Mario Tennis is a great game for anyone who wants an easy, virtual-tennis fix on the go.
User Rating: 9 | Mario Tennis GBC
Mario Tennis is a great game for anyone who wants an easy, virtual-tennis fix on the go. One of the best parts of this game is the RPG-ish feel. You create a character and "raise" his/her abilities by defeating opponents in the Tennis Academy. You can even walk around through the tennis school that your character attends, which makes this game MUCH deeper than its N64 counterpart. You decide what your character excells in, such as speed, strength, or technique, and this RPG-like style really gives the game some flavor (and also some replay value). There are also many secrets you can unlock through minigames, like new characters and courts (and by using the Transfer Pak to connect with the N64 and downloading records). These add a nice touch, but the Story mode is really where the fun is to be had. Mario Tennis also includes the genre-standards, like an exhibition mode and multiplayer via Link Cable. The game is very simple to pick up; Nintendo used the two-button layout to their advantage. You can get a variety of types of shots, like backspins and dropshots, just by using simple combinations with the A and B buttons. Overall it has a very arcadey feel. Tha graphics look pretty much like if Ash from the Game Boy Pokemon games picked up a tennis racket and started to play...that kind of style. The game plays fluidly in the actual tennis matches. You can tell that your character's main attributes come into play; if you raise your character's speed, he/she will be noticibly faster on the court, etc. My only complaint is that the matches can be too easy at times. Once your character is at level 50 or above, the matches become pretty easy (if not repetitive), for you always seem to be better than your opponent. But, thats where the novelty of multiplayer comes into effect; you can duke it out with your friend's character and see who is the portable tennis champion. If you want to play a fun game of tennis on the road, Mario Tennis could not be any better of a choice. The learning curve is low, its deep for people who want to take advantage of it, and it's loads of fun!
