Review

Mario Tennis Open Review

  • First Released May 20, 2012
    released
  • 3DS

Mario Tennis Open is a stripped-back, mundane entry in the Mario Sports series.

'

The Mario Sports games are known for being larger than life and filled with color, bombast, and hyper-unrealistic movesets. Mario Tennis Open eschews much of this, following in the footsteps of some of Nintendo's earlier tennis games in an attempt to become a purer, more focused tennis experience. It doesn't quite hit the mark, falling somewhere between the two styles. Despite being largely stripped back, it manages to be convoluted thanks to a variety of jarring control schemes. Above all, while it's competent, it's also mundane, with little incentive for you to stick at it beyond the occasional bout of multiplayer with friends.

No Caption Provided

Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.
This video has an invalid file format.
00:00:00
Sorry, but you can't access this content!
Please enter your date of birth to view this video

By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Now Playing: Mario Tennis Open Video Review

The setup is simple. Mario and friends are playing tennis. There's no usual Mushroom Kingdom plot and no backstory--it's simply all about 13 characters competing in tennis tournaments. Progressing through the three-match tournaments is a matter of playing them one after another. When you win the fourth tournament, you're given the option to promote your character to "star" status, meaning he or she can compete in the second set.

During matches, there are six shot types on offer: simple, topspin, flat, slice, lob, and drop shot. These shots can be performed with the face buttons, or by tapping the relevant icon on the touch screen. On the touch screen, the layout makes sense. The first four shots are laid out in a diamond, with topspin at the top, slice at the bottom, and simple and flat on either side. For some reason, however, the button layout doesn't mirror this, with topspin mapped to A on the right-hand side. Why the button layout doesn't match the touch screen layout is a mystery. It's especially odd given that the touch screen controls are largely hopeless, requiring you to look down at the bottom screen first, thus having to take your eye off the ball.

Then there's the option to use either gyro controls or circle pad controls. The latter sees you directing your player from a bird's-eye perspective, whereas the gyro controls angle the camera over your shoulder and have you directing your shots by tilting the 3DS around. This is another convoluted aspect of Mario Tennis. If you opt to turn gyro controls on, the game takes control of your player, directing him or her to where the ball is going to land. You can move around with the pad too, but with your player moving independently, it often feels like you're wrestling against the game. You also have to keep the 3DS vertical, as tilting it downwards will snap you out of that control method. Occasionally this happens mid-match, disorienting you.

No Caption Provided

Playing with gyro controls also disables the 3D, and this takes effect automatically, saving you the disorienting moment when you realize how incompatible gyro and 3D are. The 3D effects themselves aren't very impressive, with barely any depth even on the highest setting. Turning the gyro controls off gives you full control of your character via the circle pad and is the preferable option, not least because with gyro controls on, it's almost impossible to concede more than a couple of points within an entire tournament. Controlling your player with the circle pad also offers a bit more of a challenge, albeit only towards the end of the eight tournaments, thanks to a large difficulty spike in an otherwise incredibly easy game.

Spicing up the tennis somewhat is the "chance shot" mechanic. During rallies, glowing circles appear on the court, corresponding to one of five shot types. Performing a shot on the colored circle causes you to perform a smash shot that can stagger your opponents, curve around them, or lob over their heads. It's not too over the top--the focus is on largely sensible tennis mechanics after all--but it's enough to give you an edge in rallies. During earlier tournaments, these chance shots basically function as win buttons, and you almost always score a point if you hit one. This is particularly exaggerated if using the gyro controls, as the game will direct your character right into the chance shot spot. As if that weren't easy enough, while you can press the correct shot button (yellow for lob, red for topspin, and so on), chance shots can also be activated by performing a simple shot, which leads the game to perform the correctly colored shot without your having to worry about complicated things like pressing the right button.

The numerous control methods convolute what is an otherwise simple and sparse tennis game. That simplicity extends to the courts, which are themed, but differ only in court surface--at least until you reach the final tournament and the Galaxy Court. The Galaxy Court has cycling surfaces, which can be triggered by landing a smash on your opponent's side. Mostly these are just clay, sand, grass, and so on, but one surface takes the form of a black hole, which sends shots bouncing wildly off course. It's an odd inclusion, as it's the only unrealistic court gimmick, and isn't included anywhere else in the game.

No Caption Provided

You can play through singles or doubles tournaments in single-player, breezing through until the final difficulty spike. Doubles tournaments don't work quite as well as singles by yourself, since your AI companion will occasionally forget how to play tennis, diving into the middle of your rallies, choosing not to hit the ball, or simply failing to perform the majority of chance shots. The entire single-player campaign is somewhat dull, though, and quickly sees you going through the motions purely to complete things.

Luckily, there's multiplayer on offer, both local and online. Local play also has download play enabled, which is a welcome addition. It's the same tennis mechanic, but playing with friends offers more than taking on the rigid AI. If you play online versus random opponents, you can only play singles matches, and then only brief knockabouts with low set counts; the ideal way to play Mario Tennis Open is with a group of mates. There's also a Streetpass function that lets you challenge the Mii of any player you come into contact with, but the tennis mechanics are the same as elsewhere, and with the AI taking control of your opponent's Mii, it offers little more than the same thing as elsewhere under a slightly different menu option.

No Caption Provided

Four minigames are present to provide a brief distraction. These all involve hitting balls in certain directions, either to pass through rings, collect star pieces, or avoid an opponent. The best minigame features levels from Super Mario Bros. on a video screen, with the tennis ball acting as Mario. You hit the ball at various parts of the level to scroll it forward, collect coins, and defeat enemies. It's fun for a little while, but even this minigame quickly gets old. Minigames reward you with coins, which can be used to purchase outfits for your playable Mii character. Outfits are unlocked for purchase by playing tournaments and matches, so if you're looking to own everything, you're in for a huge amount of grinding and repetition.

Even then, there's very little to keep you coming back for long--the tennis just isn't exciting enough. It lacks the subtleties of more realistic tennis games, but is also missing the grandiose moveset of other Mario Sports titles. The changes brought on by the different control methods convolute an otherwise basic game, and there's not enough substance--or enough skill required--for Mario Tennis Open to be treated as a serious tennis game. Playing against friends can be fun, but this is otherwise a rather uneventful, forgettable instalment.

'
Back To Top

The Good

  • Fun with a few friends

The Bad

  • The tennis never hits its stride
  • Far too easy until an 11th-hour difficulty spike
  • Convoluted control schemes

About the Author