So I played some more, and had about 7 consecutive games online without a disconnect, despite it blaring at me about my unstable connection.
When it works, online is lots of fun. Such an easy concept but lots of fun. Still think local multiplayer is where this will shine.
The game needs more 'meat' - stats, some sense of persistency rather than just random games. A ranking mode is promised, but there's a lot of stuff promised, which is weird. Why not just launch with it!
Anyway, it's a good game. I recommend it if you have local friends to bait.