Mario Power Tennis

"Is there anything Mario isn't good at?"

EA can buy out Andre Aggasi's name and create a superb game out of its license, but the chances of it surpassing Mario Power Tennis are pretty slim. Why? Because Mario Power Tennis is possibly the third best tennis game out there, third only to Super Tennis and Virtual Tennis, and it's just that damn good. Fans of the N64 version are probably wondering how can you make its successor anymore addictive? Simple, bend the rules, just like how Mario games in the past did with Smash Bros. and Golf. The result is the same; another addictive and multiplayer filled game is produced, making this a must own even to non-tennis fans.

So what rules exactly were bent for the better? Well, instead of playing on simple, colour coded courts; you'll be playing on bizarre interactive courts with miscellaneous all over the place. There's one where young dinos roam freely, and will try to cling onto you to slow down your speed. Another court reminisce of Super Mario Sunshine is littered with mud everywhere, which will make you slippery. Now, at first I thought it would be frustrating to play on these locations, but it actually makes it more fun and challenging. Sure it'll be difficult to navigate through a court with mud everywhere, but it's all for the better.

Just in case the court's nature is the reason you're not getting the ball to the other side at the proper time, a new useful feature was also added to make amends for that. The power shot will be enabled if you survive the match long enough, which only takes around 10 seconds of hitting back and forth the ball. I guess surviving wasn't the right word, but sometimes, especially for me, some matches might end after the ball is immediately served. Anyways, the power shot can do two things; hit the tennis ball back to your opponent when you're far away, or serve up a devastating hit that will have side effects on them. Side effects as in too dizzy to hit the ball properly, can't move, any other things. Don't worry, they only last for a second or two. It can be really useful to save yourself when your opponent has you in a tight situation, or to distract him so you can set something useful up. It might save your opponent a lot, but it'll also save you at critical moments too.

Despite these changes, at core Mario Power Tennis is very fundamental and doesn't stray too far away from its roots. There are two buttons that will have different effects on the ball; one will hit low and fast, while the other is strong and high. Combining these commands will also have different outcomes too. One combination will send the ball at a very slow pace and isn't sent as far, while another is extremely high and fast. Power Tennis carries the same goodness that was in the N64 version, and those who dislike the new content that completely changes tennis, there's always the option of selecting the normal courts like the ones you see in professional tournaments, and disabling the power shot. Though you'll probably only think like this if you're getting bored of the new added features and wants to experience a full tennis match.

After a couple weeks though, it can get pretty boring, especially considering there really isn't a lot of unlockables as you'd wish, and the fact there isn't that much creative modes. After playing through the tournament mode a couple times with different characters, you'll probably loose interest in playing it through with everyone to get the characters. Though that isn't really that hard, since there isn't much characters to unlock in the first place. They aren't really that compelling to unlock as well because most of the time, you'll probably stick with either Mario or Luigi, seeing as they're the most all around players, while the others really aren't great choices for single matches. In double matches however, you can combine different characters, who have different styles, to come up with a near unbeatable duo. I guess you really can't blame Camelot for not making the characters anymore diverse than they already are, since tennis itself restricts that.

The most disappointing thing I've found with Power Tennis was that the sounds and graphics aren't as great as they should be. If this game were released near the beginning of the Gamecube's life, it probably would have been acceptable. It's acceptable now, but you'd expect better. It seems like they're just slightly better than an N64 game, and the opening cutscene, which is fully computerized, seems on par with, or a little bit better, than Luigi's Mansion. The sounds aren't as disappointing, just that they're average. Nothing mined blowing at all; just simple tunes and grunts that are enough to keep you satisfied.

The main course of the game will probably be more fun if you left it in the dust for a couple months and came back to it. Though what is pretty damn fun that will keep you coming back, even after getting bored of playing tennis, is its minigames. Nintendo has been unofficially crowned as the king of minigames, even though they really didn't develop the game. The minigames are nothing like cards or anything like that; they all involve a tennis ball and a racket one way or another. There's one where paint balls are constantly being shot at you, and the wall in front of you has to be painted using your racket as a paintbrush. There's another where ghosts are trapped within the walls, and by ensuring they don't come back out by hitting them with a tennis ball, you'll get points. You'll have to earn a certain amount of points before time runs out. You can even play them all with two or more friends! If there were a couple more of these games, then I would have probably said the entire minigame collection stacks up above the tennis.

For a game like Mario Power Tennis, I'd say after a couple rentals, you'd be good. If it's really cheap, then it's also good, or better. The many changes keep it from being too much like its predecessor, yet contains enough of its basics to give them the same feel. The minigames, which are extremely addictive, will keep you coming back for more, and the multiplayer is also a blast to play, especially if you take advantage of all the Cube's controller sockets. You don't have to be a tennis fan to enjoy a tennis game such as this; you just need to enjoy games.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/02/05