Table Tennis is part of videogaming lore. From helping to popularise gaming with Pong back in 1972, to Rockstar's Table Tennis for the Xbox 360, the tabletop sport has a long and gloried history with gaming.

Now, developer Yakuto has brought Table Tennis Touch to iPhone and iPad, a game that delivers one of the most faithful interpretations of the sport we have seen.

The controls are simple and intuitive. Swiping upwards towards an approaching ball will return it, while jerking the paddle left or right after contact adds spin. The default control scheme mimicks the movements of your finger precisely, simulating the sport incredibly well - though we did find our fingers obstructing play on smaller screens.

While we felt confident in the practice sessions, things get a lot trickier once the action picks up. After only a few shots against your opponent you’ll begin to realise just how much practice is needed to master the game, with even the lowest ranked opposition providing a real challenge. While this does make Table Tennis Touch quite daunting, it also makes it incredibly rewarding, with each victory feeling like a real accomplishment.

If you opt to play the career mode you will find yourself starting in perfectly reproduced village halls againsts local competitors. Your opponents become increasingly difficult and the settings more grand on your way to the international circuit. At this level the challenge is considerable which often lead us to use Boost, a consumable item available through in-app purchases that adds more power to your swipes. You shouldn't rely on this too much, however, as things will get expensive.

Luckily, arcade mode offers a host of entertaining challenges to help you hone your skills for free, including zone-based accuracy training, and - our favourite - knocking down bowling pins.

Table Tennis Touch is a superb translation of the tabletop sport. It is incredibly challenging, but this difficulty only makes mastering its nuanced controls more satisfying. The steep learning may not be for everyone, but if you are not shy of working for your rewards, then we suggest you lop this one onto your wish list pronto.