GENRE
	Sports
	DEVELOPER
	Camelot
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-4
	CONNECTIVITY
	No
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For the last couple of hardware generations, Mario sports games have been appearing in pairs: one game on the home console and another version for handheld systems. With last year's release of Mario Power Tennis on the GameCube, it seemed somewhat inevitable that the GBA would see a version as well. How does this pint-sized title fare against its older brother?

visuals

There are two different graphical styles used in the game. When in a tennis match, the focus is on the court itself, featuring pre-rendered models of original characters and veterans from the Mario series. The view of the court is not fixed; rather, the camera orients on wherever the action is taking place, sometimes following the ball so closely that the athlete on the far side of the court is taken out of the picture completely, which can be a problem in tight matches, even if the character's position is represented by a small spyglass view.

When in the field and during some minigames, Mario Tennis: Power Tour adopts more of a 16-bit feel similar to developer Camelot's Golden Sun games, to the point of including the same yes/no interface for decision making. Each visual style is fully-realized and neither is unpleasant, but switching between the two on the fly can be a little jarring.

audio

A few pieces are reprised from Mario Power Tennis, especially during tennis matches, but most of the music in Mario Tennis: Power Tour is original. Sound effects are likewise mimicked, and for the most part, sound faithful to the GC version.

gameplay

The game automatically starts in Story Mode the first time it boots up. Players choose either a boy or a girl to guide throughout the rigors of the Tennis Academy. In doubles, the character not chosen becomes the partner of the player character, and working the way up through the singles and doubles standings is the meat and potatoes of the game. Both characters level up with an RPG-like experience system and are fully customizable.

In addition to playing actual matches, experience can be gained by participating in training exercises and minigames, which are in some cases the most enjoyable part of the Power Tour experience. The Power Shot minigames are perhaps the most entertaining, as each takes a hint from some earlier Mario game.

After Story Mode has begun, the Exhibition Mode is selectable from the menu and features one-player matches that can be held with any of the Mario characters or players which have been unlocked from Story Mode. The match can be customized to be played to one, three or five sets, and sets can consist of two or six games. This is handy for somone wanting a quick game of tennis, but lacks the meat of the story-based single-player quest.

Controls are easy to pick up, especially for anyone who has played the GameCube original. Understanding and using the control scheme won't present any problems, but the swift-moving Mario Tennis action lends itself to a physically violent style of play, and most handhelds simply can't offer the tactile response needed for it. A DS, with its heavy resilience, would likely be the best choice for playing Mario Tennis: Power Tour. Don't even think about playing it on a Game Boy Micro--the poor, little guy would probably break in half before the first set was even finished.

multiplayer

Mario Tennis: Power Tour supports up to four players with the use of the Game Boy Advance Link Cable. Players can pit their own developed characters against one another, choose one of the Mario standbys or take up other unlocked tennis players.

overall

Mario Tennis: Power Tour offers a lot for fans of the genre, and the tennis is well-simulated. The Power Shots, which are introduced about halfway through the single-player quest, change up the feel of the game enough that it could be problematic for some players. It may have been prudent to have introduced the Power Shots right after the tennis fundamentals, so that their inclusion would have felt more natural.

Also, despite the fairly deep single-player mode, the fact remains that in some ways, this title isn't as deep as its companion game Mario Golf: Advance Tour. The minigames, which are selectable from the main menu after playing them the first time, offer a break from the constant match-after-match play, but perhaps there simply aren't as many ways to play the sport. Even though Camelot has done a good job keeping the feel of the series on its latest handheld entry, the fact remains that Mario Tennis: Power Tour lacks some of the charm of its GameCube counterpart.

7.0/10