Mario Tennis Review

Good Physics System
Nice Balance Between Realistic and Arcade-Style Action
Excellent Control

Blurry at Times

The first thing you'll notice when you start to play Mario Tennis is that it strikes a very nice balance between staunch realism and cartoony, arcade-style action. The physics system is very good, yet isn't so stiff that it doesn't allow you to have fun. This is an important point, because a physics system that is too strict and detailed can often suck the fun right out of a game, and loose, goofy physics can make things feel too sloppy. I personally, have a goofy physics system and therefore I too, am sloppy.

You'll also notice almost immediately that the tennis is fast and furious, with a lot of excitement. You get a lot of choice in terms of characters, with 14 Mario Brother's favorites, including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Baby Mario, Yoshi, Koopa Paratroopa, Donkey Kong, Wario, Waluigi, Daisy, Toad, Birdo, Bowser, and Boo. There's plenty of game modes to enjoy as well, with exhibition, tournament, ring shot, Bowser, and piranha-challenge modes. The exhibition mode allows you to pick your match location and difficulty, and basically just allows you to hone your skills with your character in a non-pressure setting. The tournament mode has you taking on the various characters in hope of unlocking hidden features of the game. The ring challenge allows you to practice your shot, while the pihranna challenge is basically just an exercise in return and service.

Also available is Bowser mode, which places you in an insanely fun stage which tilts back and forth as you move, and is filled with banana peels, turtle shells, and lightning bolts which can disrupt other players like in Mario Kart's battle mode. You can use up to four players in this mode, and with 3 buddies, it's simply a blast. The screen quickly turns into a crazy carnival of shells and bananas, and can't help but put a smile on the faces of the players. Its just simply amazing, and can have you playing for hours and hours, just like Mario Kart's battle mode did.

You can choose from four different court types, which all have varying physics. Grass and clay courts slow down the ball considerably when it touches the court, yet turf-style and composite courts make the ball seem like a bullet even if you only put a little effort into a serve or return. But though the physics may be less intense in the grass and clay courts, the matches are no less furious. And the visuals and sounds raise this intensity, with repeated vocal outbursts from the characters, and effective "whizzes" and "smack" sounds from hitting the ball. The graphics aren't quite perfect, being a tad blurry at times, but overall they look great. All your favorite SMB characters are captured in their full glory.

The control is really tight and responsive, and feels just as good as Virtua Tennis for the Dreamcast. I'd be hard pressed to tell you which one I like better. If you are looking for more serious adult action and you own a DC, then go for Virtua Tennis. If you are prone to loving things with a Big N on them, well, you won't go wrong with MT either.

Overall, this is probably one of the quickest-paced, varied, and most exciting tennis games you'll ever pick up. I highly recommend it, though it might not be for everyone, so I would suggest renting it first before you buy.

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