Mario Power Tennis
Tennis is an odd little game, when you think about it. It is the sport of kings, or at least one of the many that makes such a claim. Modern tennis is a British institution, and I'm not afraid to say that I'm rather partial to it. I'm awful at it, of course - as anyone who knew me in high school will attest - but summer just wouldn't be the same without the metronomic tick of a championship rally and some strawberries and cream.
Mario Power Tennis doesn't come with any strawberries, though it is naturally chock full of mushrooms. You probably already know what it has to offer. It's a Mario-themed sports title, right? So, there'll be some sport: tennis in this case. The usual parade of characters will be there, each with their own playing style. They'll probably have a few appropriately-themed special moves. A variety of courts in and around the Mushroom Kingdom, with kerr-azy special hazards. Four-player tournaments. A couple of minigames. Unlockable features. It's all so predictable and formulaic.
If you thought that's what Mario Power Tennis would be about, then you'd be exactly correct. Down to the letter.
But you know what? Water is formulaic, two parts hydrogen to one part oxygen. Even the McVitie's Hobnob is entirely predictable, as each one rolls off the conveyor belt in the same way as the last. Nintendo sports titles, like that most godly of biscuits, rely on taking the basic oaty goodness of the sport and adding, er, Mario... No. This analogy isn't going to work. Mario Power Tennis isn't all that much like a biscuit. It's rubbish at absorbing tea, for example.
What it does do is play tennis. Turn off the power shots, choose one of the Peach Dome courts, and it's new balls, please. Singles and doubles matches are available, with individual matches or knockout tournaments having however many sets and games you have time for. Out on the court, if you ignore the fact that you're returning a glowing red ball (spin is shown via a light trail) from a Shy Guy, there's a variety of shot styles and an intuitive aiming system. While strictly serious players may frown upon the simplicity of the stroke system and toned-down ball physics, this is not supposed to be a serious sim. It's arcade tennis, where your character makes all the necessary little movements to connect fully with the ball, leaving you to focus on general positional play.
Or, it could leave you to focus on everything else that's happening. Many courts have "gimmick" modes to add extra complexity to the game, such as Ricco Harbour (right) whose floor panels grow and shrink when hit, constantly altering the shape of the field. Wario's factory floor is particularly gruesome as the speed and direction of the conveyor belts that make up the court change whenever the ball crosses the net. Then there are the alternative game modes which see you scoring points for hitting the ball through rings, or collecting item boxes to litter the opponent's side with shells and banana peels. If you get really bored, there are even games that are barely even related to the sport, but these are really of little use besides basic training as offered by the likes of Terror Tennis. They should not be mentioned further.
Special mention should be made of the power shots, of which each character has two. The first is a defensive guaranteed hit - you can return the ball from anywhere on the court, as long as you hit the button before it goes out of play. The second is an offensive move special to each character, designed to disable or disorientate the unfortunate opponent. Bowser's powerful fireball, for example, sends its receiver flying back off the court, while Boo camouflages the ball among a gaggle of summoned ghosts. These shots need to be charged up over the course of a rally, so there is the added tactical decision between using your offensive to go for a smash or saving it for an emergency return.
In Conclusion
MPT is a bizarre mix of simple sporty action and gimmicky twists. It's not going to replace Wimbledon any time soon - it's not even going to replace the ancient Super Tennis - but the racquet-on-ball action is a fine example of pick-up-and-play arcade simplicity. The flashy power shots and twisted courts sacrifice realism for multiplayer fun, and there's every reason to keep MPT next to your Mario Kart disc and break out the party snacks.
| Aces |
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| Faults |
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| Final Score |
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| 30-Love |
| Not entirely unlike an oaty biscuit half-coated in chocolate, served with a cup of tea after cucumber sandwiches. Plus Mario. |
