Mario Tennis

Summary

Genre: Sport
Number of players: 1-4
Rumble Pak: No
Controller Pak: No
Expansion Pak: Not used

Review

As we saw in Mario Golf, Mario's a dab hand at sports. Now he moves onto the greens of Wimbledon - but will he lift the trophy?


Gameplay: One of the first things you should notice about Mario Tennis is that it is a fairly fast game to play. Not a bad thing at all. There are 14 characters, all of whom have their own abilities (similar to Mario Golf) from the powerful but lumbering Bowser, to the weak but nimble Toad. All have their own advantages and disadvantages, and, like Mario Golf, you have to choose your character carefully to be successful, and be able to use the characters to their strengths.

The game is, as I've already mentioned, a fairly fast game, and it will take you some time to get used to it. But bear with the game and you'll find it's easily the best tennis game on the N64, and one of the best games on the console.

The characters are all from previous Nintendo adventures, which does add a bit to the game, and are all apparantly dab hands with the old tennis racquets. Indeed, you can place your shots almost anywhere on the court, and do precision drop shots and lobs at any stage in the rally, which really keeps any point interesting. You won't get tired of playing against a friend, mostly because it's almost impossible to run out of ways to surprise him!

There are several courts to be unlocked by doing well in the single player game, and what's more each court has it's own effects on the ball - for instance, on DK's Jungle Court the ball bounces really really high in the air, but on the clay court it doesn't bounce nearly as high - which keeps the action varied and interesting.

It's an absolutely brilliant game to play, and one you won't get tired of in a hurry!


Challenge: Well, the AI on 'Extreme' is very, very hard indeed. You really need to know your character inside out to be able to beat them, and that really is saying something. There are many different competitions to enter, getting progressively harder as you go. It'll take you a while to completely complete, and you certainly won't get bored with it in a hurry.


Graphics: Pretty good, couldn't really be all that much better to be honest. The action is very clear, and well done, and the characters themselves are very well done, and very detailed. Not too shabby at all.


Sounds: I really like them. Well, at least I really like the way Mario says "Championship-a point" - it cracks me up everytime. So much so that I often deliberately lose the point so I can hear it again! Oh, and the rest of the sounds are okay too. The tennis balls all make almost realistic thumps as they're whacked back and forth, and as with all Mario games each characters have their own noises for when they do well (eg hit a power shot) or when they lose.


Multiplayer: Easily one of the best on the N64. You can have a 4-player doubles match, which will undoubtedly leave you cursing your incompetent partner, and which is great fun to play. And best of all, it never slows down! You will literally never tire of playing it. You can play 2 vs 1-plus-a-cpu-ally, 2 vs 2 or play doubles against the computer! Top fun!


Summing up: A very, very, very, very, very good tennis game, which is well worth you getting. You certainly will love the multiplayer side to it, and the single player ain't too shabby either!


Gamesmark: 91%


Reviewer: Tangycheese



Maverik's opinion: Mario Tennis is a really fun game, even if you aren't a fan of sports games. The sheer variety of strategies and shots is compounded by the varied courts and characters, and it's a game that you can pick up and play at any time. The single player mode is quite good, with quite a lot to do and some very tough computer opponents, but it's multiplayer that really gives this game its edge. Great fun, particularly for several players.