Mario Power Tennis is a game for the Nintendo GameCube. It is the sequel of Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. In this game, Mario and his various friends (and enemies) meet up to play a few rounds of tennis. Like previous Mario sports titles, all the playable characters have special Power Shots to make the game more interesting. Additionally, there are courts in the game that have special effects and events during the game. Also, there are special games for each court to play with.
Opening Movie
Before starting the game, there is an intro movie that shows Bowser, Wario, and Waluigi teaming up against the Mario Bros.
The movie begins with a tennis tournament. The Mario Bros. are playing a match against Wario and Waluigi. The Mario Bros. win, and as Wario complains, Waluigi sees a picture of the Mario Bros. on a tournament board. They vandalize the picture, but the cops see them and pursue a chase. The two run to Peach Tower and try to hide in what they think is a janitor's closet, but the closet has no floor, and the two fall into a training room. As Wario wonders, "What's this stuff?", Bowser approaches them and offers an alliance to destroy the Mario Bros.
As Mario and Luigi are about to play a match against Yoshi and Donkey Kong, Bowser takes the picture of Yoshi and DK and replaces it with Wario and Waluigi. And then Bowser shows up behind the picture. Peach is shocked at this point and has a worried expression on her face. Wario and Waluigi catapult Bob-ombs at them, but they reflect them with their tennis rackets. Bowser enters and launches a Bullet Bill at them, and Mario knocks it back with his racket, causing a giant explosion.
Incredibly, there are no fatalities. Mario slowly gets up, looks around, grins, and mutters, "Oh, Mama mia."
Baby Mario and Baby Luigi can be seen in the crowd at the beginning. Additionally, on the tournament board, Toad and Toadette participate, though they are not playable in the game.
If the player wins the Star Cup or Thunder Cup, the player will see the first half of the Opening Movie as a blooper reel. If the player wins the Planet Cup, a second set of bloopers will continue where the last set left off.
Skill Types
- All Around: A character that is a little bit good in all categories.
- Speedy: A character that can get to the ball in time, but lacks raw strength.
- Power: A character that can hit the ball with great force, but lacks speed.
- Technique: A character that can place the ball on the corners of the net.
- Tricky: A character that can curve the ball, which can confuse the opponent on where it's going.
- Defense: A character that can easily hit the ball from any position.
Playable Characters, their power shots and their skill types
| Character | Skill type | Offensive Power Shot | Defensive Power Shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario | All Around | Iron Hammer | Spin Jump Return |
| Luigi | All Around | Squeaky Mallet | Poltergust Return |
| Peach | Technique | Super Peach Spin | Sweet Kiss Return |
| Daisy | Technique | Wonder Flower | Flowerbed Return |
| Wario | Power | Thunder Cast Shot | Ultra-Hand Return |
| Waluigi | Defense | Whirluigi | Swimming Return |
| Bowser | Power | Fire Breath | Spinning Shell Dash |
| Donkey Kong | Power | Barrel Cannon Blast | Boomerang Banana Return |
| Diddy Kong | Speedy | Acrobatic Banana | Barrel Jet |
| Yoshi | Speedy | Rainbow Flutter | Rolling Egg Return |
| Bowser Jr. | Tricky | Magic Paint | Rolling Brush Return |
| Koopa Troopa | Speedy | Water Bomb | Water Shell Dash |
| Boo | Tricky | Boo Blast | Boo Brigade Return |
| Shy Guy | Technique | Lightning Spear | Spear Dance Return |
Unlockable Characters, their power shots and their skill types
| Character | Skill type | Offensive Power Shot | Defensive Power Shot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fly Guy | Tricky | Tornado Twist | Tornado Return |
| Paratroopa | Technique | Energy Ball | Sky Dive |
| Wiggler | Defense | Anger Management | Flutter Return |
| Petey Piranha | Power | Sludge Racket | Piranha Swingback |
Baby Mario and Baby Luigi do it all and are secret characters
Audience
During the game, Toads, Piantas and Nokis are in the audience. During the intro, the crowd contains Piantas, Nokis, Birdos, Ukikis, Goombas, Paragoombas, Bumptys and Lakitus.
Courts
| Name | Gimmick | Mini-Game | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peach Dome | None. A standard Court, with no gimmicks or add-ons whatsoever. | Artist On the Court | Default |
| Luigi's Mansion Court | Ghosts harass the players, slowing them down. | Terror Tennis | Default |
| Wario Factory Court | Conveyor belts either slow down or speed up a player. | Chain-Chomp Challenge | Default |
| Delfino Plaza Court | Piranha Plant's spit goop onto the field, slowing down a player. | Tic-Tac-Glow | Default |
| Gooper Blooper Court | Moving tiles make it easier to hit the water, thus, getting an out. | Gooper Blooper Volley | Default |
| DK Jungle Court | Klaptrap's cling onto players, slowing them down. | Balloon Panic | Default |
| Bowser's Castle Court | Tilting stage, makes it difficult to hit the ball in the court. | Mecha-Bowser Mayhem | Unlockable |
| Mario Classic Court | Classic Mario Bros. enemies walk onto the court, blocking the players. | Coin Collectors | Unlockable |
Trivia
- Wario and Waluigi are often seen as a comic relief in this game.
- Luigi hands out most of the trophies to the characters.
Artwork
- TennisMario.jpg
- MPTLuigi.jpg
- TennisPeach.jpg
- MPTArt.jpg
- Yoshitennis.jpg
- WarioTennispower.jpg
- Waluigitennis2.jpg
- MPT DonkeyKong.jpg
- MptDiddy.jpg
- TennisBowser.jpg
- TennisJr..jpg
- MPT KoopaTroopa.jpg
- MPT Boo.jpg
- TennisGuy.jpg