Mario Tennis: Power Tour

Mario Tennis: Power Tour
North American box art for Mario Tennis: Power Tour
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Camelot Software Planning
Nintendo SPD Group No.4
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console (Wii U)
Release date Game Boy Advance:
Japan September 13, 2005[?]
Europe November 18, 2005[?]
Australia December 1, 2005[?]
USA December 5, 2005[?]
Virtual Console (Wii U):
Japan April 30, 2014[?]
Europe June 26, 2014[?]
Australia June 27, 2014[?]
USA July 3, 2014[?]
Language(s) English (United Kingdom)
English (United States)
French (France)
German
Spanish (Spain)
Italian
Japanese
Genre Tennis
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
USK:0 - All ages
Mode(s) Single-player and Multiplayer
Format
Wii U:
Digital download
Game Boy Advance:
Game Pak
Input
Wii U:
Wii Remote (horizontal)
Game Boy Advance:
Serial code(s) Japan AGB-BTMJ-JPN
Europe AGB-BTMP-EUR
Australia AGB-BTMU-AUS
USA AGB-BTME-USA

Mario Tennis: Power Tour, known in European languages as Mario Power Tennis, is the fourth direct installment in the Mario Tennis series, and the Game Boy Advance counterpart of Mario Power Tennis for the Nintendo GameCube. This would ultimately be the final Super Mario release for the Game Boy Advance. It is very similar to Mario Tennis in gameplay and plot, though it has the addition of Power Shots. Although it is the counterpart of Mario Power Tennis, the two games cannot be connected in any way. The game was released on the 20th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. in Japan, and was released in anglophone regions shortly afterward.

The game is compatible with the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter. The game was rereleased for the Wii U's Virtual Console in Japan in April 2014, in Europe and Australia in June 2014, and in North America in July 2014.

PlotEdit

The player, either Clay or Ace, is a student in the Royal Tennis Academy. During this time, masked challengers come to the academy and defeat the academy's champions, leaving everyone in disbelief as they have never lost before. Determined to find out who they are, Clay or Ace become a part of the Junior class, where they defeat everyone in it. They continue on to the Senior classes, and then to Varsity, where they learn that the top two ranking players or teams get to advance to the Island Open, where they would play against top students from the other three tennis schools.

Clay/Ace soon ensure their entry to the Island Open. They hear a rumor that the victors of the Open would get a chance to play against Mario. During the time at the Open, the player may wish to travel between the Academy and the area of the Open at any time. After winning the Open, Clay and Ace realize that they still have not discovered who the masked players are. However, the very next day Mario comes to the Academy, and gives Clay/Ace the honor of playing with them. Thus begins the Peach Tournament, with Clay/Ace as players. In doubles, both are a team. Clay and Ace travel to the Mushroom Kingdom by the Toad Express, where the games are being held in the Peach Dome, owned by Princess Peach. During their stay, Clay/Ace are told that it is Mario and company that were the masked players in the academy, and that it is also them that introduced the concept of power shots to Earth. Piantas, Toads, and Nokis are present at the dome as part of the audience. Beating the game will unlock technical difficulty, which increases the skill level of the characters in story mode. Beating this mode will reward the player with a screen with all the characters Ace or Clay beat in their journey.

ControlsEdit

StoryEdit

  •   - Confirm
  •   - Run/Back
  •   - Move
  •   - Menu

MenuEdit

  •   - Confirm
  •   - Back
  •   - Select
  •   - Left-Handed Character
  •   - Star Character

TennisEdit

  •  /  - Start swing
  •   +   - Topspin
  •   +   - Slice
  •   +   - Lob
  •   +   - Drop Shot
  •   - Move
  •   - Activate Power Shot
  •   - Cancel Charge
  •   +  /  - Jump Shot

CharactersEdit

Playable charactersEdit

 
The character select screen

Mario Tennis: Power Tour features 36 playable characters when excluding Clay and Ace (the largest number seen in any Mario Tennis game), although only six debuted in prior games, with the rest (barring the two playable characters Clay and Ace) being opponents in the game's story mode, all 30 of which have to be unlocked by the player. This also marks the only time Waluigi has appeared without Wario (although Wario's voice can be heard in the game's intro) and marks the only Mario Tennis game where Yoshi is not a playable character. It has also marked the only time the skill type Tactical has appeared in a Mario Tennis game. None of the unlockable characters debuted in prior games, although star versions of them can be unlocked. Playable characters are classed by play style, listed below.

  • All-Around characters have well-rounded stats. They can fit in any position but they do not excel at any stat in particular.
  • Speedy characters have high agility and move around place to place quickly.
  • Technique characters focus on accuracy and control.
  • Defense characters have high reach that allow them to reach balls with greater ease.
  • Power characters emphasize on strong shots that can shoot balls at higher top speeds.
  • Tactical characters excel at putting spin on the ball.

DefaultEdit

Character Tennis affiliation Skill type Offensive Power Shot Defensive Power Shot
 
Mario
Mario World All-Around Iron Hammer Spin Jump Return
 
Peach
Mario World Technique Super Peach Spin Sweet Kiss Return
 
Luigi
Mario World All-Around Squeaky Mallet Poltergust Return
 
Waluigi
Mario World Defense Whirluigi Swimming Return
 
Donkey Kong
Mario World Power Barrel Cannon Blast Boomerang Banana Return
 
Bowser
Mario World Power Fire Breath Spinning Shell Dash
 
Clay (new)
Royal Tennis Academy Power Player-determined Player-determined
 
Ace (new)
Royal Tennis Academy Technique Player-determined Player-determined

UnlockableEdit

Character Tennis affiliation Skill type Offensive Power Shot Defensive Power Shot Unlock condition
 
Sophia (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Junior Class
All-Around None None Defeat this character in Junior Singles
 
Meg (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Junior Class
Technique None None Defeat this character in Junior Doubles
 
Mason (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Junior Class
Power None None Defeat this character in Junior Singles
 
Chad (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Junior Class
Power None None Defeat this character in Junior Doubles
 
Sasha (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Junior Class
Technique None None Defeat this character in Junior Singles
 
Sylvia (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Junior Class
Speedy None None Defeat this character in Junior Doubles
 
Chris (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Junior/Senior Classes
Speedy None None Defeat this character in Junior Singles
 
Kyle (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Junior/Senior Classes
All-Around None None Defeat this character in Junior Doubles
 
Gary (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Senior Class
Power None None Defeat this character in Senior Singles
 
Jet (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Senior Class
All-Around None None Defeat this character in Senior Doubles
 
Linda (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Senior Class
Speedy None None Defeat this character in Senior Doubles
 
Shawn (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Senior Class
Defense None None Defeat this character in Senior Doubles
 
Kyoko (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Senior Class
Technique None None Defeat this character in Senior Singles
 
Micki (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Senior Class
Technique None None Defeat this character in Senior Doubles
 
Roy (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Senior/Varsity Classes
All-Around Power Shot Running Save Defeat this character in Senior Singles
 
Emi (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Senior/Varsity Classes
Speedy Curve Shot Running Save Defeat this character in Senior Singles
 
Skipper (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Varsity Class
Defense Tackle Shot Lunging Save Defeat this character in Varsity Doubles
 
Flit (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Varsity Class
Tactical Curve Shot Quick Save Defeat this character in Varsity Doubles
 
Paula (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Varsity Class
Speedy Tackle Shot Lunging Save Defeat this character in Varsity Singles
 
Tori (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Varsity Class
Technique Control Shot Quick Save Defeat this character in Varsity Singles
 
Whisker (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Varsity Class
Power High-Power Shot Running Save Defeat this character in Varsity Singles
 
Elroy (new)
Royal Tennis Academy
Varsity Class
All-Around Blizzard Shot Typhoon Save Defeat this character in Varsity Singles
 
Barb (new)
Empire All-Around High-Power Shot Bubble Save Defeat this character in the Island Open Singles
 
Sass (new)
Factory Power Flying Shot Running Save Defeat this character in the Island Open Singles
 
Chas (new)
Union Speedy High-Power Shot Superswift Save Defeat this character in the Island Open Doubles
 
Mel (new)
Union Speedy Slider Shot High-Jump Save Defeat this character in the Island Open Doubles
 
Dweezil (new)
Empire Defense Stunner Shot Superswift Save Defeat this character in the Island Open Doubles
 
Mynx (new)
Empire Technique Flashflop Shot Quick-Step Save Defeat this character in the Island Open Doubles
 
Willy (new)
Factory Tactical Summoner Shot Hand-Power Save Defeat this character in the Island Open Singles
 
Sheri (new)
Factory All-Around Gyro Shot Illusory Save Defeat this character in the Island Open Doubles

Non-playable charactersEdit

CourtsEdit

Name Image Location Ball Speed Ball Bounce Unlock Condition
Hard Court   Royal Tennis Academy
Junior Courts
Normal Strong Initially Unlocked
Clay Court   Royal Tennis Academy
Senior Courts
Slow Weak Initially Unlocked
Grass Court   Island Open Fast Weak Initially Unlocked
Composition Court   Royal Tennis Academy
Varsity Building
Fastest Normal Initially Unlocked
Peach Dome   Mario World Normal Normal Beat the Peach Tournament

MinigamesEdit

Each minigame consists of three levels and a "challenge" level. The first three levels award a set amount of PS Points per completion, while the challenge level gives PS Points based on completion time or a different factor, depending on the individual minigame.

Additionally, the Tennis Machine and Wall Practice minigames award EXP instead of PS Points. Both minigames have four levels: Beginner, Standard, Expert, and Master.

Name Image Description Points awarded Unlock condition
Wall Practice   This game is played by rallying the tennis ball off the panels on the wall to gain points and reach the target amount. EXP Available initially.
Tennis Machine   This game is played by returning the tennis balls the Tennis Machine fires into the target area on the other side of the court to gain points and reach the target amount. EXP Available initially.
Treadmill   This game is played by rapidly pressing   to run and pressing   to jump over bananas and barrels to reach the target distance. PS Speed Beat Chris in Junior Singles or Chris and Kyle in Junior Doubles.
Bicep Pump   This game is played by using the   and   buttons to raise a spiky ball and pop balloons. Yellow balloons are worth one point, reds are two, and blue balloons are the most valuable at three points. PS Muscle Beat Gary in Senior Singles or Linda and Shawn in Senior Doubles.
Jump Gym   This game is played by using the Control Pad to move, and the   button to jump and break the target amount of brick blocks. PS Jump Beat Kyoko in Senior Singles or Gary and Jet in Senior Doubles.
Swift Spin   This game is played by using the   button to raise the screws and   to lower them as the player collects the coins to reach the target number of points. Yellow coins are worth one point, red balloons are worth five and blue are worth ten. PS Spin Beat Roy in Senior Singles or Kyoko and Micki in Senior Doubles.
Duck Walk   This game is played by pressing the   and   buttons to hop over electrified panels on a strip composed of panels, and reach the target destination. PS Speed Beat Emi in Senior Singles or Emi and Roy in Senior Doubles.
Rope Climb   This game is played by alternating between the   and   buttons to climb up the ropes. The player must collect flags as they make their way to the platform at the top. PS Muscle Beat Paula in Varsity Singles or Roy and Skipper in Varsity Doubles.
Reflex Rally   This game is played by having the player choose either Rock, Paper or Scissors with the Control Pad depending on which one would beat the RPS Mech's choice of the three in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. PS Response Beat Tori in Varsity Singles or Emi and Flit in Varsity Doubles.
Tightrope   This game is played by using the Control Pad to balance the player as they make their way across a tightrope. PS Balance Beat Whisker in Varsity Singles or Paula and Whisker in Varsity Doubles.
Tacklebot   This game is played by rapidly pressing   and   to build momentum as the player charges toward the Tacklebot in order to defeat it, while holding left on the Control Pad to defend against its own attacks. PS Body Beat Barb in the Island Open Singles or Chas and Mel in the Island Open Doubles.
Instinct Drill   To win this game, the player must use ESP (pressing and holding the   button) in order to see the symbols on the fronts of cards. Afterwards, the player must select and flip over pairs of cards using the   button. PS ESP Win the Island Open in either Singles or Doubles.

Power ShotsEdit

There are 44 Power Shots in Mario Tennis: Power Tour, with half of them being Offensive and the other half being Defensive, although 12 of these are exclusive to the Mario characters. These first become first available after reaching Senior level, however only Varsity and Island Open opponents actually use them. To unlock a Power Shot, certain levels need to be reached in the PS Minigames. The Power Shots that Ace and Clay can use and the requirements for each are listed below. To use a Power Shot in the game, the Power Shot meter must be fully charged. When it is, a yellow-orange ring will appear around the players character. Hold   and press   for an Offensive Power Shot, and hold   and press   for a Defensive Power Shot.

Name Image Type Unlock Conditions Description
Power Shot   Offensive L1 Muscle A powerful shot that sends opponents flying.
High-Power Shot   Offensive L3 Muscle An intense Power Shot with a little added oomph.
Curve Shot   Offensive L1 Spin A curving shot that sends opponents reeling.
Slider Shot   Offensive L3 Spin A powerful Curve Shot with an even tighter curve.
Control Shot   Offensive L1 Balance A commanding shot that sends the ball right into the corner.
Flashflop Shot   Offensive L3 Balance A drop shot that uses a bright light to blind opponents.
Tackle Shot   Offensive L1 Body An aggresive shot that tackles the ball and sends foes flying
Stunner Shot   Offensive L3 Body A shot that stuns foes with a ball masked as a giant fist.
Flying Shot   Offensive L4 Muscle + L2 Jump A powerful shot that blows foes away with a flame-cloaked ball.
Gyro Shot   Offensive L5 Spin + L2 Balance A speedy lob shot that spins fiercely, like a top.
Dragon Shot   Offensive L5 Muscle + L2 Body A powerful shot that pounds foes with a dragon-flame fueled ball.
Sonic Shot   Offensive L6 Spin + L4 ESP A shot that stuns opponents with a dazzling melody.
Blizzard Shot   Offensive L6 Speed + L6 Response + L7 Spin A shot that freezes opponents in a bitter-cold flurry.
Summoner Shot   Offensive L7 Muscle + L7 Response + L5 Balance A shot that confuses opponents with a magic circle.
Specter Shot   Offensive L8 Spin + L6 Balance + L6 ESP A spooky shot that will leave foes paralyzed with fear.
Volcano Shot   Offensive L10 Jump + L10 Muscle + L10 Balance + L10 Body The ultimate lob shot. Ride a pillar of fire!
Running Save   Defensive L1 Speed A save that can save the ball from a short distance away.
Superswift Save   Defensive L3 Speed An enhanced Running Save that can reach distant balls.
Lunging Save   Defensive L1 Jump A save that allows you to jump into the air to return high balls.
High-Jump Save   Defensive L3 Jump A powerful Lunging Save that can reach balls higher up.
Quick Save   Defensive L1 Response A save which increases response after returning the ball.
Quick-Step Save   Defensive L3 Response A powerful Quick Save that increases response even more.
Hand-Power Save   Defensive L1 ESP A save that brings in balls from far away using hand power.
Psychic Save   Defensive L4 ESP A powerful Hand Save that reaches even farther.
Typhoon Save   Defensive L4 Jump + L2 Spin A spinning save that creates a tornado to return the ball with.
Bubble Save   Defensive L4 Spin + L3 Speed Blow bubbles to bring the ball in close enough to save.
Illusory Save   Defensive L5 Speed + L4 Response Save the ball with an illusion that spreads out either side.
Spider Save   Defensive L5 Response + L4 Balance Use a spiderweb to bring the ball in.
Falcon-Dive Save   Defensive L5 Response + L5 ESP Move at high speed, and save the ball with your afterimage.
Shark-Bite Save   Defensive L8 Speed + L8 Response + L4 Body Turn into a shark and bite down on the ball.
Shooting-Star Save   Defensive L10 Response + L10 Jump + L9 ESP Ride a shooting star down from the sky to lob the ball back.
Rainbow Save   Defensive L10 Speed + L10 ESP + L10 Spin + L8 Balance Suck the ball in with a beam of light and return it with a drop.

QuotesEdit

Main article: List of Mario Tennis: Power Tour quotes

AlexEdit

  • "I thought I'd never see them again, but they came back to see me..."
  • "So you can't tell? Not even by watching them play?"

HeadmasterEdit

  • "Playing in the Island Open proves you're the academy's best. That alone is worth it."
  • "Just do your best. We're all with you out there!"

ReceptionEdit

Critical receptionEdit

The game received generally positive reviews, receiving an average review score of 81 based on 21 reviews. IGN gave the game a 90/100, praising it's gameplay, story mode and adaption from its GameCube predecessor, Mario Power Tennis. IGN found that the problems from the GameCube game also carried over, such as the disruptive Power Shots, and also criticized the recycled music and lack of connectivity to Mario Power Tennis. The game was largely compared to and viewed as slightly inferior to Mario Golf: Advance Tour.

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Game Boy Advance Craig Harris, IGN 9/10 "Mario Tennis Power Tour does for tennis what Mario Golf Advance Tour did for its sport: It's the best representation of the sport on the handheld, and it offers up the same amount of depth and playability. Though I prefer the casual challenge of Mario Golf over this game, the fact remains that you won't find a better game of tennis on the handheld. Even without the RPG elements Mario Tennis Power Tour would have rocked our socks. But the extensive adventure mode really gives the portable experience far more legs than the console design."
Game Boy Advance Frank Provo, GameSpot 8.2/10 "There is no doubt going to be a minor debate over which of the two games, Mario Tennis or Virtua Tennis, is better. Thanks to quality gameplay and Nintendo's rich stable of character designs, Mario Tennis goes toe-to-toe with Sega's game in every conceivable way. To discuss which is better is a moot point. Nintendo comes at you with familiar faces and more unique modes, while Sega's game counters with real tennis pros and slightly more accurate gameplay. Don't let its happy looks and age-appropriate gameplay fool you. Mario Tennis hits hard and fast."
Game Boy Advance Patrick Klepek, Gamespy 4/5 "There are other nit-picky aspects to Power Tour, such as the use of ugly rendered models for all of the characters during actual tennis matches instead of the great 2D sprites featured in the academy portion of the game (when you're roaming around looking for your next match). This pre-rendered nonsense ultimately turns characters like Donkey Kong and Bowser into pixilated messes. You'll hardly notice the visual discrepancies when playing, but it's a bizarre choice that hopes to maintain the visual consistency between the console and handheld games that doesn't really work. In all other respects, Power Tour stands as a perfect example of how to bring a fleshed-out console sport onto a handheld, and all of the seemingly frivolous extras only help to enhance the experience when you're tired of battling the A.I. For Mario and arcade tennis fans alike, this is a must buy."
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 81
GameRankings 80.76%

StaffEdit

Main article: List of Mario Tennis: Power Tour staff

The game's executive producer was Satoru Iwata, and other producers include Shinji Hatano, Hiroyuki Takahashi and Shugo Takahashi. This game's music was made by Motoi Sakuraba. Shigeru Miyamoto, Shin Yamanouchi and Fumihide Aoki all worked on the character design. This game was the first game to be localized by video game localization company 8-4 (which was incidentally named after World 8-4 of Super Mario Bros.)[1][2] and it is one of two games in the Super Mario franchise that was localized into English by the company, the other being the Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.[1]

GlitchesEdit

In Instinct Drill, if the player were to complete a level at the same time that the time runs out, everything will act like the player failed, except that the results screen will have a "Cleared," instead of "Failed."

References to other gamesEdit

Regional differencesEdit

Skipper and Sass's icons in the U.S. (top) and Japanese (bottom) versions
  • Skipper and Sass have different character select screen and scoreboard icons in the Japanese version.
  • Clay and Ace have different default names in the European and Japanese versions. In the European version, Clay is named Max by default and Ace is named Tina by default. In the Japanese version, Clay is named Norty by default and Ace is named Tabby by default.

GalleryEdit

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Tennis: Power Tour.

MediaEdit

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Mario Tennis: Power Tour media.
  Junior Class Rank 4 & 3 Match
File infoMedia:MTPT Junior Class Rank 4 & 3 Match.oga
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  Junior Class Rank 2 & 1 Match
File infoMedia:MTPT Junior Class Rank 2 & 1 Match.oga
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  Senior Class Rank 4 & 3 Match
File infoMedia:MTPT Senior Class Rank 4 & 3 Match.oga
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Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

Names in other languagesEdit

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese マリオテニスアドバンス[?]
Mario Tenisu Adobansu
Mario Tennis Advance
Chinese (traditional) 瑪利歐網球Advance[3]
Mǎlì'ōu Wǎngqiú Advance
Mario Tennis Advance

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ a b 8-4 Gameography. 8-4. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  2. ^ TECHtalk (November 9, 2010). Akibatteru アキバってる - Taipei Comic Fair, Game localization and Tokyo Anime Fair. YouTube. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  3. ^ 瑪利歐歷史|超級瑪利歐兄弟 35週年|任天堂. Nintendo HK (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved June 25, 2024.