What's Next, Mario Polo?

For all his pretenses at blue-collar Everyman status, Mario sure has snooty taste in sports. First there was Mario Golf and its sequels. Now, with the release of Mario Power Tennis, Nintendo's main man continues cutting his swath through country club sports.

As pointed out in our review of the game, the game follows the instantly familiar control approach found in other tennis titles such as Top Spin, Virtua Tennis and even the N64's original Mario Tennis, while adding a few wrinkles to the title that are straight out of Nintendo's wildly imaginative handbook. From the Luigi's Mansion court to the butt-chomping reptiles, Mario Power Tennis aims to appeal to those for whom simple volleying is not enough.

What's your take? Did Nintendo nail an ace with their newest sports title, or is the cartoon approach and over-the-top atmosphere too much of a good thing?