Mario Tennis

"I would sum up the gameplay as being a mix of Pong and Pokemon."

Gameplay --- 9/10
I would sum up the gameplay as being a mix of Pong and Pokemon. Two classic and addicting games, just like this one. The tennis matches consist of a pong type of gameplay, but mixing in volleys, drop shots, and other tennis techniques. You can also use the power swing just like the one in mario tennis on the N64. The controls are tight and moving around can be mastered easily. This game can be learned very quickly, and I found it a bit to easy to dominate matches even at the varsity level. You can go and get lessons to help you master individual parts of your game. After you master a technique, a player will challenge you to test your skills against them. The control outside of the matches is similar to pokemon. You walk around on a north-south-east-west grid and talk to people and improve your player’s abilities, similar to pokemon. You can talk to your doubles partner too.

Graphics --- 9/10
For a gameboy color game, this is a very impressive game. There are vibrant colors and nice looking enrivoments. This is nicely shown when flying to the Island Open when you can see the ocean and various islands. The characters aren’t too hard to see and the courts are nice to look at, especially the secret courts that can be unlocked.

Sound --- No Grade
The sound is the usual annoying, repetitive mono-speaker game boy song. I just turn my speaker off.

Replay Value --- 9/10
This game packs many other things to do other than playing matches, although the matches can be in career mode or you can play using your favorite mario characters. In career mode you work your way up from Junior to the Senior, Varsity, and then the traveling team. There are training and mini-games that add even more meat to this game. There are wall games and tennis ball launching machines to help you practice. There is a Donkey Kong bananna mini game along with many other character based games to entertain you and help you work on your skills. This is the perfect car game for those long trips in the car or on a plane. One area that could have been expanded more the the cafe, which is really just a place to talk to people. They give you tips about eating, but you can’t eat anything there. This would have been a nice addition to this game.

To Buy or Rent ??? ---
I would buy this game and try it out, but be warned that some people will be very bored with this game. But the average gamer will be happy to have invest their money on this game.

Total Average Score (rounded for gamefaqs) --- 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/06/01, Updated 06/06/01