Mario Power Tennis

THIS GAME IS NOTHING LIKE REAL TENNIS.THE PLAY STOPS AND FREEZES WHILE A PLAYER HITS A POWER SHOT.I LOVE TENNIS SO I WANT A GAME THAT IS LIKE REAL TENNIS.AND SO FAR ONLY SMASHCOURT TENNIS 2 IS LIKE REAL TENNIS.THIS GAME IS JUST ABOUT FLASH AND LOOKS AND NOT TRUE TO REAL TENNIS.THE STOPPING AND FREEZING AND THEN STARTING UP DURING PLAY IS JUST TOO MUCH FOR ANY TRUE TENNIS FAN TO TAKE.ALSO THE PLAYER IS SO FAR AWAY FROM A BALL AND CAN MAGICALLY GET TO IT WHILE POWERING UP YET AGAIN AND THE SCREEN STOPS PLAY YET AGAIN.AND THEN WHEN IT STARTS IP THE PLAYER IS ABLE TO GET TO THE BALL THAT IS SO FAR AWAY.AGAIN NOTHINGLIKE REAL TENNIS.

I was a big fan of the original Mario Tennis on Nintendo 64. It was a great game that withstood the test of time. I always wanted this game, and figured I would wait for it to drop in price. Well, it's been a while and it still costs $45, so I figured it was time to plunk down the dough.

The basic gameplay is sharp, a vast improvement to the original. In no time, I was pressing B>B for a super slice, A>A for super topspin, A>B to lob and B>A to drop the ball. The powershots are vastly improved too, although sometimes the animations can be distracting. There is defensive powershots, which will return nearly any ball automatically, and offensive powershots, which can disable an opponent that returns them temporarily.

The graphics are fun, Nintendo style cartoonish graphics. They're pleasant to look at and they do a much better job of distinguishing each character than in the N64 version. The sound is great, and often takes me back to specific moments in different games, whether Mario 64, Yoshi's Island, or even Wario Wares.

My favorite thing about this game is that when I get a little bored of playing regular tennis, there's a slew of mini games available to keep you occupied. My favorite is a tic-tac-toe type of mini game that took a while to understand, but has kept me hooked ever since.

This game is great for casual and hardcore gamers alike. My friends who never play games had no problem picking up the controller and having fun, while I spent hours playing, trying to win every cup with the characters and unlock all the goodies. The only reason you should not buy this game is if you are afraid to lose months of your life to the highly addictive variety of gameplay. A good solo and party game.

Lastly, this game has the best opening movie ever in any game.... seriously :)

I remember mario tennis for the nintendo 64. It was good fun because it had a simple 2 button control scheme, and was accessable and fun enough for a beginner to come play and win. Well, Mario Power Tennis is now available for the gamecube, and Im glad to say, it is just as fun, and even better than before.

The basics are the same: Run around the tennis court as one of your favorite nintendo mascots, hitting A to deliver a topspin or B to slice, or a combination of the two to either lob or drop. If you hit the button before the ball comes, you can charge your shot, as well as aim it to make it harder to hit. The system is a lot deeper than that though, because shots accurately move depending on how fast the ball was traveling, where it was hit, and how high it was hit. The system is deep, but accessable.

There are new features, one of which is the ability to do powerful, game-stopping super moves once your character has charged up. Each character has 2 power moves, offensive (super powerful only near the ball) and defensive (retreives the ball if it is far away). These for the most part add to the game, adding a layer of strategy. The animations of the character's power shot are zany and funny... for the first few times. After a while, stopping the game to watch these moves gets sort of annoying, bt fortunatley, there is the option to turn them off during exhibition mode.

Another change is the new "gimmick" courses. Besides the standard courts, each themed court has a obstical or hazard to face. Some of them work well and are fun to play on, such as the blooper stage where the stage is constantly changing shape depending how you play, or the Wario court, which is made entirely from moving conveyor belts. Others are annoying and not fun, such as Delfino Plaza where slime covers sections of the court and ou have to push a button on the court to clean it, or the Luigis mansion court which has ghosts who like to terrorize you while you are playing.

You might go through tournament (single player) mode a few times to unlock characters and stuff, but it is not interesting enough to keep your attention for very long. What will keep you coming back is multiplayer mode. Playing with fiends is always fun, and you can even play some tennis themed minigames with friends. There is enough characters, modes, courts, and variety to keep you busy for a long time.

As for the technical side, graphics are good, but they are very bright and kiddie. You wont really notice the graphics while playing, you will almost feel like you are plaing the n64, because the games are so similar, and characters look the same from afar. Music is good, sounds are accurate, but character noises can get a little annoying. If you have ever played a Mario game before, you should be fine.

Overall it is a fun game that does enough right to warrant a purchase for those who like to have fun. I give it a 4/5.

Mario Power Tennis is a fantastic game. But it takes a little while to learn for less advanced players.

To Whomever shared an image sharer, major props! Not really a review, but I haven't played the game, but I had to give major props to the person who put a DOA image as the only image for this game! You rock dude!