|
Mario Tennis Open is a game for Nintendo 3DS. It is a successor to Mario Power Tennis originally released for Game Boy Advance and is the sixth installment of the Mario Tennis series. Announced just before the Tokyo Game Show in 2011, the game was released in North America on May 20, 2012 and all the other major regions by the end of the month. The game features gyroscope support and online multiplayer (using the Nintendo Network procedures). This is the first handheld installment in the series to not include a Story Mode or RPG elements and the first handheld installment with a Tournament mode. This game is also the first Mario game to use QR (Quick Response) codes. In this case, it is used to unlock playable characters and the Yoshi costume. The game requires 2019 blocks to download from the Nintendo eShop.
Gameplay[]
The game utilizes the 3DS' gyroscope controls as well as the touch screen. It supports online player matches via Nintendo Network and offers a monthly leader board. Winning in an online match gives the player a "Victory Medal". What these Victory Medals will be used for is unknown. The game uses the StreetPass feature to allow players to engage in competitive StreetPass Matches or co-op Ring Shot challenges using ghost data of people they encounter. Players have the ability to upgrade their Mii's abilities with about 200 original items such as tennis rackets, outfits and costumes that feature different attributes and abilities. For example, by wearing a Yoshi costume, the Mii gains the speed of Yoshi. These can be unlocked either through normal playmodes or with QR Codes.
Special Games[]
Aside from the single and multiplayer modes, the game features four special modes. These are:
 Super Mario Tennis |
"Play the original Super Mario Bros. game by volleying against the in-game action to progress. Collect coins, stomp enemies, and find Muchroom power-ups all with your tennis swing. Also playable with two players." |
 Ring Shot |
"Train your aim and hit the ball through rings to score big. The smaller the ring, the higher your score-and go for multiple rings for a bonus. Playable with up to four players." |
 Galaxy Rally |
"Rally with the Luma for as long as possible while avoiding the holes that open up on the opposite side. Aim for Star Chips to create a Launch Star and get extra Coins." |
 Ink Showdown |
"Try to return the tennis balls launched by a trio of Inky Piranha Plants, and get them past your opponent. Watch out for ink balls that could temporarily cloud your vision." |
Characters[]
The game features 17 playable characters including Miis, each in one of six player classes. There are four hidden characters that are unlocked by completing certain challenges.
Starters[]
 Mario All-Round |
"Mario is flexible and can respond to any situation. He's your man especially if you are unsure of which character to use, or if you are a beginner." |
 Luigi All-Round |
"Compared to Mario, he is a bit less powerful, but Luigi is good at ball handling. His specialty is playing up front, at the net." |
 Peach Technique |
"With her light foot and technical shots, Peach can really aim for the corners of the court. She will lead her opponent around by the nose with her skillful play." |
 Daisy Technique |
"Compared to Peach, Daisy can do more powerful shots. She's very energetic on the court, too." |
 Yoshi Speed |
"Yoshi's strength is of course his speed. Even when his opponent hits a well-placed shot, Yoshi can usually hurry over and make the return." |
 Bowser Power |
"Bowser is proud of his power. The shots released from his massive body have explosive power! No shot is too strong for him to return." |
 Donkey Kong Power |
"Among all the Power-type players, Donkey Kong can move most quickly. With his dynamic shots, he can overwhelm his opponent." |
 Diddy Kong Speed |
"Diddy Kong is small and quick. He is acrobatic as well, so he can receive the ball with ease and return a very powerful shot." |
 Wario Power |
"Wario may look comical, but he sure can return the ball. His direct shots are very powerful. Based on the way he jumps around on the court, he might not be as sluggish as you think..." |
 Waluigi Defense |
"Waluigi's strength lies in his long arms and legs! He can cover a wide area, and return any balls with a smash." |
 Bowser Jr Tricky |
"With his quick moves, Bowser Jr. has no problem returning balls. He can hit surprising Slices that confuse his opponents." |
 Boo Tricky |
"Boo can seriously curve balls to the left and right. Boo's shots, especially the Slice, are literally very tricky. Also, Boo can quickly catch balls with a ghostly ability, even the distant ones." |
| Mii Custom |
"Use your own Mii character to play alongside the big boys." |
Hidden Characters[]
| Character | How to Unlock | Character | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
 Baby Mario Speed |
Complete 'World 1-3' in Super Mario Tennis. |
 Baby Peach Tricky |
Complete 'Pro Rings Challenge' (500 ring points in 3 minutes) in Ring Shot. |
 Luma Technique |
Completie 'Superstar' challenge (finish a 100-hit rally) in Galaxy Rally. |
 Dry Bowser Defense |
Complete 'Inksplosion' challenge (score 30 times) in Ink Showdown. |
Character Variants[]
Outside of the main character choices there are also 7 different colored Yoshis to unlock with QR Codes. These Yoshis have different stats than that of the standard green Yoshi. The QR Codes will be distributed over a course of time in a variety of ways. In the UK, a promotion entitled "The Yoshi Chase" involes the distribution of QR Codes to various stores and locations. The QR Codes are region locked, meaning there are different codes for each Yoshi in the major geographical regions. Other character variations such as Metal Mario are also available to unlock with QR codes.
| Character | JP QR Code | NA QR Code | EU QR Code | Character | JP QR Code | NA QR Code | EU QR Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Blue Yoshi Speed |
|
|
|
 Red Yoshi Technique |
|
|
|
 Yellow Yoshi Power |
|
|
|
 Pink Yoshi Technique |
|
|
|
 Black Yoshi All-Round |
|
|
|
 White Yoshi Tricky |
|
|
|
 Light Blue Yoshi Speed |
|
|
|
 Metal Mario Power |
Unknown | 
|
|
Others/Non-Playable[]
|
Courts[]
|
|
 Mario Stadium - Grass Court "Tennis aces face off on this famous court." |
 Mario Stadium - Clay Court "A legendary court known for high drama." |
 Peach's Palace - Carpet Court "This court is in Princess Peach's lavish palace." |
 Bowser's Castle - Stone Court "Bowser's fiery court built on boiling magma." |
 DK Jungle - Wood Court "A rugged court in the heart of the jungle." |
 Mushroom Valley - Mushroom Court "A court built on a gigantic Mushroom." |
 Penguin Iceberg - Snow Court "A penguin-filled court floating in icy waters." |
 Wario Dunes - Sand Court "A desert court surrounded by ancient ruins." |
 Galaxy Arena - Crystal Court Unlocked by completing the Final Cup in the Star Open Tournaments. |
Reception[]
Critical reception[]
Mario Tennis Open received mixed to positive reviews from critics, with aggregate websites Metacritic and GameRankings giving the game a 69 based on 58 reviews[1] and 69.26% based on 38 reviews.[2] Critics often cite that while the title is considered a solid title, they lament that it plays and feels too similarly to previous titles in the series, with Chance Shots not greatly improving or changing the gameplay up to make the title stand out, and the game was overall a disappointment. Reception towards the Mii customization was mixed; the overall customization was praised, but the pie-chart system of viewing stats has a universal negative reaction. Some critics complain that Miis receive too much focus compared to the Mario series characters as well. Praise has been given to the Special Games, however, especially the Super Mario Tennis Special Game.
Eric L. Patterson of Electronic Gaming Monthly has felt that while the title is a solid one for any Mario Tennis fan, it is not a great Mario Tennis title, and gave the game a 7 out of 10.[3] Richard George of IGN has concluded that the game is "Okay", acknowledging that, "Camelot's decade of tennis experience means they understand how to make the sport engaging and addicting...Yet Mario Tennis Open struggles in just about every other regard.", where the score is a 6.5 out of 10.[4] Griffin McElroy of Polygon has lambasted the Chance Shots system in his review, calling out the over-reliance on them and their random spawning.[5] On a more positive note, Matt Helgeson from Game Informer has given the game an 8/10, appreciating how Mario Tennis Open goes back to the basics due to him disliking the Power Shots feature of Mario Power Tennis, and that the game introduces online to the series.[6]
Sales[]
Mario Tennis Open is the 21st best selling game for the Nintendo 3DS, selling 1.11 million copies worldwide, as of March 31, 2013.[7]
Trivia[]
- On the American box art, there is a scoreboard that displays the name "Koopa" instead of "Bowser". This is a localization error when the game was Americanized from it's native Japan where Bowser is known as "King Koopa".
- Rosalina was intended to appear as a playable character, but was replaced by Luma due to the sheer amount of time it would take to model her character.[8] She would later be included as a playable character in the next Mario Tennis installment, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash.
- This is the first and so far only Mario Tennis game to have a golf counterpart released after it.
References[]
- ↑ Metacritic score of Mario Tennis Open Metacritic. Retrieved October 31, 2015
- ↑ GameRankings score of Mario Tennis Open GameRankings. Retrieved October 31, 2015
- ↑ Patterson, Eric L. (May 16, 2012) Review of Mario Tennis Open. EGM. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ↑ George, Richard (May 12, 2012) Review of Mario Tennis Open IGN. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ↑ McElroy, Griffin (May 24, 2012) Mario Tennis Open review: Foot Fault Polygon. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ↑ Helgeson, Matt (May 16, 2012) Mario Tennis Gets Back to Basics, Goes Online Game Informer. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ↑ Top Selling Software Units - Nintendo 3DS Software Nintendo. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ↑ http://himastime.blog21.fc2.com/blog-entry-653.html
External links[]
- Mario Tennis Open at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Mario Tennis Open at GameFAQs
- Official American website
- Official Japanese website
- Official Oceanian website
- Official European website
- Official Chinese website