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New sports games are big on realism
Written by: Carl Corry
Take on some of the best players in golf ("Links 2004"), basketball (NBA Inside Drive 2004"), tennis ("Top spin") and snowboarding ("Amped 2").
If you're a sideline athlete like me, someone who enjoys sports but whose involvement usually doesn't extend beyond shouting advice from the sidelines, then you probably get frustrated when unconscionably high-paid athletes make stupid mistakes. If you had the body, you could do better, right?
Well, here's your chance to put that theory to the test. The latest series of games from XSN Sports offers gamers the chance to take on some of the best players in golf ("Links 2004"), basketball (NBA Inside Drive 2004"), tennis ("Topspin") and snowboarding ("Amped 2"). My versions were all for Xbox.
Each game offers life-like graphics, player motions and a variety of real-world settings. For instance, I was impressed by how well the video-version of Pete Sampras in "Topspin" imitates the way the real Pete Sampras sets for a serve, returns volley and moves around the court.
I'm betting the games won't win over people who aren't interested in these sports in the first place – especially since they avoid player showboating and super-human feats, like destroying the basketball backboards or 500-mph tennis serves. But for sideline athletes, people who really appreciate the sports, they're a blast.
I had the most fun in "Links 2004 and "Topspin" when I set up my own career – really putting my own knowledge of the games to the test. I was able to choose what I wanted my player to look like and how I wanted them to dress, and I was gladly able to get various degrees of tutoring.
I'm not much of a snowboarder, but I found "Amped 2" to be a good introduction to the sport and worth spending time with.
All of the games allow for live online play and only "Topspin" lacked online content downloads. So how good are you? Can you handle a 130-mph serve from Pete Sampras or smack down Shaq's attack? Probably not in real life, but if you want to put your strategies to the test, these games are a good starting point.
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