The thing that made Wii Sports tennis so engaging was how the motion controls made you * feel * like part of a real match, breaking down the barrier between player and on-screen action put up by a traditional controller. But while Rockstars Xbox 360 hit Table Tennis seems like an obvious choice for the Wii treatment, much of the games tactile charm has been lost in the transition.
While your movements in Wii Sports tennis are all mirrored on the TV screen in real time, in Rockstars presentation you can swing at an oncoming ball anytime you like and your avatar will make the move at the precisely right moment, even if thats a second later. And while this set-up makes for an easier game overall - and youll soon be unfeasibly proud of your ping-pong prowess - the experience feels oddly detached and nowhere near as immersive as other gesture-based sports games.
The transition from the 360 to the less-powerful Wii also means that much of the original games graphical flair has been lost, leaving behind a dull-looking simulation that strips away much of the personality that made Rockstars game such a pleasant departure from the publishers habitual focus on violent crime and killing hookers.