Mario Tennis: Power Tour

"The new Mario Tennis, a must have."

OK, people this was a very expected game (specially by me) for the GBA and it's the pocket version of the Mario Tennis for the GC. For anyone that has played the original for the GBC it'll seem pretty familiar, for one reason: It is. However, many important features have been added and the game has been improved, making this game better than it's predecessor. But let's see why.

Gameplay

This has been improved a lot. The first thing that you will notice are the Power Shots, this are exactly as the GC ones and are a pretty cool thing that you'll learn to love. Also, this things make the Games a lot funner than before, where you could be playing the same one for 5 minutes and don't stop running from side to side.

Also the strategy factor is more important in this game, now using Top, Slice, Power Shots, Lobs and Drops will need to be a common knowledge and mastery or you will be owned too many times. Now lobs are more useful and easy to do, but the drops are a bit too easy to return (At least for the CPU). Now your character will have to know something more than the classic “Hit to Death” tactic, making this game a bigger challenge to master and a lot funner.

Also the AI has been improved, the opponent one's and you partner's, she she won't suck but the opponents will play better. However the learning curve has been improved a lot nad know the difficulty level won't “jump” so much from Class to Class.

Of course the classics RPG and Exhibition mode are here again and they are practically the same of the MT for the GBC. The first one is a classic RPG (Witch is the best of all the Mario Sport Series), and the other one is simple a mode to play a match, in this one you can use one of the available Nintendo characters (Mario, Luigi, Peach, DK, Bowser and Waluigi), your two RPG characters (Norty and Tammy) and any of the characters you won in the RPG mode.

Story

First of all, THIS GAME IS IN JAPANESE. So I can't really tell the exact story but I can give some basics. The story is pretty good as I've heard and it's about you and your friend playing tennis to be the bests in the World, so then the can Beat Mario and all the classic stuff. Pretty simple really, maybe too much, but the story is really not too relevant in this game, it's just and excuse for you to play the 37 matches of the Story Mode. Also it's very similar to the MT from the GBA, with is a shame...

But a good point to remark are the increased number of matches, the fact that they are shorter (Only 2 Games per Set instead of 6) and the interesting apparition of some MT characters, just as Alex, Harry, Nina, Kate and the Coz Brothers, witch gives this game a special feeling.

Graphics

The graphics are Golden Sun style and the 3D models are pretty well done, very colorful. Also the character's portraits are pretty wel done and for first time in MT you wil have and excuse to think that XXX character is hot.

The intro shows a pretty impressive level that doesn't fall to much in game so it's pretty good and uses all the power of the GBA.

Sound

We... It's not Uematsu, but it's pretty nitid, a bit childish and energetic, but it's the Nintendo style...

Final Recommendation

This game in two words: Almost Excellent. If you are following my advice buy it as soon as it arrive to the US or Europe, or import the JP version if you can wait of just wanna get both (Like me). It's not exactly long but will give you some good hours of playing and replaying. The challenge is fair so is good for everyone, you don't have to be Hardcore.

So, yes, MTA is great. Go and buy it now, or in a while, but get it, if you got any of the other Mario Sport games for the little consoles, you'll see that this is the best.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/17/05