "deep and addictive", and the controls intuitive.[31] GamesRadar+'s Amrich echoed similar remarks, writing that the controls "feel accessible without alienating 'serious' sports gamers",[36] and Orry of VideoGamer.com called the controls "slick".[37] Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell also praised the game's simplicity.[22]

The game's multiplayer mode was commended by many reviewers. GamesRadar+'s Amrich felt that the multiplayer mode extended the game's replayability, giving players a reason to return to the game "long after [they've] learned the weaknesses" of the playable characters.[36] Orry of VideoGamer.com and Bramwell of Eurogamer both named the online multiplayer "excellent";[22] the former noted minor lag but wrote that the "performance was generally very good".[37]

When the game was ported to the Wii, the additional Wii Remote controls received positive reactions. IGN's Mark Bozon felt that they were an improvement over the original controls, calling it a "huge testament to Rockstar's design".[30] Eurogamer's Ellie Gibson found that the altered controls work "perfectly", finding them intuitive and "easy to grasp".[11] GameSpot's Davis wrote that the controls "work pretty well", though he felt that they fail to complement the gameplay.[26] Conversely, Orry of VideoGamer.com felt that the original controls "have more depth" than those on the Wii.[38]

Following its previews at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the game won Best Sports Game from GameSpot,[39] and received a nomination from IGN.[40]

References

Notes

  1. Additional work by Rockstar Vienna,[1] ported to Wii by Rockstar Leeds.

Footnotes

  1. Rockstar San Diego 2006, pp. 20–22
  2. Rockstar San Diego 2006, pp. 6
  3. Rockstar San Diego 2006, pp. 19
  4. Rockstar San Diego 2006, pp. 12–17
  5. Rockstar San Diego 2006, pp. 18
  6. Gerstmann, Jeff; Kasavin, Greg (May 10, 2006). "E3 06: Table Tennis Hands-On". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  7. Rockstar San Diego 2006, pp. 7
  8. Rockstar San Diego 2006, pp. 8
  9. Rockstar San Diego 2006, pp. 9
  10. Rockstar San Diego 2006, pp. 10
  11. Gibson, Ellie (October 24, 2007). "Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis (Wii)". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  12. Perry, Douglass C. (March 3, 2006). "And Now for Something Completely Different..." IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  13. GameSpot staff (July 18, 2007). "Rockstar presents Wii Table Tennis (Preview)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  14. Miller, Jonathan (May 17, 2006). "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis Interview". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
  15. MastaTuning (April 14, 2008). "ROCKSTAR TABLE TENNIS FOR NINTENDO WII CONTROLS INTERVIEW [GameTrailers]". YouTube. Google. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  16. Adams, David (May 23, 2006). "Rockstar's Table Tennis Ricochets to Retail". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  17. Burman, Rob (July 18, 2007). "Rockstar Serves up Table Tennis on Wii". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  18. "Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis for Wii Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 27, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  19. "Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  20. Edge staff (July 2006). "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (X360)". Edge. No. 164. Future plc. p. 83.
  21. EGM staff (July 2006). "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (X360)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 205. Ziff Davis. p. 89.
  22. Bramwell, Tom (May 23, 2006). "Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis (Xbox 360)". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  23. Ichigo, Kurosaki (October 4, 2006). "This week jp magazines news - Siren PS3 announced". NeoGAF. NeoGaf LLC. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  24. Helgeson, Matt (December 2007). "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (Wii)". Game Informer. No. 176. GameStop. Archived from the original on January 25, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  25. Helgeson, Matt (July 2006). "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (X360)". Game Informer. No. 159. GameStop. p. 107. Archived from the original on January 26, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  26. Davis, Ryan (October 18, 2007). "Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 21, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  27. Davis, Ryan (May 24, 2006). "Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 8, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  28. "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis (Wii)". GameTrailers. Defy Media. November 1, 2007. Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  29. "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis Review (X360)". GameTrailers. Viacom. May 27, 2006. Archived from the original on October 17, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  30. Bozon, Mark (October 15, 2007). "Rockstar Presents Table Tennis Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  31. Perry, Douglass C. (May 22, 2006). "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  32. East, Tom (December 25, 2007). "Rockstar [Games Presents] Table Tennis Review". Official Nintendo Magazine. Future plc. p. 82. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  33. "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis". Official Xbox Magazine. Future US. July 2006. p. 81.
  34. "ロックスター・ゲームス・プレゼンツ テーブルテニス [Xbox 360]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  35. "ロックスター・ゲームス・プレゼンツ テーブルテニス [Wii]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  36. Amrich, Dan (May 23, 2006). "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis review". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  37. Orry, Tom (June 2, 2006). "Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis Review (X360)". VideoGamer.com. Resero Network. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  38. Orry, Tom (October 28, 2007). "Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis Review for Wii". VideoGamer.com. Resero Network. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  39. GameSpot staff (May 20, 2006). "E3 2006 Editors' Choice Awards". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 7, 2015. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
  40. IGN staff (May 19, 2006). "IGN's Overall Best of E3 2006 Awards". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved January 26, 2020.

Bibliography

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