World Cup Table Tennis

Ping pong pandemonium on your iPhone

If Forest Gump had an iPhone, then World Cup Table Tennis would surely be the first game he would download.

This excellent iPhone ping pong simulation sees you take on the World in a knockout tournament, or compete for points in Arcade mode. The graphics and ball physics in World Cup Table Tennis are the best you’ll find in any iPhone ping pong game, with realistic ball movement and spin, and sound effects that make you feel like you’re in a school sports hall.

The controls in World Cup Table Tennis are incredibly easy. You can touch anywhere on the screen and move your finger to control the paddle, though I found it easier to hold the paddle itself because then you can see more.

I found the tournament mode a little disappointing. There are only three rounds to play, and each is only a single game of the first to 11 points. As such, after a bit of practice you’ll find it pretty easy to win the tournament time and again. The fun lies in World Cup Table Tennis’ Arcade mode, where you knock the ball against a wall, scoring points for hitting targets that appear. An online leaderboard provides extra incentive to keep playing time and time again.

There is a two-player ‘Head to Head’ mode in World Cup Table Tennis, although the top-down view it adopts isn’t as fun as the format of the main game. Also, it would’ve been nice to see an online multiplayer option or support for playing over Bluetooth.

Despite its rather limited tournament mode, World Cup Table Tennis is as enjoyable, addictive and realistic as any ping pong sim you’ll find for iPhone.

Misc. bug fixes