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Mario Power Tennis (JP) is the fourth installment in the overly popular Mario Tennis series, and the follow-up to Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. Currently, the game features more characters than any other in the series, featuring old favorites as well as new ones. However, some popular characters such as Toad and Birdo weren't in the game, In this game, Mario and his various friends and enemies meet up to play tennis. Like the previous Mario sports titles, all the playable characters have incredibly powerful Power Shots. Additionally, there are courts in the game that have special effects and events during the game. For each court, there are also special games to play.
While the previous entries in the series leaned on a more serious note, this game tends to be quite crazy by including insane obstacles and power shots, as well as more Mario themed things such as a Gooper Blooper boss and so forth. Five years later This game was later made into a New Play Control! game for the Nintendo Wii.
Opening cinematic[]
Mario awaits the tennis ball and hits it, which gets past Wario and Waluigi, allowing Mario and Luigi to win the tournament opener. Unbeknownst to the contenders, Bowser witnesses the live footage in a secret training room.
Some time later, Wario and Waluigi make their way to the entrance ring of the Peach Dome, where the rest of the tournament is slated to take place. After looking at the tournament bracket billboard, Wario and Waluigi realize that they are eliminated. Embittered with jealousy, Wario and Waluigi use crayons to vandalize the images of Mario and Luigi. A robotic police force pursues Wario and Waluigi until the duo opens a door that leads to a trap. Wario and Waluigi end up in a secret training room, where Bowser stows aboard.
The rest of the tournament goes on as planned, while Wario and Waluigi train under Bowser's wing. During the night of the tournament finals, Toadsworth announces the contenders, Mario and Luigi vs. Yoshi and Donkey Kong. Peach, who is standing next to Toadsworth, begins to feel somewhat nervous and is reluctant to witness the match, especially after losing to Yoshi and Donkey Kong earlier in the tournament. When the contenders take the tennis court, Peach suddenly yawns, feeling tired and exhausted after enduring a whole day of tennis games.
The tournament finals ends in Mario and Luigi winning, but they show a little sportsmanship to their opponents who lost, causing the crowd to laugh and applaud. Peach feels relieved that the tournament is finally over after having to stay awake long enough to witness the entire match. During the trophy ceremony, Mario and Luigi high-five each other before the camera pans out.
Gameplay[]
Mario Power Tennis gameplay.
Players participate in a tennis game, just as its precedents in the Mario Tennis series. To win, the player must score points by hitting the ball into the other side of the court and not making the opponent rebound the ball, just as the traditional way of playing tennis. Players earn 15 points for every shot that is successful and can win the game by earning set, game, and match points by earning 60 points on each game. The amount of set and game points can be set by the player in exhibition mode, but not in tournament mode.
Celebration animations[]
When a character wins a tournament, his or her celebration will be shown. In each one, an event occurs.
- Mario: Mario holds his trophy, celebrating his victory. Peach, also pleased, holds Mario in place and crouches to kiss Mario's cheek. Mario, in love, puts down the trophy and then jumps to do a cheer.
- Luigi: Luigi is doing a victory dance when Mario arrives on stage applauding. He pats him on the back but appears to intentionally step on Luigi's foot out of jealousy.
- Peach: Peach celebrates with Mario and Luigi while Wario and Waluigi look on. She blows a kiss to the Mario brothers, making them float. Then, Wario and Waluigi try to steal the trophy, but Wario slips on a tennis ball, knocking over the rack the trophy sat on and flinging the trophy into the air. Peach catches the trophy.
- Yoshi: Yoshi is waiting for his prize when his stomach grumbles. He is saddened by having nothing to eat at the moment, until Luigi arrives on stage with the trophy. He sees the object as a big and juicy pineapple. Yoshi tries to eat, but ends up swallowing Luigi. He is surprised by his disappearance.
- Bowser: Bowser is cheering and laughing, with Peach at his side. He asks for a kiss on the cheek and closes his eyes. Peach then gets a red Birdo to kiss him. When Bowser sees it, he runs away.
- Bowser Jr.: Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Yellow Toad are waiting to reward Bowser Jr. Suddenly they hear a chuckle, which happens to be him snatching the trophy and making poses afterward.
- Daisy: Luigi is about to give Daisy her prize. She comes in, skating at high speed, making Luigi spin. She skates into him, making him throw the trophy up. In slow motion, Daisy catches the trophy.
- Donkey Kong: DK is on stage excited over his victory. Toad arrives with the trophy and DK grabs it, unaware that Toad is still hanging on to it. DK shakes the object several times until Toad falls off and faints from dizziness.
- Diddy: Luigi and Peach are in the area with Donkey Kong, who is playing a bongo. Diddy arrives, jumping and running around Luigi and then picks up the trophy with his tail. Diddy throws his prize up, jumps on the bongo, and catches the trophy. Diddy then jumps on DK's shoulder and they both strike a pose.
- Wario: Wario walks and jumps around until he falls off the stage while still holding the trophy. He lands on it, and when he gets up, he is shocked to see it flattened, so he picks it up and sadly shows it off.
- Waluigi: Waluigi holds the trophy and does a dance with Wario. Wario pushes Waluigi, making him fall, losing his grip on the trophy. As he tries to get up, the trophy hits him on the head.
- Boo: The Mario Brothers wait for Boo when the trophy begins to levitate. Mario and Luigi are frightened, until they saw that Boo was invisible when he got it which then amuses them. Several other Boos appear, two of which carry Mario and Luigi.
- Koopa Troopa: Koopa Troopa comes on stage while Luigi, Mario and Peach applaud for his victory. Diddy Kong is eating bananas and throws a banana peel onto Koopa Troopa's path. Luigi, Mario and Peach try to warn him, but he slips on the peel, slides across the stage, ricochets off a pole and then hits Luigi in the face, who accidentally tosses the trophy from the impact. Koopa Troopa catches it.
- Paratroopa: Paratroopa notices how his shell is attached to a fishing hook to the string of a fishing pole while Waluigi holds back the trophy, to prevent Paratroopa from getting it. Toad cuts the string with a large pair of scissors. That causes Wario and Waluigi to fall, making Paratroopa get the prize.
- Shy Guy: Luigi waits in place. Shy Guy arrives, walking happily. After climbing the steps, he falls and drops his mask. Luigi gets very scared seeing his true face, but Shy Guy quickly puts his mask back and takes the trophy.
- Fly Guy: Wario and Waluigi pretend to offer Fly Guy the trophy, but Waluigi grabs Fly Guy with a giant pair of pliers. This causes Fly Guy to spin wildly out of control, knocking down Wario and Waluigi, and launching the trophy into the air. Fly Guy catches the trophy and celebrates with Peach.
- Wiggler: Luigi and Diddy Kong give Wiggler the trophy, but Diddy Kong accidentally rolls a tennis ball, causing Wiggler to slip on it and drop the trophy. Luigi and Diddy Kong become anxious, knowing Wiggler will become angry, but it calms down when it sees its trophy. Luigi checks up on it, but Diddy Kong loses his footing from the tennis ball, bumps into Luigi, and they both land on Wiggler and knock the trophy away. Wiggler becomes angry and then chases Diddy Kong and Luigi who flee in fear.
- Petey Piranha: Mario presents the trophy to Petey Piranha while Peach, Koopa Troopa, Shy Guy and a pink Toad look on. Petey then begins to jump in place excitedly, shaking the platform. After he takes the trophy, Petey jumps into the air. Mario, Peach, Koopa Troopa, Shy Guy and the Toad brace for impact, but when nothing happens, they look up and see Petey flying, whilst clutching the trophy in his mouth.
Types of shots[]
Players can use different types of shots depending on the situation or their opponents' location.
Normal[]
- Topspin: The topspin shot can be activated by flicking the Wii Remote from the lower right to upper left. Topspin adds a forwards spin, making the ball travel through the opponent's court quickly and allow the ball to bounce high. Topspin shots have an orange trail behind them.
- Slice: The slice shot can be activated by flicking the Wii Remote from the upper right to lower left, which will add backspin and backwards spin to the shot. It is complete opposite of topspin, traveling slowly and bounce low. Slice shots have a blue trail behind them.
- Flat: The flat shot can be activated by flicking the Wii Remote from right to left horizontally. The ball will travel quickly, but will bounce low. Flat shots have lime-green trail behind them.
- Smash: If the oppenent activates a lob (see below), a star will appear on the court. Move to the star and flick the Wii Remote downwards (from top to bottom in a straight line) to make a smash shot. Smash shots are very fast, making the opponent have hard time serving it, and serving the smash shots requires lunging at the right time. Smash shots have a purple trail behind them.
- Lob: If the opponent is very close to the net, activate a lob shot by flicking the Wii Remote upwards (from bottom to top in a straight line). Lob shots fly extremely high and travel the furthest, and technical characters are especially skilled at activating lob shots.
- Drop: If the opponent is far away from the net, activate a drop shot by flicking the Wii Remote downwards (from top to bottom in a straight line) to catch them off-guard. Drop shots are complete opposite of lob shots, and travel very slowly and has a very low path. They are the most weakest shots in the game.
Power shots[]
Power shots can only be activated if the power gauge is full (if the power gauge is full, it will turn red and the flame will appear above the power gauge). Power controls may differ depending on the control style, which can be accessed by clicking 'Options' on main menu.
- Offensive: (Easy): The power shot will automatically be used at players' next hit if the power gauge is full and if the character is very close to the ball. (Normal): If the power gauge is full, hold A Button and flick Wii Remote. The type of Power Shot, however, will automatically be determined. (Technical/Manual): If the power gauge is full, hold A Button and flick the Wii Remote. The type of Power Shot will be determined manually.
- Defensive: (Easy): The power shot will automatically be used at player's next hit if the power gauge is full and if the character is far away from the ball. (Normal): If the power gauge is full, hold B Button and flick the Wii Remote. The type of Power Shot, however, will automatically be determined. (Technical/Manual): If the power gauge is full, hold B Button and flick the Wii Remote. The type of Power Shot will be determined manually.
Note: The controls shown are only for Wii version.
Characters[]
All-Around
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Technical
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Power
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Speed
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Tricky
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Defensive
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Unlockable participants[]
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Gameplay & game modes[]
The game is based off a normal match of tennis game, except the game is filled with madness and craziness with insane obstacles and Power Shots. There are 6 modes for the game.
Exhibition[]
Players can play a normal fresh game of tennis. They can set up rules and conditions for the game, for e.g. singles or doubles, choose a court, choose game difficulty, and/or even turn Power Shots on/off, and change amount of games or sets.
Standard court[]
These are courts that have no gimmicks, and are most recommended for beginners.
Gimmick court[]
Most courts are gimmick courts. They have crazy obstacles which can affect players either mildly or severely, depending on appearance of court and it's difficulty. Most gimmick courts are available at start, there are 2 that need to be unlocked.
Ring Shot[]
Players score points by hitting the ball through the rings that appear randomly in this mode. A CHARGE total will appear next to characters' icons. Large rings worth small points while small rings worth more points. At the end of the match, the player or the pair with more points than their opponent is the winner.
Item Battle[]
This mode is just simply like a regular tennis game - except it has item boxes for more craziness and fun! Item boxes will appear above the net, if hit will unleash a random item which will either help players or interfere opponents, much like Mario Kart series, except the item given is completely random and does not depend on players' progress. The list below shows a list of items:
- Green Shell: 3 shells will zoom out in straight lines separately. If they hit someone, they will lose balance and struggle to concentrate.
- Red Shell: A red shell will chase opponents, making it more difficult for opponents to avoid it. If someone gets hit, it will have same effect that a green shell makes if it comes in contact with someone.
- Mushroom: A mushroom will make players increase their speed, but not for long.
- Banana: A banana will act like a hazard. It will slip anyone and will make them unable to concentrate if they step on it.
- Star: A sparkling star makes players invincible and invulnerable for a short period of time.
- Lightning: A lightning will strike and interfere opponents severely and shrinks them. Victims will also get weaker and slower, and their stature will decreased, but not for a long time.
Tournament[]
Players can enter a Mario Power Tennis competition and beat opponents to win a trophy cup. As players progress, the opponents' skill will increase, which will also increase the match's difficulty. There are 3 competitions:
World Open[]
- Mushroom Cup
- Flower Cup
- Star Cup
Gimmick Masters[]
- Fire Cup
- Thunder Cup
Star Tournament[]
The Star tournament mode is simply a harder and more trickier version of World Open.
- Rainbow Cup
- Moonlight Cup
- Planet Cup
Special Games[]
These are special games based of tennis. Each court has different rules. There are 2 unlockable special games, which can be unlocked by unlocking unlockable courts.
- Artist on the Court: Hit paint balls against the giant wall murals. How fast can you finish each masterpiece?
- Terror Tennis: Slam the goofy ghosts to seal them within the confines of their portraits. Didn't Luigi already take care of these ghosts?
- Tic-Tac-Glow: Hit balls of water into the opposite court to clear away piles of sludge and free Shine Sprites. Hit 3 in a row either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally to free extra Shine Sprites and earn bonus points.
- Chain-Chomp Challenge: Feed the Chain Chomp tennis balls to score points, but watch out! The Chain Chomps may not like it if you hit them with something other than a standard ball!
- Gooper Blooper Volley: Return every shot that Gooper Blooper sends your way, but be careful! You can't hit balls into areas marked with an X!
- Balloon Panic: Players must prevent Klaptraps from popping the balloons.
- Mecha-Bowser Mayhem: Players must face against Mecha Bowser and beat him.
- Coin Collectors: Players must collect as much as coins as possible while avoiding dangerous fireballs.
Continue[]
Players can continue a previously saved game. The game contain a maximum of 3 save files.
Records[]
Players can view all of the records and game types played.
Options[]
Players can adjust the game, for e.g. sound, rumble and control style. Players can also delete the game, however extra care must be taken since the deleted data cannot be recovered.
Courts[]
There are 8 courts (6 available from start).
Standard[]
- Peach Dome - Presented for your pleasure by Her Royal Highness, Princess Peach.
Gimmick[]
- Luigi's Mansion - A ghost-filled court to accompany Luigi's haunted home.
- Delfino Plaza - A seaside court protected by a giant Pianta statue.
- Wario Factory - Wario built this court in his factory to honour... himself!
- Gooper Blooper - Gooper Blooper's court is located in Ricco Harbor.
- DK Jungle - A court hidden away deep in the heart of the junge and filled with mysterious energy.
Unlockable[]
- Bowser's Castle - A court that can tilt, making it extra difficult for players to move or stay in place.
- Mario Classic - A court that uses video game graphics from 1980s. Enemies walking act like a hazard.
Pre-release and unused content[]
In the intro of the game where Wario and Waluigi are checking out the tournament board, the player can see Toad and Toadette on the left. It is unknown if they were intended to be playable or if it is a simple cameo. Unused models found within the game's files include a Hammer Bro (with its filename implying that it was meant to be the linesman) and 3D sprites for a Spiny, a Shellcreeper, and a Fighter Fly.[1] Presumably, the latter two models were to be used for the Mario Classic Court as either spectators or obstacles. In the final game, they use their sprites from the NES version of Mario Bros. During production, the game was called Mario Tennis.
Walpeach concept art.
The idea of "Walpeach", or a rival character to Princess Peach akin to Wario and Waluigi for Mario and Luigi, was considered. The idea had first been considered in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, where it was rejected. In 2023 Fumihide Aoki posted concept art of Walpeach on Instagram.
Trivia[]
- The credits show a movie similar to that of an opening movie.
- This is only Mario game to feature bloopers.
- This is also the final Mario game where Wario wears his original outfit (a yellow long-sleeved shirt and fuchsia overalls), which was first seen in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. After this game, Wario's current outfit (a yellow short-sleeved shirt and purple overalls), which was first seen in Wario Land II becomes his permanent outfit.
- This is the first game where Boo, Donkey Kong, and Diddy Kong recieve new voice actors.
- This is also the first game where Dolores Rogers voices as Wiggler for the first time
Videos[]
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References[]
- ↑ The Cutting Room Floor - Mario Power Tennis Retrieved March 14, 2017
External links[]
- Mario Power Tennis at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Mario Power Tennis at GameFAQs
- GameCube version's website (Japanese)
- Enjoy with Wii: Mario Tennis GC website (Japanese)
- New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis North America
- New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis gamepage
- GameCube version's website (Nintendo UK)
- New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis website (Nintendo UK)
- Full reel of Mario Power Tennis Bloopers