Mario Power Tennis Review
Have you ever played the really good game Mario Power Tennis for the Gamecube? Well if you have you've played this game completely with the exception of being able to use the Wii-mote to do your swinging. Now I know what you're thinking, is it going to be a disappointment like the Mario Baseball game, well we shall see.
First off the graphics look like they haven't changed one bit, I know that we are talking about the jump from a Gamecube to a Wii, but there should be some difference. Actually in some of the menus the characters really look rough around the edges, and make the Gamecube version look better.
The music and sounds are taking right out of the Gamecube game and that's not that big of a surprise since this is that game exactly just with a different set of controls thrown on top. If you like Mario style music you're not going to be disappointed, but if you're expecting NEW Mario style music, well this just isn't going to deliver for you.
The controls are probably the part that have the most people holding their breaths. I have to say that it is a relief to say that this controls match those of the Wii Sports Tennis game, and improve on them. You will actually be able to move your character around the court instead of having your friend find that one exploit that screws you every time in Wii Sports. Now the swinging isn't the most precise thing and sometimes the controls can act a little sluggish, but this is a huge step in the right direction.
The gameplay is really simple, you are going to play Tennis, either singles or doubles. You will get to play on different courts, some with twists to them that make the game interesting. There are 3 game types, you have the regular mode, the rings mode, and the gimmick mode. The first and the last modes are the ones that you're going to want to play, just my personal opinion. You'll also get to choose from Exhibition mode, tournament, and mini-games. I recommend not doing the mini-games and just focusing on the actual tennis portion of the game.
I really wish that Nintendo had given us an all new Tennis game, but seeing as that's not happening as of yet, I guess this will have to do. If you like Tennis and Mario themed sports games, pick this up, even if you have the Gamecube copy. The game gets deducted points for not being original and having Mario Tennis Wii, but I give this game an 8.4 out of 10.
