Ink Showdown
Ink Showdown is one of the four Special Games found in Mario Tennis Open. It is very similar to the Piranha Challenge from Mario Tennis. In this Special Game, three Inky Piranha Plants spit balls at the player. The player must then hit each ball past the opponent to count towards the score. If the opponent manages to hit the ball, or if the player misses the ball, the score does not count, and the player loses one out of three tries. If players lose all tries, the game is over. A score is counted if the opponent fails to rebound or if the player hits the opponent. Nothing is counted if the player hits the ball out of bounds, but the player does not lose a try.
Occasionally, the Inky Piranha Plants may spit out an ink ball that can obscure the screen for a brief period if the player misses the ball. To destroy the ink ball, players need to make contact with the ink ball. This ink ball is instantly destroyed, but it does not count towards the score. There are four difficulties available. In the Ink Showdown Challenge, the player must simply return as many of the fifty balls as possible, with no penalty for missing. If players beat the gold difficulty, they can unlock Dry Bowser. If players reach 50 rebounds in the challenge difficulty, they can unlock the Petey Piranha Suit. At the end of the game, the amount of balls returned and tries the player has left are factored in to the coins earned from the game.
| Difficulty | Goal | Court | Opponent | Alternate opponent[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ink Spot | 30 points | Mario Stadium (Grass) | Princess Peach | Daisy |
| Ink Splatter | 30 points | Mario Stadium (Clay) | Yoshi | Diddy Kong |
| Inksplosion | 30 points | Mario Stadium (Hard) | Wario | Mario |
| Ink Showdown Challenge | As many as possible within 50 total balls |
Bowser's Castle | Bowser | Donkey Kong |
- ^ Used if the player selects the character normally assigned as the opponent
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | インクパックンチャレンジ Inku pakkun charenji |
Inky Piranha Challenge | [1] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 喷墨食人花挑戰 Pēn Mò Shírénhuā Tiǎozhàn (Mandarin) |
Inky Piranha Plant Challenge | [2] | |
| Dutch | Piranha Plant-partij | Piranha Plant Party | [?] | |
| French (Canadian) | Défi Piranha encre | Piranha Ink Challenge | [?] | |
| French (European) | Halte aux plantes | Halt the plants | [?] | |
| Italian | Occhio alla Macchia | Watch out for the Stain | [?] | |
| Portuguese (European) | Tintomania | Pormanteau of tinta ("ink") and mania ("mania") | [?] | |
| Spanish | Tintomanía | Pormanteau of tinta ("ink") and manía ("mania") | [?] |
References[edit]
- ^ ゲームと時々動画編集 (December 25, 2025). 【3DS】マリオテニスオープン / インクパックンチャレンジ【アシストプレイ】. YouTube. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ 2013. 喷墨食人花挑戰. Nintendo Official Site (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 15 Aug. 2020.
