Top Spin 3 - first look

Physical endurance and other player statistics carry over from online play to single player and back. If you can't beat your buddy, look at your player. If he's in 100-degree heat and looking like a wrung-out sponge, you can go offline and train until you're in good enough shape to play on the surface of the sun before playing the rematch. Of course, you could still lose - stats will only take you so far. The game is designed to be accessible to new players, but complex enough that everybody else still (usually) beats them.

To keep the matches smooth, the game only creates online matches between two 360s. You can still play online doubles with four players, but you'll need two people per console. Also, mixed singles is A-ok if that's what you're into. It's not really our thing, but we won't tell anyone if you decide to experiment a little. Weirdo mixed singles players (and everyone else) will be able to buy the game when it's released this May.

Feb 20, 2008