Release Date:
Developers: Camelot Software Planning
Publishers: Nintendo
System: N64
Rated: E

Some like this better then Mario Golf, some think it's worse. I'll be rating on a scale of 1-10. Also at the end of every section, I'll tell if I thought it was better then Mario Golf (N64) and put either a (+), (-), or a (=).

Gameplay: 7
A game of tennis. You'll have free play, which is just a match of tennis with however many sets you put it on. Then you have tournament mode where you go through a tournament. If I remember correctly, there are four different cups. This is very easy, though. You'll also have a doubles tournament, too. Really, this is a lot easier then beating every tournament in MG64 and getting all of the birdie badges. You also have a Ring Shot mode, which is also easier then Mario Golf's, and you don't get anything for beating it either. In fact, all you do is hit the ball back and forth, collecting rings. This wasn't too impressive.  Then you have the Piranha Challenge, where a Piranha Plant spits balls at you and you hit them back faster at your rival then it spits them out. Finally, my favorite mode is the Bowser Court. This is where you play a match of tennis, but with items and other features. This was my favorite mode by far. Overall, I didn't like the gameplay as much as Mario Golf's. There weren't as many modes, the tournament mode is way too easy, and I personally don't like tennis as much as golf. (-)

Characters: 9
You have Mario, Wario, Luigi, Waluigi, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Peach, Daisy, Toad, Baby Mario, Birdo, Boo, and Paratroopa. Another thing is they all have their different skill classes. For example, the All-Around include Mario and Luigi, which means they are all-around good. Then in the technique section there is Waluigi, Peach, Toad, and Daisy, and this just means they aren't really fast or powerful, but they have good range and don't let the ball over the net easily (especially Waluigi). I loved the characters because they're recognizable, unlike in Mario Golf, and yet they are still original (Waluigi, Wario, Toad). This was definitely better for these reasons. (+)

Music: 2
Well it is a game of tennis, but you'd better turn the music off. It's lousy, bland, and mostly forgettable. Either you play your I-Pod and listen to real music, turn the music completely off, or listen to the one good theme in the game. That's all I have to say about the music. I really didn't like Mario Golf's either, but it was slightly better then this one. (-)

Graphics: 9
Very nice. The characters look better than in most N64 games, and the courts look awesome! Especially before the matches, when it shows the characters up close looking like they want to play. They did real nice, and even though I loved Mario Golf's, it was just a little better. (+)

Originality: 6
Really this wasn't impressive this time around. It has its average tournament mode, which is basically in every tennis game. Then it has Ring Shots, which is different from a normal tennis game, but a "rip" from Mario Golf. The most unique thing about this game is Bowser's Court where you use items. The Piranha Challenge is unique also. Other then that, there was more new stuff in Mario Golf than in Mario Tennis. (-)

Secrets:5  Unlike in Mario Golf where you unlock everybody, in this game you only unlock two whole characters. Now they made the 5 points because they weren't in Mario Golf and this is the first game where they are playable. Other then them, you do unlock ONE tournament mode which is very boring. Mario Golf offered a lot more unlockables so there for it wins again.(-)

Items: 7
Unfortunat ely, you only have one type of tennis racket. But the items in Bowser's Court are great really. You have shells, which knock down your opponents, and banana peels, which make them trip and miss the ball. Then you have Mushrooms, which speed up the ball, and other cool items. These are great items. So Mario Tennis offered regular items, but only one type of tennis racket. Then again Mario Golf offered several different clubs, but really no items. So they're equal. (=)

Controls: 6
They're not real easy to use. A is a power hit, B is a softer hit, both together are very powerful, and A then B is a loopy hit, and vice versa and you get a very slow hit. These can be a bit challenging. Sometimes you hit the wrong button combinations because the game speed is a lot faster then in Mario Golf. Also when you serve it's a lot harder to get a "Nice" serve than it is getting a "Nice" shot in Mario Golf. So therefore, they are worse. Mario Tennis is worse then Mario Golf in ANOTHER category. (-)

Difficulty: Depends
If the CPU is on hard, it's hard, and if it's set to easy then it will be easy. If you're playing Piranha Challenge or Ring Shots, the game is easy no matter what. Sometimes. Anyway, I thought tournament mode was a LOT easier then the one in Mario Golf. I always say the harder the game, the better the play! So therefore it gets another minus. (-)

Overall: 6
It's your average game, really. I would get this used if you are a tennis fan, but if you aren't, I wouldn't bother. It looks as if this might be a lot worse than Mario Golf indeed, but neither did great in the stores. My overall opinion is: Mario Golf is a lot better then Mario Tennis. (-)