Connors, McEnroe, Sampras--all are OK players, but none can hold a racket to the world's greatest plumber-tennis champ, Mario. But, with enough practice, and a devastating overhead smash, you can work your way up to the championship cup. Mario Tennis's exhibition mode puts you in the Tennis Academy, where you slowly build up your character's skills (doubles or singles). As you rise in the ranks by challenging other characters and upgrading your equipment, you'll play eventually against Mario himself. You can play as one of many Nintendo mascots, including Donkey Kong, Luigi, and Princess Peach. There also are a few minigames that will sharpen your skills and can unlock other levels. If you find a human partner, you can play against his or her copy of the game easily by way of a link cable.
The fast and furious on-court action is easy to follow, despite the tiny characters. The ball flies smoothly, and each opponent plays differently enough to be a challenge every time. However, your Game Boy might suffer a tremendous beating from the furious button-mashing that's needed to win the match.
One fault with Mario Tennis is its horrid sound effects, which will have most folks quickly reaching for the volume controls. Still, if you have patience and strong thumbs, Mario Tennis serves up a mean game that's easily one of the better sports tiles to grace the Game Boy. --Mark Brooks
Pros:
- Fast-paced action
- Smooth, well-animated graphics
- Singles and doubles matches, plus head-to-head link-cable play
- Transfer Pak compatible with Nintendo 64 version
Cons:
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