The Game Boy is home to a wide variety of sports games. While some of these were quite rudimentary in the early days, games later in the lifecycle of the platform got more complex and grandiose. Mario Tennis on the Game Boy Color is a perfect example of this. Does this RPG infused tennis game still hold up to this day? That’s exactly what we’re here to talk about. Let’s get into it.
Note
For the record, I mainly played Mario Tennis via the Game Boy app on the Switch. Even with that said, this retro review is focusing on the game itself rather than features specific to the version on the Switch via the Game Boy app.
Gameplay
With only action two buttons on the Game Boy Color, controls in Mario Tennis may seem simple. To some extent, they are, however there is quite a bit of depth here. A is used for regular shots and B for a slice shot. Holding A or B results in more powerful shots. More complicated skills can be learned in the Story Mode, which we’ll get into shortly, including Drop Shots and Lob Shots. Pressing A then B will perform the Lob, while pressing B then A will perform a Drop. Pressing A or B twice will also perform more powerful shots. You have to be careful, though. Pressing A or B before the ball arrives will initiate the charge sequence. If you do this too early, incoming tennis balls might slip right by.
Mastery of these more complex moves is absolutely necessary when working your way up the ranks in the story. I’ll get into this later, but the CPU starts out pretty forgiving but gets trickier the further you move on. It should be noted that Doubles matches play almost identically to Singles, with the obvious difference being the addition of a CPU partner. I preferred the Singles matches as it gives you a bit more control over the action. Overworld control in the Mario Tour section is also quite simple as A initiates dialogue or the ability to interact with items or the environment.
Modes
Mario Tennis is a deep game with a few modes on offer. Players can choose from Exhibition, Mario Mini-games, Linked Play and Mario Tour. Exhibition and Linked Play are easy enough to understand, however, the mini-games and Mario Tour need a bit of explanation. Mario Mini-games are just what they sound like. Upon entering the mode, you’ll be able to choose from a variety of tennis based mini-games featuring characters from the Mario universe. These are typically a high score affair and are pretty fun to attempt. On top of this, several courts can be unlocked by clearing the mini-games. This is a fun addition to the game.
Mario Tour is the most compelling modes in the game. Here, you take control of either a boy or girl and work your way up the ranks at the Royal Academy. There are several levels and tournaments to complete and numerous foes to defeat. While the story elements are a bit light, this is a great example of how both RPG elements and sports games can work well together. While common in modern gaming, this was novel for the time and gave players more control over what their character could do. Gaining experience and levels are necessary to tweak your character’s attributes and give you the edge in matches. Experience can be gained by simply playing matches in the leagues, or by taking on challenges found throughout the grounds. Playing the matches might be enough for some, but I found that seeking out these extra challenges really help at preparing players for more challenging matches deeper into the game.
The Story Mode in Mario Tennis still holds up. It’s not going to blow you away narratively, but it’s a fun addition that ties the game together nicely. Opponents in the earlier stages are pretty easy, but the difficulty does ramp up as you progress. This aspect of the game is fair and encourages players to get better at the game.
N64 Connectivity
If you play Mario Tennis on original hardware, you have access to a cool feature - transferring data to the N64 version of the game. Of course, you need to have an N64 Transfer Pak and a copy of Mario Tennis 64. As long as everything is working correctly, a new option labeled “Transfer” will pop up on the screen of Mario Tennis 64 and allow you to swap data between games. This is useful for unlocking characters, courts and more between both versions of the game. One of the cooler features is the ability to use the characters from Story Mode - Alex (your main character), Harry, Nina and Kate. You can play as these characters with the stats that you gained in the GBC game and even earn experience while playing the N64 version and send it back to the GBC. The setup might have been a bit much for poor kids back in the day, but it is great seeing these characters on the N64 in 3D.
Visuals, Audio (& Performance)
At first glance, Mario Tennis might not look like much, especially when it comes to interactions in the overworld. There, players are introduced to the world via an isometric camera and small character models. It’s very reminiscent of other RPGs on the system and still packs quite a bit of detail. The main stars of the game visually are the amazing sprites that are used when taking the court. Opponents have ample detail and animations look fantastic. This goes for both the Nintendo mascot characters and original characters created for the game. The music in the game is varied and sports some catchy tunes. Whether it be the overworld, regular matches, or the last set, Mario Tennis is full of some real bangers.
Collector’s Corner
I managed to track down a complete copy of Mario Tennis on the Game Boy Color from a re-sell site in Japan. My copy of the game is in decent condition, with the box only having minor wear. It didn’t come with the plastic bag for the game, but box insert, manual and other slips of paper were included.
Conclusion
Mario Tennis on the Game Boy Color is a surprisingly deep game. Despite the button limitation, Camelot did a great job at adding variety to the gameplay with various button combinations. The story mode in addition to other challenges give gamers quite a bit of content. Simply put, if you’re looking for a 2D simulation sports game, you really can’t go wrong.
But let’s turn things over to you. Did you play Mario Tennis on GBC back in the day? Have you played it recently? Do you prefer more sim-like sports games from Nintendo like this, or ones that are a bit more arcade-like? Sound off in the comments down below. We’d love to hear from you.
Originally posted on Friday, August 2, 2024, 10:59 a.m.
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