Mario Power Tennis

"I'd like a tennis game, light on the sim, heavy on the fun."

It is no secret that the Mushroom Kingdom has experienced a recent surge in the popularity of sports. First, it was golf that was all the rage, and currently the fans are heading out to the parks to watch a game of America's old pastime, baseball. But in between that flurry of strikes and strokes came another sport, which, in my opinion, didn't get as much credit as it deserved. I'm talking, of course, about tennis. Mario Power Tennis, the supposed sequel to Mario Tennis on the N64, is an amazing game, and that's praise that should not be taken lightly. It actually managed to show me just how fun a “boring” (note the quotation marks) sport can be.

Make no mistake, however. This is not a sim. If you're expecting something along the lines of Mario Golf, which was basically a sim with the outlandish Mario touch, you will be sadly disappointed. Or unexpectedly satisfied, if you're an optimistic “the glass is half full” type of guy. Power Tennis starts off as a sim on the most basic level. By basic, I'm talking about the standard rules of the game, the physics of the different courts, and the types of shots at your disposal. In fact, when just starting your very first game, you might mistake the game for a sim. But your preconceived notions will be shattered when the game turns down the route of crazy, and you experience two of its most important techniques, power shots and recovery shots.

When in the process of smacking the ball up and down the court, you'll gradually fill up a hidden “racket power” meter, which fills up faster or slower depending on how perfectly you've hit the ball. When the meter reaches its peak, the head of your racket will glow and you'll have two types of shots at your disposal. A power shot, which is a nigh un-hittable blast in the form of a tennis shot, or a recovery shot, which allows you to hit the ball no matter where it is, be it a few feet behind you or careening into the stands (if it hasn't bounced twice, mind you). Each of the shots is accompanied by an extremely brief cutscene in real time, unique to each character.

And yes, there is an element to strategy to all of this. Your opponent is able to execute power/recovery shots, too! So, it doesn't matter if you blast the ball like a meteor across the court, complete with a fiery trail and falling debris. If your opponent's meter happens to be filled, he can return that shot (and choose exactly where to place it) with the simple press of a button. Taking into account the fact that once you use one of these special shots, your meter drains all the way to zero, meaning that you can't simply blast another one back, you've left yourself with a disadvantage. Therefore, volleys can quickly turn into matches of “who can hold out the longest.” It's quite fun, and adds an extra layer of tension to already heated games.

As if the very implementation of such types of shots didn't stray the game far enough from “boring” (mustn't forget those quotation marks) tennis, take into account the courts, which are quite a remarkable sight. Sure, you have the “regular” courts, like hard, clay, and grass, but in this game, those courts are in the minority. The “gimmick courts” are where all the cool people play. They're what make matches thrilling. They range from a swinging balance-beam court set high atop a cliff surrounded by lava, to a machinery court where there are arrows that, when hit, move the floor beneath your feet. In fact, mastery of the courts themselves is nearly as important as mastering the basics of tennis if you plan on winning.

The gimmick courts are so important that they got their own single-player mode, to accompany the regular “world open” mode. Both are set up in a single-elimination eight-entrant style, meaning you'll have to play three matches to win. But this brings me to my next point: the whole single player experience is way too short. This has to do with the fact that the game makers anticipated that the “average” gamer wouldn't want to sit through a six games per set, three sets to win tennis match, which is understandable. So they shorten the matches… to a ridiculous level. As in, one set to a match, two games to a set. Sure, the championship may be longer, but it still goes by quickly. It's entirely possible to beat both single player modes, on singles and doubles, in a few hours.

It's a shame, but its one that can be forgotten in the wake of the game's presentation. The visuals contain all of the “standard” Mario embellishments, such as almost blindingly bright colors and crazy animations. There's nothing I can say about them except for the fact that they're very fitting for a lighthearted game such as this.

But the true visual expertise only shows itself when you hit one of the aforementioned gimmick courts, and view all of the court's “special” effects happen in real time. Watching mud splatter all over the court in Delfino Plaza whenever the ball lands in the exact place it shouldn't never really gets old. Neither does hitting a ball through ghosts or watching lightning fry Klap Traps. Some time was obviously put into the making of these courts, and it shows.

Of course, due to the nearly unforgivable length of the standard single player experience, it is only a matter of time before you'll be craving for something else to do. And Power Tennis delivers in the area of extras. After you finish the single player experience, you'll unlock a “star version” of the character(s) you beat it with, enabling you to play in a whole new tournament, the “star” tournament. While this is barely as long as the regular tournament, you also have the various mini-games to play.

Addicting. That one word just about sums up all you need to know about these mini-games. They are addicting to the tenth degree. Have you ever tried to paint a picture upon a wall with tennis ball-shaped paint projectiles or have a volley with a giant Glooper Blooper? Of course not. If you have, you wouldn't be reading this, you'd still be playing. My only regret? There aren't enough. Sure, the ones you've got have considerable substance, but it's hard to not think of the thousands of other possibilities.

Mario sports games have had a reputation for being good. Well, this one is great. It is an amazing game that would appeal to tennis fans, Mario fans, and everyone in between. Its fun gameplay and charming appeal, combined with the addictive extras propel this one to must-buy status. Accept no imitators, no wanna-bees nor phonies. This is THE tennis game to buy. That is, if you like your tennis games light on sim and heavy on fun.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/19/05, Updated 09/19/05