This review originally went live in 2014, and we're updating and republishing it to celebrate the game's arrival in Switch's Game Boy (Color) library via Nintendo Switch Online.
For whatever its name is worth, Mario Tennis doesn’t feature a lot of the red guy — at least at first. That may come as an initial disappointment to some who were drawn to the M-word. Now, if you came for the 'tennis' part, well, that’s a whole different story.
Mario Tennis will let you get into a game right off the ba—er, racket, if you wish, allowing a selection of courts and options for both singles and doubles play in Exhibition mode. A few Nintendo-character-based minigames are also available at your leisure and offer a good way to practice shots and reaction time.
The meat of the game, though, resides in the Mario Tour mode, placing you in the shoes of a promising new, non-Mario student at the Royal Tennis Academy. After choosing and naming a male or female character, then naming his or her roommate — and then after a rather long introduction for a portable title — you are free to engage in a variety of training games or take on opponents to move up the school’s ranks.
Much like its club-based counterpart, Mario Golf, the game takes on an interesting RPG flavour in its treatment of building your character. Completing training challenges or earning victories in matches grant experience points that can be used to level up your own character or your roommate, who serves as partner in doubles matches. Each level gained comes with a chosen increase in one of four categories: Spin, Power, Control, and Speed. Each category contains its own stats that automatically rise with the category rank, but some consideration must be taken when choosing areas to strengthen.
Developer Camelot took a uniquely realistic approach towards balance here. Concentrating solely on power will come at the occasional cost of points in speed-related stats and vice versa. You may want to tip the scales, or you may want to spread points more evenly; the choice is yours.
Levels and stats do make a difference, as even some of the starting training exercises feel next to impossible without first powering up. Once the ball gets rolling, however, it only seems to pick up momentum, with more and more points coming in until your character becomes a powerhouse. It’s rewarding and addictive.
The numbers have even more meaning since the controls for Mario Tennis are pleasingly responsive. Gaining levels isn’t compensation for a poor control scheme at all and feels very much like real physical improvement. Beginners will be able to pick up and play quickly, but there is plenty that can be learned in the form of different shots that depend on position, timing, and button combos. Picking these up will prove very helpful later on when the opponents start becoming less pushovers and more technically inclined.
The AI of computer-controlled characters feels as well tuned as the controls, with opponents steadily putting up more of a fight as you progress up the single and doubles ladders, providing challenge while rarely feeling like cheaters. Even your doubles partner, if kept decently levelled up, will prove dependable to the point that they will feel worthy of your actual trust. You may even find yourself cheering for your computerised compadre after they smash it in to end a particularly exciting rally.
The old method of unlocking Mario characters through a copy of the N64 version of Mario Tennis and a Transfer Pak was kaput in the 3DS Virtual Console release, with no alternative presented, which meant those respective characters’ minigames also weren’t available. Fortunately, the Nintendo Switch Online version has them unlocked by default, so Bowser, Wario, Waluigi, and Yoshi are all accessible from the off. Mario and Peach will show up later on in the Mario Tour for your taking, and aside from them, you also have Luigi, Baby Mario, and Donkey Kong.
Not that they're really necessary to enjoy this game. Mario Tennis feels like a full experience even without the star power. The academy and its non-Mario patrons have a character of their own, now even more endearing as time has given the Game Boy Colour title’s bright hues and pixelated look a certain retro hipness. The music adds to the charm with chiptunes that know when to be pleasant or rousing.
Conclusion
Mario Tennis still provides an amazingly tight and fun portable experience with a skillful shot system and an engaging RPG-like motif. This early handheld entry stands proud in the Mario sports series as a real winner; rewarding, with plenty of depth. And so what if the Mario-ness of it all doesn’t register too much? He’ll just have to make do with platforms, parties, golf, baseball, football, every Olympic sport...
Comments 35
This game is an ultra masterpiece. Making tennis game fun for people who know nothing about tennis is an achievement
Always heard good things about this game. Looking forward to playing it for the first time.
So many good memories playing this game back in the late 90s. If only they used the RPG gameplay for the 3D outings.
I've been holding out on NSO, because I don't like subscriptions, but now I'm tempted, for this game and Mario Golf. But first, as a final attempt at subscription defiance, I'm going to check if I still have the cart. Not sure if I still have the GBC, but I did recover the Game Boy player for the GameCube a while back. Not quite the handheld experience, but it might do.
The fact that the Mario characters took such a big backseat for these always rubbed me the wrong way so I never really could get into them. If I buy MARIO tennis, I want MARIO characters.
That said, looking past that, these games are generally really solid despite that and definitely worth checking out. And overall these 'generic' humanoid characters fit much better into the Mario world than the rather bland ones used in New Donk City. Would've been cool to have one or two of these Tennis and Golf characters make a cameo as New Donkers!
I can't give it a 10, because the drawn-out intro to the game's story mode is painful. It almost collapses on its own weight then and there, but once the action actually gets started, it's outstandingly addictive and compelling from start to finish.
Add in some fun mini-games, and plenty of options for exhibition matches, and you have a game that's just a delight to play again and again.
@LadyCharlie intro is a one time thing, and you can always just create a save right after the start. Works wonders in Elder Scrolls which have long intros. Also, Okami has unskippable 18 minutes of intro and it doesnt stop it from being one of the best games in history.
Not saying you're wrong, just that maybe intros arent that bad
Most of my shots won't go left or right, is there something that I'm doing wrong?
@Yosher I know right? I’ve been hoping for plum from Mario Golf to be playable in mario kart for a while now.
Apart from the slow intro and arguably the Mario characters taking the backseat - personally the latter never bothered me and I really appreciate the role they take in the story mode - this really is such a good game because of everything mentioned in the review and comments here, enjoyed it a lot as a kid and really looking forward to replaying it at some point, plus I'm so glad they unlocked the Transfer Pak content at least in this one!
I loved this game growing up, it helped me get into other sports games.
Always loved this particular game, really need to get back into it now that it's on the Switch.
@JohnnyMind wait you can transfer the characters to the N64 game in the NSO version?
About the slow intro. After naming your character, reset the game. It will skip the intro This trick isn't new either, I used this when I had the original GBC cartridge of the game.
This trick sadly doesn't work on the GBA game.
And about the Mario characters taking the backseat, that is actually why I like the games so much. It feels more like an RPG this way, and you are more a part of the universe.
@Greatluigi they are unlocked from the start
In my book this game is a 10/10, but that would mean the GBA is a 11/10
Back when Camelot put the effort into Mario sports titles. Recent entries have been lacking. Hopefully they're working on something non-sports related now...
Yeah, like someone would say in 2024:
I need the Switch Online Subscription to play the Gameboy Color version of Mario Tennis...
🤣
Nice that they've included the N64 Transfer Pak characters! I bought this on 3DS years ago and still haven't got round to playing it, but looks like I'd be better off playing it on NSO instead (um, at some point).
@Greatluigi Based on what I've heard nope, they have only unlocked the N64 characters and so also their minigames from the start in the GBC version while the N64 version is still missing the GBC content and there isn't real Transfer Pak connectivity.
That said, I'll definitely take it this way over nothing like it used to be in the 3DS Virtual Console rerelease (and of course in the original if you didn't have the N64 game and/or a Transfer Pak, the former unfortunately being my case back in the day)!
I wasn't likely to give this game a look (or Golf) back in the day as I was busy playing their console counterparts with friends. Now that I've had a chance to examine these, I have to admit, I really respect and think it quite ambitious that they went for a role playing style, with a create a character, AND made the Mario characters play second fiddle to the narrative. It's a very welcome change of pace in the Nintendo world. Weirdly... I will try to find the time to make up for lost time. I wish they'd RPG a Punch-Out!! in this style... It might be fun.
What's with early Mario sports games not letting you play as the red mustachioed one from the get-go?
I would like to point out one fault with the game: there's a minigame where you have to press one of the face buttons really fast to achieve the bonus. The result of that repetitious speed and intensity ruined that button on my game boy color
Given that we already had ‘does what it says in the tin’ editions of Mario Tennis and Golf in the form of the console versions, I found it quite refreshing that the portable versions forged their own unique, less Mario-centric path!
It was a daring and possibly divisive decision, but one that ensured that the GB games were much more than watered down versions of the console releases.
@1day how ruined? It can probably be saved if you still have that’s Game Boy
@Revolution_Falls by “ruined”, I mean the button does not activate when you press it lightly. You have to push down hard and hold. In that respect, only could be used with turn-based games. As for repair, I never tried
@1day you can clean the contacts with Isopropyl alcohol, you can replace the button membrane, and if neither one works, then you can try getting a colicky button mod to replace the original buttons. Only problem with that is that the buttons will click like GBA SP buttons and won’t be as mushy as they used to be.
I was kind of excited to play this because I'd heard so much praise for it over the years, and then I did and remembered: I don't like sports games. So it's kind of cool what they did with the story mode, I guess, but I'll let this and Mario Golf both pass.
First time in my life I've heard anybody complain about this but being Mario-centric, that take came as an actual surprise. But for anyone who feels that way, you do you I guess.
This game is a 10/10 for me. Playing through the story mode was such a blast, with all its challenges, finding new gear, and characters with just enough personality to be enjoyable. And the rallies are INTENSE. Shame the NSO version of Mario Tennis 64 doesn't have character transfer, renting the game and facing off against my friend's character was amazing back in the day. All-time classic. I should give its golf counterpart a go sometime.
@Yosher Yeah it's good. But weird that there's so little Mario. Like the average screenshot of the main campaign wouldn't be readily identifiable as a Mario game compared to the newer games with story campaigns like Tennis Aces or Golf Ultra Smash. IMO probably should have mixed in Koopsa, Toads, Shy Guys, etc. Into the academy if they were just saving Mario & co. For the end.
It's a bit dodgy putting Mario and Peach on the front cover and not having them being the main characters or even playable from the start. Like I didn't get it as a kid, but it'd feel like a real bait & switch.
@Dr_Lugae Exactly that. It honestly feels like they put in Mario just to sell more copies. And then even named it Mario Tennis to sell even more copies. It probably worked.
Doesn't change that it still is a good game of course!
It's a shame the Mario Tennis games after this weren't of this standard. There have been one of two of those that are underrated tbf, but you feel they never reached the heights of this game. Cheers for the review.
Always loved this. But when I replayed it on 3DS VC I found out that it was extremely Easy. I had found way to make a point to every CPU after a couple of hit, as their AI is kind of dumb and can't follow you if you do certain combination of moves.
If this can get a review then why can't Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble?
Best sports rpg of all time, adding the N64 characters is a nice bonus.
Looking forward to getting in to this after I finish the story mode on the golf game. These two sports titles have been brilliant additions to an already good service. Yes, I'd prefer it if we could just buy the games we wanted, but nobody can say you don't get your monies worth with an NSO subscription. Now if they'd just add the two Gameboy Advance golf and tennis games that would be amazing.
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