Mario Power Tennis

"Pure Mario enjoyment, and it's added to the extensive collection of Mario "Sport" Games"

Tennis. It's an exciting and tense sport, where the ball travels at great speeds and travels above a net. All of this with some flashy combo moves and spins, with an interesting score system, and you got one heck of a sport. And then the popular Donkey Kong game came out, where Mario, apparently a plumber, who's obsessed with red shirts and blue overalls, had to save Princess Toadstool, the damsel in distress, from a menacing gorilla (Donkey Kong) who was throwing barrels. The spotlight shifted from the ape to the plumber, who received a couple of other friends such as princesses, more plumbers, dinos, and everything in between. After this series evolved into a huge video game topic, it was combined with many elements and events. Not only did this guy have platformers, but after a while, he was taken into an RPG, an adventure, a fighter, a party, and a whole lot of sports. One of these was ironically tennis. So after mixing together the two different subjects, Nintendo created Mario Power Tennis which is a cross between tennis and Mario, with lots of action and color added for those of you who hate a boring "hit the ball back-and-forth" game. It was released in 2004 to Japan and North America and in 2005 for Europe.

"The Power adds a whole new element to the game"

One thing's for sure. Mario Tennis's name wasn't revamped for nothing. With the new and improved "power shot" formula, you can smash that tennis ball to kingdom come with any of the starting 14 unique characters. From a top spin to a backspin, to a wacky combo, there are many formulas for cool tricks in Mario Power Tennis. The score system follows similarily to real tennis, the first point is worth 15, the next 30, then 40, and then it's game over. So really, you can't waste any shots "warming up" because you only got a few shots you can miss before losing the game and possibly a match.

The unique special shots that each character have (two each) are very unique and interesting. There are two, an offensive one, mentioned before, which creates a twist to the game, and allows you to wack the ball to the other side with effects that may occur. There is also a defensive one, where if you can't reach a ball in time, a cut-scene will occur and the character will automatically retrieve the shot and hit it back to the other side with some special manuever according to the character you're playing as. For example, Luigi might suck up the ball with his Poltergust and shoot it back, which not only serves as a unique counter, but also confuses the opponent to the extent that they might forget to return it. Both of these special shots are very fun and unique. The only slight problem with the system is that sometimes, they can get overused, and as a result, destroy the actual fun of tennis.

You have a couple stadiums to choose from, and none are too basic or unoriginal. From the basic wonders of Peach's Dome to the Plaza of Delfino, the stadiums are packed with twists which enhance the gameplay along with the overall entertainment of the game. Each court will have different effects, such as the ball speed, the bounce, and any obstacles you may hit. It's a real treat for those who've played Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, along with anybody who plays this game.

I'd prefer a couple more modes to choose from, but the ones that are there are very amusing and enjoyable. Besides Exhibition mode, you can play some neat mini-games, just in case you get bored with the main mode. You can play doubles or singles, and pair up with a friend if you like.

"It's-a-me colorful graphics"

As always, Nintendo serves up a bright colors and graphics to please your eye. The animation can at times become cheesy, after playing this game for a little bit. Of course, since this is Mario, don't expect a realistic-looking tennis game, because Mario Power Tennis wasn't just made to play tennis, but also to experience the series more. The courts are nice and detailed, and each has its own environment, such as a pleasant grass dome to a dark mansion court full of ghosts (Boos). The character models are nicely developed, with most of the Mario cast looking similar to what they have been before. Unfortunately, Mario Power Tennis didn't try to take a step up to new and improved graphics, but instead kept what they always have had in this Mario sports game. Not that it's a bad thing, but it'd be nice to see Mario in a whole new light someday. Besides that, you have clear, sharp graphics, vivid with bright, shining colors.

"Where are my "Mama-mia"s?"

This game certainly has some crazy sounds and music, but unlike the previous category, this doesn't have enough of the past Mario games' sounds. It's a nice assortment of collected sounds, but not enough of what every other Mario game has, humorous sound, light-hearted music, and an overall satisfactory Mario feeling. Though the shots are stellar, it doesn't sound like what I used to love hearing, and more of a regular cookie-cutter sports game. The characters sound fine, but the satisfaction of knowing that this is a Mario game isn't present.

"Story of a lifetime"

There isn't a present story to this game, however, the great opening sequence before the main menu is an impressive one, consisting of a lot of action, humor, and a presentation of what's to come for you in this game.

"Mario has friends, how about you?"

In order to fully enjoy this game, as most Mario games go, you'll need more players so that the excitement and action builds up. This game doesn't bode well as a single-player game, and you're much better off inviting a couple friends to your house and having a crazy night of Mario Power Tennis or some of the other numerous Mario multi-player games.

Scores

Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound/Music: 6/10
Story: N/A
Replay Value: 5/10
Replay Value w/friends: 10/10
Frustration: LOW
Multiplayer: VERY HIGH
Fun Factor: ABOVE AVERAGE
Difficulty: AVERAGE
Grade: B+
Accumulative score: 38/50
Average: 7.6/10
GameFAQ Score: 8/10

Mario Power Tennis is a pretty good Mario game where the multi-player truly shines through. The single-player is dim, similar to most Mario multi-player games, but it can last you for a week or two. I'd suggest buying this game if you have friends over frequently, or if you're a huge Mario fanatic. Otherwise, take it for a spin with a rental, and see how it turns out.

7.8

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/25/05