Mario Power Tennis ------------------ Copyright 2005 Brian McPhee Author: Brian McPhee (Kirby021591) E-mail: Kirby0215@aol.com Most Recent Update: June 28, 2005 Originally Created: February 24, 2005 Version 1.0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------Table of Contents-------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section 1* Introduction* Navigation* Storyline* Rules and Terminology* Controls* Section 2* Characters* Courts* World Open Tournaments* Star Tournament* Gimmick Matches* Gimmick Masters* Exhibition Matches* Mini-Games* Section 3* Secret Players* Secret Courts* Other Secrets* FAQ* Section 4* Credits and Legal Information* -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- __________________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||--------------------------------Section 1*----------------------------------|| \ / \__________________________________________________________________________/ ================================================================================ =================================Introduction*================================== ================================================================================ And we're back! Yes, I'm breaking the trend and writing a guide for Mario Power Tennis instead of the planned Zelda games (OoA and OoS). Why, you ask. Go on; ask it. Well, I'll tell you. You see, I saw this game and I was interested. After all, Mario Tennis on the N64 was a terrific game - astonishing. A good many hours were devoted to it. Well, this game blows it out of the water. Madden can't hold a candle to it. This is definitely the best tennis game I've ever seen, and definitely one of the better sports games out there. You wouldn't think it, but the rules of tennis aren't changed too badly. The only additions are new power shots and gimmicks, both of which really make the game more fun. Seriously, you won't want to put the controller down. It is challenging yet it retains its fun at the same time (most games just get frustrating). Now, I'm no sport fanatic. In fact, I hardly knew the rules of tennis before playing this game. I must be coming off as such a dork... Well, the game does not require prior knowledge in the least. And who doesn't love re-playability? Multiplayer and mini-games will keep you playing long after you've gotten every trophy with every character. To be frank, this game is awesome plus three and one half a bag of chips. Mario's come a long way since his 8-bit days playing tennis on the NES... Yep, Mario has been playing sports for a long time. Surprisingly, he has very few (actually none. He makes a cameo in NBA Street V3) basketball appearances, which would better suit his character. Anyways, I'm rambling and you're scrolling; let's get this show on the road. ================================================================================ ==================================Navigation*=================================== ================================================================================ You may be wondering why I placed asterisks (*) by the name of each section and title. Well, it is pretty festive. However, it serves another less-important purpose. Press CTRL and F on your keyboard (that's Apple and F if you're using a Mac). This brings up a search/find box. Type in the name of the section, asterisk and all, you want to skip to and click "Find/Search." As their names suggest, they will take you down to each place the text is used in the guide. I include asterisks to differentiate the text of titles from times I might use it in context. It is helpful in this guide, which isn't short and to the point. May it serve you well. ================================================================================ ===================================Storyline*=================================== ================================================================================ Storyline? It's a tennis game. Well, some might consider the game's mini-movie to be a good background story. This is what's happening behind the scenes. Despite Mario's name in the title, the story centers much around Wario and Waluigi. In fact, Wario and Waluigi say "Nintendo" and "Camelot," respectively, in the opening. +-------------------------+ | Storyline Summary | +-------------------------+ After a quick shot right past Wario and Waluigi, the Mario Bros. win the first round of a tennis tournament at the Peach Dome! Tennis has been played for a long time in the Mushroom Kingdom, and Peach decided to create a stadium in her honor to play it. The disgruntled Wario and Waluigi storm off to see their pictures crossed off on the tournament board. To "take revenge", they get out pens and doodle on Mario and Luigi's pictures. Several police units come to capture them for this grave injustice, and the dastardly duo flee. Eventually they enter a compound and enter a door. They fall down and lose the police bots, but they fall into the lair of Bowser, Mario's arch nemesis! To help Wario and Waluigi beat Mario and his brother for real this time, Bowser gives them a crash course in tennis. They gain speed by running from chain chomps, they learn discipline by being hit with hammers, and they train until they can hit tennis balls much, much harder. In the meantime, Mario and Luigi are prepping to face Donkey Kong and Yoshi in the final match of the tournament. But DK and Yoshi are missing, and Wario and Waluigi appear in their place. In this match, bob-ombs take place of tennis balls and Bowser floats above, shooting Bullet Bills at the famous plumber duo! But, the tennis players already eliminated come to their rescue, and a bomb eventually land in Bowser's balloon craft. Filled with explosives, it collides with Wario and Waluigi and explodes, leaving all three of the villains fainted at the end. It's another humiliating defeat for Bowser, Wario, and Waluigi, and Mario and Luigi get the trophy. Note: If you look closely in the intro movie, you'll see that a few non-playable characters that were playable in past tennis games make cameos. This includes Toad, Toadette (even though she was never in a tennis game), and Baby Mario. What happened to the match between Mario/Luigi and Donkey Kong/Yoshi? Nevertheless, this is the tale behind the tennis. Don't you feel enlightened? ================================================================================ =============================Rules and Terminology*============================= ================================================================================ Tennis can be a very complex game. I'll try to organize the rules as best I can. Stay with me. +------------------------+ | Goal of the Game | +------------------------+ The goal of the game in tennis is to beat your opponent by having more points than them at the end. That much is obvious. To do this, you are equipped with a tennis racket, or racquet, and you must hit the tennis ball over the net to the opponent's side of the court. From there, you have several options for scoring points. +-----------------+ | The Court | +-----------------+ The court has several objects and areas in it you should know. First, there is a net in the center of the court. This net serves as a boundary for where the players can move; the side of the net you play on is your side of the court and you cannot enter your opponent's side of the court. You cannot hit the net at all during the game, except during the serve in which it is allowed once (see the below section). You can, however, touch the net by walking into it. Then you'll notice the court is divided into several sections. If you divide each side of the net into boxes, then you'll have four to each side. Two touch the net, and two don't. However, the line that goes down the center of the court divides only the first two boxes. The back boxes are used for serving the ball, but can be played in. The sides of the court are long rectangles called alleys. In one-on-one matches, you cannot use alleys, but you may in two-on-two matches. Furthermore, the alleys are the boundaries of the field; you cannot stand left or right of them at any time, although you may stand south or north of them. Yes, you may stand out of the southern and northern boundaries at any time that you desire. You want to hit the ball into your opponent's side of the court so that it bounces out of their side, and there are several ways to do so. +-----------------+ | The Serve | +-----------------+ The game begins with a serve. The court can be divided into four regions. The bottom ones, left and right, are where players serve from. Whoever serves, the opponents stands in the opposite side of the field in the same place. The player can move around, but only in that region of the court and against the southern limit of the court. The serving player throws the ball into the air and then swings the racquet with either hand to hit the ball over the net to the opposing player. It must land in the same region that the opponent starts in. If it hits the net, it is called a let. If you get a let, you may serve again, and you may do this as many times as you need with no point penalties or point awards to your opponent. The other possibility in a serve is called a fault. If you hit the ball so that it does not land in the opponent's region, it is a fault and you must reserve. Like a let, two faults increase your opponents score. Every game, the serving player changes. And each "play," the players switch sides of the court (that is, one standing in the southeast box will switch to the southwest box). If you're playing in a two-on-two match, only the receiving player, the player opposite the server, can hit the ball. Similarly, the ball must bounce exactly once before the receiving player may hit the ball back. In both of the above cases, such interferences with the serve result in your opponent gaining points. +-----------------------+ | To Score Points | +-----------------------+ The most common way to score points is to hit the ball past your opponent. If a ball is missed by your opponent and hits the boundary of the playing field (the walls in a stadium, in the case of Mario Power Tennis most of the time), then you gain points. The opposite is true, too (your opponent scores by hitting the ball past you and against the boundary). Another very common way to score is to have the ball bounce twice in your opponent's side of the field. You can do this by hitting the ball just barely over the net (this is a strategy, not a rule), or by any other number of ways of hitting the ball. Points are awarded to you if they hit the ball in the region that is not opposite them during a serve twice, called a double-fault. Also, you get points if your opponent hits the ball outside the lands at any time during the game, and vice versa (called an out). If you hit your opponent directly using the ball, you get points as well (don't do this in real tennis). Also, if your opponent makes an incorrect receive to a serve, by either hitting it before the ball bounces once or by having the incorrect receiving player hit the ball (in the case of a two-on-two match), then you gain points. +----------------------------------+ | The Point and Deuce System | +----------------------------------+ Scoring points may sound complicated with all the extra ways to do so, but it's not. You'll probably experience them all eventually. Each time you score points you get a specified amount; you do not get awarded points for style or anything like that. At first, both players have zero points, called love. Scoring once will get you fifteen points. Score again for thirty points. Score again and you'll have forty points. Score again and you win the game. Scores do not have to be consecutive. At the end of each game, players lose all their points and start again. However, there are two other ways that points might be awarded. If both players have 40 points at the same time, then you enter a "deuce." In a deuce, you must score two times in a row to win the game. In a deuce, the first score is called the advantage, and has no numerical value. If a player has the advantage and they lose the next round (that is, they do not score points), then they lose the advantage. The advantage never transfers, though. That is, by scoring when your opponent has the advantage, you do not gain the advantage, but instead return to 40 to 40. The other way to score points is described two sub sections down. +---------------------------------------------------+ | Divisions of the Sport - Game, Set, & Match | +---------------------------------------------------+ In tennis, each game of tennis can be divided into three different periods. First, you play a game of tennis. The first player to score over 40 points, or over the advantage as is the case in the above section, receives one "game point." After at most six games, the person with the most game points gets one set point. Each play in tennis is divided into a certain number of sets. In Mario Power Tennis, you can play with one set, three sets, or five sets. A set can contain at most six games and at least three. Whoever wins the majority of the set points wins the match. Because there are odd numbers, it is impossible to have a draw in tennis. One person wins and one person loses, always. Of course, you can change some of the settings for how many games, sets, and the like are in a match in Mario Power Tennis. Note: In some matches in Mario Power Tennis, only three games are played per set. This occurs in one-set matches. In such cases, tiebreakers as described below cannot happen. Instead, to activate a tiebreak you must have a one game point to one game point score. +------------------------+ | Tiebreaker Games | +------------------------+ If one player wins two games and the other wins two games in a six-game setup, you go to a tiebreaker. Consisting of multiple games, the first person to get a score of seven points wins. However, the tiebreaker is considered one game, and has the alternate point system (where each round is worth one point). At most, a tiebreaker can consist of thirteen rounds (in which the players score six and seven points). It contains at least seven rounds. Normal rules apply in tiebreakers, but characters swap sides and servers every three rounds. Tiebreaker rounds can happen in any type of match, though, not just in six game sets. If you have scores of six to six in a tiebreaker, you'll enter a deuce. +------------------------------+ | Other Court Conditions | +------------------------------+ Not all courts are alike. Although they all follow the same basic setup, they each have a different bounce level. That is, balls will bounce more or less on certain courts. Also, in Mario Power Tennis you'll find gimmick matches. In these, you use basic tennis rules with a different goal (like shooting the ball through rings, etc.). +---------------------+ | Types of Hits | +---------------------+ There are several different kinds of way to hit the tennis ball. Except in serves, you are allowed to hit a ball before it bounces (called a volley). A fast-moving shot with high trajectory and high bounce is called a topspin. A slower shot with a low trajectory and bounce is called a slice. A shot aimed at the back of court with an extremely high trajectory is a lob. A shot aimed at the front of the court with an extremely low trajectory (the idea is to get the ball to bounce twice in your opponent's end of the court) is called a drop shot. In Mario Power Tennis, powerful topspins have orange trails and powerful slices have blue trails. +--------------------------------+ | Smash Points and Smashes | +--------------------------------+ In Mario Power Tennis, you'll occasionally see a star appear on the court. This happens when a ball has a very high trajectory. Move close to the star and press A and B at the same time to hit the ball with a powerful smash that leaves a pink trail. You can also hit smash balls without smash points (the stars), but the trajectory will be low and it will be very fast. +-------------------+ | Power Shots | +-------------------+ Another addition to Mario Power Tennis is power shots. The more you move, the faster you will store power, so to speak. The racquet will eventually be lit at the brim. This indicates that you're able to use a power shot. Press and hold R and a ring of gold will surround you. At such times, if you press A or B, you'll perform a power shot. In the default control setup, you perform power shots depending on your position relative the ball. If you are close to the ball, you'll perform an offensive power shot. If you are far way from the ball, you'll perform a defensive power shot. Each type of power shot is unique to the character you play as. However, they all are essentially the same. Offensive power shots are designed to fly at high- speeds past your opponent(s), or to stun the player if they hit the ball. Defensive power shots are designed to deliver the ball over the net to prevent losing a round from incredible distances. Such returns are impossible in real tennis, of course. There are exceptions to these rules, and every player has their own variation of the offensive and defensive power shots. You should master them if you hope to stand a chance in Mario Power Tennis. +--------------------+ | Charge Shots | +--------------------+ Another important aspect of the game is charged shots. If you press the button combination for whatever type of shot you're planning (not power shots, though) and you keep it pressed, you will charge. That is, you build up power to hit the ball. Doing this allows you to hit the ball much harder and faster than normal, but it severely limits your movement. To regain movement, either release the charge by pressing L or by hitting the ball. +----------------------------+ | Other Tennis Phrases | +----------------------------+ Here are a few other terms used in tennis (not all of them, just a few). On the court, the rectangular region that is left of the serving box is called the service sideline, the other the alley (names alternate). The court that one serves in is called the service court. The line running down the center of the court is called the center service line, and the line stops at the service line. Below the service line is the center mark, and the center mark is on the baseline. The lines on the side of the court that act as boundaries (not the alleys and service sidelines) are called the sidelines. Below is my best rendering of a tennis court, labeled and everything. ------------------1-------------------- | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3|--------------7----------------| 3| | | 6 | 5 | | | | 8 | | | | | | | 9 ------------------4-------------------- 9 | | | | | | | 8 | | | | 5 | 6 | | | 3|--------------7----------------| 3| | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------1-------------------- <---> 2 +-----------------------------------------------------+ | PICTURE KEY | +-----------------------------------------------------+ | 1: Center Mark | | 2: Baseline | | 3: Alleys/ Sidelines | | 4: Net | | 5: Service Court and Receiving Position | | 6: Service Court and Receiving Position | | 7: Service Line | | 8: Center Service Line | | 9: Sidelines | +-----------------------------------------------------+ Perhaps this clears things up. In both # 5 positions, the person there must serve to the opposite side of the court, which is the other position # 5. The same is true of position # 6. ================================================================================ ===================================Controls*==================================== ================================================================================ Below is a summary of the controls of the game. These are the default settings, but you can change them in the game. +---------------------+ | Menu Controls | +---------------------+ Control Stick: Move Cursor A: Select Item B: Cancel Choice Start/Pause: Return to Game L: Make Character Left-Handed (when selecting player) +-----------------------+ | Tennis Controls | +-----------------------+ Control Stick: Move Character A: Hit Ball (Topspin) A -> A: Charged Topspin A -> B: Lob B: Hit Ball (Slice) B -> B: Charged Slice B -> A: Drop Shot A + B: Flat Shot A + B (Smash Point): Smash Shot Start/Pause: Go to Menu Screen (during replay or before serve) R + A: Power Shot (if racquet glows) R + B: Power Shot (if racquet glows) L: Stop Charge Shot Z: Change Camera (in one-player game) Also, you could use X instead of A and Y instead of B if you hold the controller that way. If you see an arrow, it means that you must press the buttons in that order. A plus sign means that you must press the buttons simultaneously. Power Shots differ for each character and you'll perform either an offensive or defensive depending on where the ball is relative to you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- __________________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||--------------------------------Section 2*----------------------------------|| \ / \__________________________________________________________________________/ ================================================================================ ==================================Characters*=================================== ================================================================================ There's a lot of variety in Mario Power Tennis. Each player differs in many aspects, and I'll list them to help you make a choice or learn about a character. The setup for each entry is below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Character Name Background: Offensive Power Shot: Defensive Power Shot: Overall: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's pretty self-explanatory. Now I'll list the characters. Note that I will list the class that character is at the beginning of each category, indicated by = marks. ================================================================================ All-Around Players ================================================================================ Mario Background: Obviously, Mario is the star of the game. His name is in the title, after all. Mario's first game was for the arcade called "Donkey Kong." Mario was known as Jumpman back then, but he changed his name to Mario for Super Mario Bros., an instant hit. Mr. Nintendo was named after the landlord for the Nintendo of America building, and Mario was originally depicted as a carpenter. He became a plumber as he started to use warp pipes to travel in his NES games. Mario has worn overalls since his earliest days, although he's since swapped the colors of his overalls and shirt. Mario's been on many adventures and is perhaps the great videogame character ever made. I say this because Mario was the great motivator. Without him, we might still by playing Atari. Iron Hammer: Just like in Donkey Kong, Mario pulls out a mallet and fires the shot at his opponents. Since it's smoking, it can be hard to see. Spin Jump Return: Mario does a spin jump (Super Smash Bros.) around the course to fire the ball over the net. Overall: Mario is a very good character. He is well-balanced in speed, strength, control, and technique. However, most players lean toward a certain style of play or lag in a certain style and pick different specialty characters. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luigi Background: Luigi first appeared as Player 2 in Super Mario Bros. as a change in color (he wears green). Like his brother, Luigi and Mario were originally said to be Italian-Americans from Brooklyn, but they soon became Mushroom Kingdom residents. Luigi plays a sort of sidekick to Mario, never really getting credit and always falling short of his famous brother. In recent games, Luigi has even been portrayed as a coward - afraid of the dark and everything else. However, Luigi quickly differed from his brother. First, Luigi is younger, taller, and thinner than Mario. In Super Mario Bros. 2 he became differentiated further by sporting a different jump, which he and his brother are famous for. Luigi is quickly gaining favor among fans. His first starring role was in Luigi's Mansion (not counting that accursed Mario is Missing), in which he rescued Mario. He even has his own nemesis. Squeaky Mallet: The squeaky mallet is similar to the iron mallet, but the ball emits strings of confetti-like light and it briefly immobilizes the foe. Poltergust Return: Sporting the vacuum Luigi used to capture ghosts in Luigi's Mansion, Luigi uses suction power to return the ball over the net. Overall: Luigi is not quite as good as Mario, but he features more control of the ball. Luigi is much the same as Mario, and the two are almost interchangeable. ================================================================================ Technique Players ================================================================================ Peach Background: Mario's first damsel in distress was Pauline from Donkey Kong. Mario and Pauline broke up, presumably, and Peach took the role as Mario's distressed damsel. Pauline was a classic name for captured women in the movie era of the 1900's, you see. Anyways, Peach debuted as the captured princess of Mushroom Kingdom named Princess Toadstool. After being rescued by Mario and Luigi scores of times, Toadstool became involved with Mario on a personal level. She started being called Peach, her first name, in Super Mario 64. Of course, Peach has not always been in the rescue position. In Super Mario Bros. 2, for example, you could control her. The same is true of several other games, among them Paper Mario (both games), Super Mario RPG, and just about every Mario sport/party game. And, in the near future, Peach has scheduled a DS game all about her. And how gracious she must be to allow Bowser on her court! She built the Peach Dome, or funded it at least. Super Peach Spin: Much like Mario's spin jump, Peach swings the racquet around to send the ball flying forward, always with a gentle curve. Sweet Kiss Return: Luring the ball with a smooch, Peach hits the ball forward. Overall: Peach is pretty good. She's got great control and moderate speed. Power is a bit on the weak side, but it's not debilitating in the least. She's definitely one of the better characters. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daisy Background: Daisy first appeared in Super Mario Land as the princess of Sarasaland. After being saved by Mario once, Daisy fell out of the Mario scene for a long time. When Mario started golfing on the N64, she reappeared. She is now a regular in Mario Party game and every golf/tennis game Mario plays. She is most widely associated with Peach and is rumored to be Luigi's answer to Mario's Peach. Wonder Flower: Daisy's racquet assumes the shape of a flower and she whacks the ball back at her target. Flowerbed Return: Personally, I don't think all these flowers pun names are that funny. Daisy slides along a trail of flowers to return the ball. Overall: Daisy has a very bad defensive power shot. Of every character, hers are the only ones I've ever seen fail to return the ball. Like Peach, Daisy isn't the swiftest character around nor the strongest. Really, why use Daisy when you could use Peach? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shy Guy Background: Shy Guy's origins can be traced back to Super Mario Bros. 2. Actually, Super Mario Bros. 2 is the same game as a previously unsuccessful game called Doki Doki Panic featuring a can-do Arabian family. This explains the distinctly Arab feel to the game (with flying carpets and what-not). By changing the family to Mario characters, the game became an overnight hit. Shy Guy was in both these games, and has been in many more afterward. He's a popular character in his own right, although Shy Guy is a generic bad guy. They come in many, many variations (Knife Guy, Gourmet Guy, Fly Guy, Bandits, General Guy, etc.), but Luigi's Mansion was our first glimpse beneath the mask. Shy Guys are famous for their spears often used in tribal settings. Lightning Spear: This is an electrified super-lob, as the game manual describes it. Lightning strikes the ball and fires it at the opponent. Spear Dance: Using his trusty extend-o-spear, Shy Guy can reach the ball from across the court. Overall: Shy Guy is okay, but better in doubles matches. He's not very fast and easy to juke out. ================================================================================ Power Players ================================================================================ Bowser Background: Bowser was Mario's third archenemy ever, and definitely his most famous. Leader of the Koopa Troop, Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach frequently, leaving it up to Mario to save the day, which he always does. Mario and Bowser did team up once, though, in Super Mario RPG, in which Mario wanted to rid Mushroom Kingdom of Smithy, an evil being that took over Bowser's castle. It was to both of their benefits to defeat Smithy. However, there's more to Bowser than meets the eye. Since he was a baby he's been tormenting Mario under the guidance of Kamek, a Magikoopa (just about every Yoshi Story and Yoshi's Island game). Bowser also has many children, called the Koopalings. Yuck! Eight of them that appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, and we all hope they died because they stunk miserably. However, Bowser has one enduring son in the form of Bowser Jr., who actually resembles him. Depending on the game, Mario's archrival is either taken as a serious threat, or as a joke, as the case may be. Fire Breath: Unleashing a blast of fire, Bowser casts the ball at the other characters. Being hit by it sends you as far back in the court as you can go. Spinning Shell Dash: Bowser withdraws into his shell and spins to the ball to ram it forward. Overall: Bowser is good to use in doubles matches, not so much in single matches. Bowser's big and has fantastic reach, but he's very slow. He also packs a lot of punch in his shots. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Donkey Kong Background: A giant ape, Donkey Kong was Mario's first rival in the arcade classic, "Donkey Kong." However, DK's days of abducting Mario's girlfriend and hanging around construction sites have long since ended, and he now prefers a laid-back life in the jungle. Of course, Donkey Kong is not a strictly Mario character like many players. He has his own series of games (like the recent and very popular game Donkey Konga). Starting with Donkey Kong Country, DK and his nephew Diddy, as well as his many other relatives in the Kong family, have been fighting to reclaim their stolen hoard of bananas from the crooked King K. Rool of the Kremlings. His games are actually kind of funny due to Cranky Kong... Barrel Cannon Blast: Like many of his jungle-themed games, DK is blasted from a cannon fashioned from a barrel at the ball. This is extremely fast and will send your opponent flying back. Boomerang Banana Return: Using a banana as a boomerang, DK sends the ball to the other side of the court. Overall: All power players are nice additions to any doubles teams, and DK may well be the best. He's very slow, but he has long arms giving him superb reach and his power shots are awesome. Of course, he is very strong. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wario Background: Wario is another character that started in Mario games and started his own series of games. Wario appeared for the first time in Super Mario Land 2. Wario was a cheesy villain made to be the dark Mario (literally, Wario is "bad Mario" in Japanese) who stole Mario's castle. For some bizarre reason (Mario doesn't even own a castle, for one), Mario must collect six gold coins to open his castle. Unlike Mario, most of Wario's games work in a story. After losing Mario's castle, Wario's desire for a castle grew more intense and spurred on his first adventure - Wario Land. Wario was no longer some stupid villain in cahoots with the three little pigs, but instead a powerhouse in search of riches. After finding his ideal home, Wario is branching out to make more money. Ever head of WarioWare? Wario is definitely gained popularity, although almost everyone hates his brother. Thunder Cast Shot: Using a machine given to him by Bowser, Wario induces pain to himself to give him the strength to hit an electrified ball. It is Wario's best move. Ultra-Hand Return: Industrious Wario uses a racquet on the end of an extending contraption to hit the ball from a distance. Overall: Do not use Wario. He's slow and either of the other power players are better choices. He's not bad, but his style can be greatly enhanced in DK or Bowser. Besides, he's the same size as most players, has average reach, and isn't all too strong. ================================================================================ Speed Players ================================================================================ Yoshi Background: Yoshi was Mario's trusty steed since Super Mario World. He was in deep trouble - all his dinosaur friends (Yoshi is a dinosaur) had been captured by Bowser and were given to Bowser's repulsive children. With help from Mario and Luigi, Yoshi saw his friends again in the end. Yoshi is the name of the famous Mario character, although Yoshis are also a species of dinosaurs. Yoshi can lay eggs by swallowing enemies and spit them out. Yoshis come in a variety of colors, and each has a different special ability (flying, breathing fire, etc.). Although he's still a deeply Mario-exclusive character, Yoshi has appeared in many different games not directly tied to Mario himself, from a backwards version of Tetris to defeating Baby Bowser in 2D picture book format. Yoshi's counterpart in most tennis/golf games, named Birdo, couldn't make it this time. Yoshi once saved Mario from a budding young Bowser in his childhood, as well as saving Luigi. Rainbow Flutter: Yoshi jumps into the air and is suspended for a second before launching what can be a hard-to-block hit that leaves a rainbow in its path. Rolling Egg Return: Yoshi gets into its egg and rolls to the ball to hit it (much like Bowser's defensive power shot). You'll love the upgraded version of this. Overall: Yoshi is a great character. He's good for beginners to learn from and for experts alike. Yoshi does have rather bad traction, though, which can sometimes mess you up. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diddy Kong Background: One day, Donkey Kong needed to get out, but he still wanted to defend his hoard of bananas. He manipulated his nephew so that he, Diddy Kong, would have to guard them. Of course, the Kremlings stole the bananas. Cranky Kong, the eldest member of the Kong family, determined that Diddy Kong should prove that he's a real videogame hero and that Donkey Kong should reprove it (lazy apes!). So began Diddy Kong's first adventure in Donkey Kong Country. In Donkey Kong Country 2, Diddy rescued DK with help from a friend. Of course, he was rescued in the next game... Then came Donkey Kong 64. That was not only a good game, but Diddy Kong was introduced to the jetpack. Diddy Kong has humble beginnings and is only a Mario character by connection, but at least he replaced that awful Donkey Kong Jr. that was stinking up the place. Acrobatic Banana: Throwing his racquet into the air, Diddy catches it and forms the shape of a banana before hitting a fast curve ball. Barrel Jet: Using the jetpack Diddy Kong adopted in Donkey Kong 64, he glides at high speeds to the ball. Overall: Diddy Kong is, in my opinion, the best player in the game. Most people prefer Koopa or Yoshi, but Diddy Kong is just as fast. In fact, what makes Diddy better is his traction. Neither Koopa nor Yoshi have good traction, but Diddy's is perfect. Also, his offensive power shot isn't half-bad. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Koopa Troopa Background: Koopa Troopa is the loyal minion of Bowser. Koopa Troopas and their many variations have made up the backbone of the Koopa Troop since day one. Of course, Mario has found many ways to defeat them. He often jumps on Koopa Troopas to knock off their shells before fishing them. Although a capable racer, Koopa Troopa has got something to prove in these tennis matches. Water Bomb: I don't see why all his attacks are water-based. Water Bomb is a very slow super-drop shot. It bounces two inches from the net. Water Shell Dash: Using a trail of water to slide across, Koopa zips right to the ball. Overall: Koopa Troopa would be a great player if not for one thing. When he moves, he withdraws into his shell to slide. This may make it faster, but he cannot hit balls while in his shell and it takes half-a-second or so to get out. ================================================================================ Defensive Players ================================================================================ Waluigi Background: Waluigi is a hugely controversial character. The majority of people hate his guts. Why? Well, toward the end of the N64 era of Nintendo, Luigi was finally being seen as a character worthy of mention. Since Mario had so many enemies already, and since Wario was gaining popularity by the game, they decided to make Wario's brother as a Waluigi, or "bad Luigi" in Japanese. As if from nowhere, Waluigi appeared in Mario Tennis for the N64. Nobody really liked him. He just served as a partner to Wario in racing, partying, golfing, and tennis games. So far, Waluigi remains disliked (although I don't care either way) because he is such an obvious filler character. However, we must remember that Luigi was once a filler character - Player 2 - and now he's extremely popular. The same is true of Wario, who got his start just because Nintendo didn't want to use Bowser again in Super Mario Land 2. Whirluigi: Waluigi bends his body in the shape of his flipped L and then casts the tennis ball at the opponent. Whoever hits it will be sucked into a cyclone and spin around for a bit. Swimming Return: Waluigi summons up water to breast-stroke to the ball. Quite an interesting defensive power shot... Overall: Waluigi is a mediocre character. He's not very fast or strong. He could use better control of the ball, too. The one thing Waluigi's got going for him are his lanky arms - reach. No matter what area you specialize in, you could do better. ================================================================================ Tricky Players ================================================================================ Boo Background: Boos are Mario-world ghosts that appeared for the first time in Super Mario Bros. 3. They were much more celebrated in Super Mario World, in which Mario and Luigi had to abandon Yoshi to face a mansion filled with Boos. Boos are generic enemies like Koopa Troopas that serve Bowser ultimately, but have their own leader named King Boo. King Boo finally got a chance to star as Mario and Luigi's main enemy, as well as all of his Boo minions, in Luigi's Mansion. Luigi won a mansion in a content he didn't even enter, and when Mario went to check it out, he never returned. As it turned out, King Boo rigged the contest to lure the Mario Bros. into a trap. Luigi had to face his fear of the dark to track down King Boo and defeat him, which rescued Mario of course. Although Boos are not as prominent as they were in Super Mario World or Luigi's Mansion in today's games, they're still much-loved members of the Mario universe. Boo Blast: A group of Boos form into a giant hammer to knock the ball at the enemy. Whoever hits it afterward will be harassed by a gang of Boos. Boo Brigade Return: A wall of Boos appears to give Boo high chances of hitting the ball back. Overall: If used correctly, Boo can be a powerful force on the tennis court. However, Boo is hard to use. His balls curve (which is the "tricky" category theme) in very unusual ways, and Boo probably has the worst control over the ball of any character. Although this can be mastered, Boo is not recommended for beginners. But, when mastered, Boo is one force to be reckoned with. He can also disappear for short periods of time, leaving opponents confused as to where to hit the ball. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowser Jr. Background: Aside from the Koopalings, Bowser's reject children whom Mario soundly defeated (and not killed) in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, Bowser had one other child. His son was named Bowser Jr., not to be confused with Baby Bowser (Bowser's infant form) or Koopa Kids (Bowser Jr. clones used in Mario Party games). Bowser Jr. was a serious threat to Mario's reputation in his first game, Super Mario Sunshine. Convinced by his dad that Peach was his mom and that Mario kidnapped her, Bowser Jr. disguised himself as Shadow Mario to take Peach back. Little did Bowser Jr. know that he was being used by his father to defeat Mario. As if that weren't bad enough, Bowser Jr. dressed as Shadow Mario and blanketed Isle Delfino (Mario's vacation spot) with slime! Mario was judged guilty and so began Super Mario Sunshine, one of the best Mario games yet. Of course, Mario eventually won Peach back and Bowser Jr. learned that Peach was not his mom. However, being foiled by Mario felt so bad that he still hated Mario. The Koopa royal line is in fine hands... Magic Paint: Bowser Jr. uses his paintbrush to cover the ball in sludge and whack it back at his opponents. Rolling Brush Return: Bowser Jr. uses his paintbrush to glide across the court and return the ball. Overall: Bowser Jr. is not fast, and his balls hardly curve at all. He should be re-categorized, but that's not in my power. He's not particularly strong, and I wouldn't use him unless you're a fan of his. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Those are all the regular characters. However, there are four secret characters that I will discuss later. Try to unlock them without my help (it's kind of obvious, really). Of course, they aren't that good themselves - definitely no prize. ================================================================================ ====================================Courts*===================================== ================================================================================ There are several different courts in Mario Power Tennis, each with different stats. That is, balls go faster and bounce lower or higher depending on which court you play on. Below, I shall list them, their stats, and a little background information. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Court Name Background: Speed: Bounce: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Above is the setup. Below is the list. Enjoy. Except for Peach Dome, all the courts are gimmick courts (tennis with a twist). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peach Dome Background: Peach Dome originates in Mario Power Tennis. To celebrate years of playing tennis in the Mushroom Kingdom, a stadium was made and named after Princess Peach. It has three different courts in it, each with varying stats. Speed: Normal/Slow/Fast (Hard/Clay/Grass) Bounce: Strong/Weak/Weak (Hard/Clay/Grass) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luigi's Mansion Court Background: The setting of Luigi's Mansion, Luigi bravely explored the haunted house to find his brother Mario. Some of the ghosts are still inhabiting the court, but this time Luigi has no Poltergust 3000! Speed: Fast Bounce: Normal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delfino Plaza Court Background: Located on Mario's vacation destination in Super Mario Sunshine, Delfino Plaza Court is located near the Grand Pianta Statue. Several Piranha Plants and a ton of sludge is covering the courts, and you must clear it off in this court. Speed: Normal Bounce: Weak -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wario Factory Court Background: Reminiscent of WarioWare, Wario has built a huge factory for the sole purpose of making profit. It's highly industrialized, and conveyor belts line the floor. Speed: Fast Bounce: Strongest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gooper Blooper Court Background: Located in Ricco Harbor on Isle Delfino (Super Mario Sunshine), a giant blooper named Gooper Blooper is still causing trouble. This time, he's brought his game to the court. Ever try playing tennis against something with ten arms? Speed: Fastest Bounce: Normal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DK Jungle Court Background: Deep in the heart of the jungle is the home of Donkey Kong and his relatives. Some pesky Kremlings called Klaptraps are invading from the river, and you'll have to use electricity to beat them. Speed: Slow Bounce: Normal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Those are all the courts, but who's to say there aren't more? There were a ton of secrets in Mario Tennis for the N64, and you can bet there are some in this game, too. ================================================================================ ============================World Open Tournaments*============================= ================================================================================ There are several tournaments that you can play. World Open happens to be the first one you'll want to try out. World Open is the first, and second-easiest, of the tournaments. In every tournament, you can play Singles, which are one- on-one matches, or Doubles, two-on-two matches. Below is the data on the divisions of the World Open Tournament. +--------------------+ | Mushroom Cup | +--------------------+ Court: Peach Dome (Hard) +------------------+ | Flower Cup | +------------------+ Court: Peach Dome (Clay) +----------------+ | Star Cup | +----------------+ Court: Peach Dome (Grass) Other than that, you'll play three rounds against random opponents. In Mushroom Cup, the first match is one set, the second match is one set, and the finals is three sets, each two games long. In Flower Cup, the first match is one set, the second match one set, and the final match is three sets (each two games apiece). Star Cup is where things differ. The first match is one set, two games. However, the second is three sets, two games, and the final is five sets and two games. Below are some tips to help you play. +--------------------+ | Singles Tips | +--------------------+ In Single matches, you can "control" your opponent to an extent. If you hit the ball away from them, they must go to retrieve it or use their defensive power shots. This places them at one side of the court. If you hit the next ball toward the opposite side of the court, you're likely to score. However, I should give you some advice and warn you about it, too. Some players like to stand by the net to instantly hit your balls back at you. This is called net-guarding, and it is very useful. It lets you control the ball easily and hit the ball quickly before you lose it. However, it has one flaw. If your opponent lobs the ball over you, you must run back to hit it. This can really put you out a disadvantage; if you can't reach it, you lose the round. Also, you might want to use your power shots sparingly. Especially in Star Cup, you might want to save defensive power shots for moments of desperation. Of course, World Open isn't that hard. Now, it's time to teach you what I call the drop shot-trick. Run up to the net and use a drop shot (B and then A). Press A repeatedly as your opponent is returning it. Since they're so close to the net, they will miss the ball completely. Also, in Singles matches it is wise to use a player with a curving power shot (Peach, Diddy Kong). Since there's one foe, they will usually miss it. +--------------------+ | Doubles Tips | +--------------------+ If you're a little character or if you like to net-guard, pick a big character like Bowser or Donkey Kong to be your partner. Bowser, for instance, is so large that he can take a few steps to reach the ball. However, you shouldn't net-guard all the time in Doubles matches. You and your partner will alternate between front and back positions, and it is a huge disadvantage to have both you and your partner standing against the net, especially if someone as slow as Bowser is your partner. Since your opponents cover both sides of the field, use a power shot or a really good normal shot to lead them to one side of the court before hitting it opposite. Or, you could hit the ball over your opponent if they're short enough to score points. There are two targets, and one will always be guarding the net, making it much easier to score points by hitting your opponents. Of course, Doubles games are a little harder than Singles games. Matches are longer and you have one more layer of defenses to clear. However, staying north if you're partner is south is highly advised and will be a tremendous asset to you. Those are all I have to offer, but you really don't need it. After all, World Open is easy in comparison to the two others types of tournament. When you beat Star Cup in either Singles or Doubles, you'll see bloopers for the opening movie. Hilarious! By the by, if you're still having trouble with this, see the below section. ================================================================================ ================================Star Tournament*================================ ================================================================================ Just like the World Open, Star Tournament is a three-division series of matches that lead to the ultimate opponents. To unlock Star Tournament, simply beat Star Cup in World Open (you must unlock it for both Singles and Doubles play separately). The cups have different names, but they're basically the same. The data for each cup is below. +-------------------+ | Rainbow Cup | +-------------------+ Court: Peach Dome (Hard) +---------------------+ | Moonlight Cup | +---------------------+ Court: Peach Dome (Clay) +------------------+ | Planet Cup | +------------------+ Court: Peach Dome (Grass) Basically, this is a repeat of the Flower and Star Cups of World Open, except for Planet Cup, which is harder. Every opponent is a star computer. That is, they are advanced beyond regular play and appear only in Star Tournament. I have few tips to give you seeing as how I just used them all above, but I'll try. +--------------------+ | Singles Tips | +--------------------+ It is vital that you use a character with good control. That way, you can lead your opponent around the court as they struggle to return the ball. This is the perfect way to make an opening in their defenses and utilize it. Also, if you play by the net, expect to see many lobs. +--------------------+ | Doubles Tips | +--------------------+ Lobs are out in force, whether you or your partner are net-guarders or not. Keep your balance between the ends of the court and you'll do fine. Sometimes you'll be pitted against an opponent or team you cannot take. See the tip below to help. +--------------------------------+ | The Enemy Control Tactic | +--------------------------------+ It seems that the players you play are random. This is true, actually. Save after every match and then play the next opponent. If you can't handle them, turn off the GCN and continue from where you last saved. This time, the opponents you play will be the other ones that supposedly lost the first time. This is extremely helpful in some cases. In Rainbow Cup, the match lengths are as follows: one set, one set, three sets. In Moonlight Cup, the matches are as follows: one set, three sets, five sets. Planet Cup shakes things up with the following: three sets, three sets, and five sets. Well, I hope this helps you. After clearing Planet Cup, you see more bloopers. I just love seeing Wario, Waluigi, and Bowser in pain... ================================================================================ ================================Gimmick Matches*================================ ================================================================================ Each of the courts has its own twist. That is, they all have an alternate goal or way of winning while still using regular style play. Here I'll list all the possible matches and the conditions needed to be met. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Court Name Gimmick: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The setup is above, the list is below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Luigi's Mansion Court Gimmick: This is ordinary tennis, but some pesky poltergeists are wreaking havoc on the court. Some throw bananas, some grab you, and others stand on the sidelines. It's really easy, but you can defeat ghosts if you want to by hitting the ball into the light bulb region of your opponent's side of the court. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delfino Plaza Court Gimmick: It has little bearing on the game, but Piranha Plants on the sidelines will spew sludge at the front of the court. To clear it, hit the Piranha Plant icons to fill your opponent's side of the court with sludge and run over switches to wash your goop away. This is one of the better courts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wario Factory Court Gimmick: Conveyor belts move you around the room. Stop them from moving by hitting the arrows over the nets. Of course, it has little bearing on the game (and is otherwise the same as a normal game of tennis). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ricco Harbor Court Gimmick: This court is really cool because the surrounding area looks exactly like Ricco Harbor from Super Mario Sunshine. Here, things get confusing as you hit the ball. One hit and wherever the ball lands, the panel in the court slides over. It can mess you up quite easily, especially since the water exposed by the panels is considered out of the court if you hit the ball there. Of course, it's not that hard at all, really. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DK Jungle Court Gimmick: This is regular tennis, but this time Klaptraps are creeping in from the nearby river. Hitting the ones on the net is useful to you because they clamp onto your opponent's leg. The more Klaptraps on your leg, the slower you become (which can be very crippling for certain characters). To shake them off, hit the tennis ball into the lightning circle opposite your side of the court. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowser Castle Court Gimmick: This is a cool court! Magikoopa and other Koopas line the sidelines and the entire court is suspended over lava. Mecha-Bowser is in the background (he's from Super Mario Sunshine). This is the only gimmick, though, and the rocking court doesn't affect game play that much. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mario Classic Court Gimmick: It's a blast from the past with NES style Mario! Koopa Troopa sure has changed a lot... Hit the POW Block hovering over the net and enemies drop in to mess up your foes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And those are the gimmicks. The point? Why to play them in exhibition or in tournaments of course! ================================================================================ ================================Gimmick Masters*================================ ================================================================================ Masters? Ha! This couldn't be easier! Gimmick Masters has two divisions - Fire Cup and Thunder Cup. Fire Cup is filled with Mushroom Cup players, only with a mental handicap. Thunder Cup, on the other hand, is more like Mushroom Cup in World Open, maybe first match of Flower Cup best. The gimmicks aren't difficult at all, and you'll have no trouble conquering it in the least. The only difficult match is the final round of Thunder Cup, which is Star Cup-worthy. All Gimmicks Masters cups are played on gimmick courts, obviously. You probably don't need the help, but I'll provide it anyways. Remember that courts are random. If you should somehow be unable to play on a particular court, quit and retry for a different court and possibly a different opponent. Also, don't focus on the gimmick. For instance, in Luigi's Mansion Court, don't go crazy trying to kill ghosts. Remember that the game is tennis first and a gimmick second, not the other way around. Besides, the opponents are so easy that you'll be hitting circles around them. Seriously, I've never gotten so many service aces before. I doubt that you'll have any trouble at all, unless you end up with Mario Classic Court in the final match (I hate that court so much!). If you play on Wario Factory Court, be conscious of the conveyor belt when receiving the ball after a serve (it will move you away from the ball). Other than that, all the courts and foes are undoubtedly very easy. For those of you checking this section out before actually playing, I'll list the cup data and set numbers below. +----------------+ | Fire Cup | +----------------+ Courts: Gimmick Courts First Match: One Set Second Match: 3 Sets Third Match: 3 Sets +-------------------+ | Thunder Cup | +-------------------+ Courts: Gimmick Courts First Match: One Set Second Match: 3 Sets Third Match: 5 Sets Good luck, like you'll need it. ================================================================================ ==============================Exhibition Matches*=============================== ================================================================================ If you want to practice with different players or play matches with your friends, you can play exhibition matches. These come in several varieties, and you can play on any court you've unlocked. +----------------------+ | Standard Games | +----------------------+ This is your ordinary, run-of-the-mill tennis match. Of course, it is made more fun due to the fact that you can have up to four players playing in a multiplayer match in Doubles, or you can settle differences in one-on-one matches (never argue with tennis champs, grasshopper). There are no additions, and matches in gimmick courts do not include the gimmick. If you want, you can make the match last one, three, or five sets (each containing either two or six games). In all exhibition matches you can turn power shots off for traditional tennis, and in this one you can arrange for teams if you play Doubles. +---------------------+ | Gimmick Games | +---------------------+ This is the equivalent of a normal gimmick match. However, this time around you can adjust the number of sets and games and/or turn off power shots. You might want to play this if you enjoy gimmicks, although they're not all that fun, in my opinion. +-----------------------+ | Ring Shot Games | +-----------------------+ Thankfully, nothing is connected to this as far as unlocking secrets goes. In Mario Tennis for the N64, this was a really annoying mini-game. Hitting the ball through rings earns whoever hit it points. The smaller the ring is at the time, the more points you get. When you score points in the tennis match, you actually get the points you "charged." The rings slowly expand over time. You can set the game to 100 rings, 200 rings, or 500 rings. This is the score you must strive for to win the match. +-------------------------+ | Item Battle Games | +-------------------------+ Akin to Mario Kart games, you get items floating over the net by hitting the "?" Blocks over the net. You can all of the below items. The items go into effect when you next hit the ball. Red Koopa Shell: This is a homing shell that is fired at your opponent. They stumble when hit. ----------------------------------Item Listing---------------------------------- Green Koopa Shell: This is similar to red shells, but it is not homing and travels along any of three distinct lines. The opponent will lose balance when hit. Banana: This is a banana peel meant to foul up your opponent by causing them to slip when they step on it. Mushroom: Mario's favorite food, mushrooms make you faster for a short period of time. Star: Another old Mario item, Stars make you invulnerable to other items for a brief period of time and also improve your abilities in tennis for a while - power, speed, etc. Lightning: Originating in Super Mario Kart for the SNES, lightning shrinks enemies in power and height for a short period of time. Other than that, this is a normal game of tennis and can be adjusted like the other exhibition matches. Those are all the varieties of exhibition matches. It will be Mario Power Tennis's replay factor. After all, who doesn't like utterly defeating their friends, watching the replays, and then rubbing in their faces? What? ================================================================================ ==================================Mini-Games*=================================== ================================================================================ There are several tennis-based mini-games in Mario Power Tennis, some harder than others. Each has ranks and special conditions. Here I'll list them and their conditions. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mini-Game Name Court: Ranks: Conditions: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Above is the setup. By the way, playing with multiple players makes it a lot easier to win. Now get ready all you tennis fans, for the list! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artist on the Court Court: Peach Dome (Grass) Ranks: Mario, Luigi, Diddy Kong, Bowser and Bowser Jr., Yoshi Conditions: In each painting you must hit paintballs against a wall with a character's face on it. You have a time limit for each. When you correctly color a part of the mural, it remains painted permanently. You'll have to master lobs if you want to get this. If you've unlocked him, use Paratroopa for this. Pipes on the side give you the colored balls you'll need. When painting Mario, you get five minutes. Beating Mario unlocks Luigi (each rank you pass you gain one), and you have five minutes to color the green machine. Diddy Kong is rocketing in his picture, and five minutes is provided. Bowser and Bowser Jr. is hard, but it's nothing compared to Yoshi. Each Yoshi is a different color and there are eight, each smaller than the last. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Terror Tennis Court: Luigi's Mansion Court Ranks: Goofy Ghosts, Pesky Poltergeists, Phrantic Phantoms, Terror Tennis Challenge Conditions: You must hit tennis balls to score points. At first, you must score 50 points within a minute. For it, stand against the net and volley the ball back and forth. The second rank required 150 points within two minutes. I recommend Paratroopa due to his lob proficiency. Simply flutter across the court hit balls at random paintings to gain more points. You should just make it, but you can be guaranteed a spot if you lob at higher-point ghosts above. The third rank has you rack up 300 points in three minutes. This can be tough, but take it like before. Look for ghosts with their heads sticking out and hit them. The fourth rank is just a see-how-many-you-can-get-without-losing-the- ball-challenge. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tic-Tac-Glow Court: Delfino Plaza Court Ranks: Glimmer Shine, Sparkle Shine, Dazzle Shine, Tic-Tac-Glow Challenge Conditions: Step on the switches to have a glob of water thrown at you. Hit it across the court to the three-by-three sludge to clear three in a row either vertically, diagonally, or horizontally, to score points. Keep doing this until you have the correct number of points. Glimmer Shine takes 50 points in two minutes. Sparkle Shine has you get 75 points in two minutes. It's not too hard. Dazzle Shine is the same setup, except it gives you thirty less seconds. Tic- Tac-Glow Challenge is a contest to see how many points you can score in 180 seconds. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chain-Chomp Challenge Court: Wario Factory Court Ranks: Peckish Chomp, Hungry Chomp, Famished Chomp Conditions: You and three other players each get a Chain-Chomp. Whoever hits the most tennis balls into their chomp's mouth wins. It can be difficult. Hit tennis balls into your Chain-Chomp's mouth, but don't hit bob-ombs. Instead, hit those at your opponent's Chain-Chomps. Peckish Chomp is fair, but Hungry Chomp and Famished Chomp are not. In them, the opponents start with a ten and thirty point advantage, respectively. Keep your Chain-Chomp red and it will give you two points per shot. If it gets hit with a bob-omb twice, then it will chase you and you must repeatedly press A until you reach the switch to hose it down and keep it calm. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gooper Blooper Volley Court: Gooper Blooper Court Ranks: Buddy Blooper, Rival Blooper, Master Blooper, Gooper Blooper Volley Challenge Conditions: It's you against Gooper Blooper. It only uses four of its long tentacles, but that's still to your disadvantage. Every time a ball bounces in his side of the court, an X appears. Keep returning the ball, not hitting the X, to score points. Choose a technique character and you'll beat it easily... at first. Buddy Blooper requires twenty returns. Use a weak character and you'll be able to easily hit to the far end with charged shots and the close end with regular hits. Rival Blooper takes fifty hits. Gooper Blooper got a bit faster, too. Vary up your shots and remain in the back. For the last ten in Rival Blooper, there are two X's. In Master Blooper, there are 100 X's to be hit and the last ten have three X's. Whoa. Gooper Blooper Volley Challenge is endless, although it is safe to assume that 999 is the limit. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Balloon Panic Court: DK Jungle Court Ranks: Panic, Super Panic, Ultra-Hyper Panic, Balloon Panic Challenge Conditions: Some Klaptraps are being egged on by Kremlings to eat the classic Donkey Kong Country balloons. Your job? Hit the panels that are below the balloons (why aren't they floating off?) to direct the Klaptraps' paths. You can also hit the Klaptraps to knock them off. Three hits does it. You need to have ten Klaptraps pass over the wall unsuccessfully reaching the balloons to win Panic. In Super Panic, there are three balloons and you need twenty Klaptraps clear over the wall. Ultra-Hyper Panic has four balloons and 30 of the Kremlings. Of course, the last rank is an infinite challenge with four balloons. Good luck. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mecha-Bowser Mayhem Court: Bowser Castle Court Ranks: Aluminum Frame, Iron Frame, Titanium Frame Conditions: It's Mecha-Bowser! Maybe you remember fighting him in Pinna Park in Super Mario Sunshine. If not, it's a giant metal monstrosity likened to Bowser in shape and form. And, it took Mario several rockets to defeat it the first time. Well, now you have rapid-fire tennis balls. Press A wildly to keep hitting Bowser and deplete his health. You can also hit Bullet Bills and Bob- ombs back at it. With the aluminum frame, Mecha-Bowser has a small health bar. In Iron Frame (that is, Mecha-Bowser's body is made of iron), it has double the health and about double the defense. That is, it's about four times stronger. As you weaken it, it starts to breathe fire. Use a quick character to dodge it and continue bombarding it. Move back and fourth to avoid Bullet Bills and dodge the fire, which starts to come out just before you knock its arms off. Take Mushrooms that appear to regain some health. Hit him with a Bullet Bill for a Star to appear, which makes you invincible for a short period of time. Titanium Frame s very hard. It takes about 1000 hits of tennis ball to beat Mecha-Bowser. Nothing's new, but it starts randomly shooting fire when its head malfunction after 800 some hits. Be a fast character to dodge its blows and constantly scan the arena to dodge missiles and bombs. Good luck. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coin Collectors Court: Mario Classic Court Ranks: Fever, Jackpot, Gold Rush, Coin Collectors Challenge Conditions: Gold coins are popping out of the pipes in the background. Collect as many as you can to earn points. 1000 points in one minute lets you clear Fever. Near the end, waves of coins pour out, and it should be very easy. Hit the POW Block to move up a level. Ideally, you want to be in the front row to get the most. Each coin is worth ten points, after all. In Jackpot, you have two minutes to rack up 4,000 points. Avoid green fireballs, collect red and blue coins, and take all the Mushrooms and Stars you can manage. It's not too hard, either. In Gold Rush, you have three minutes to collect 10,000 points (youch!). In the last ten seconds, though, coins are flooding in - thousands of them. Be in front for the storm. And of course, Coin Collectors Challenge is an unlimited game. The catch? You cannot hit a single fireball, which just so happen to be green (Luigi, my friend). Happy hunting. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's it for the mini-games. Personally, I really don't like the mini-games. Mecha-Bowser Mayhem is my favorite, though. Have fun. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- __________________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||--------------------------------Section 3*----------------------------------|| \ / \__________________________________________________________________________/ ================================================================================ ================================Secret Players*================================= ================================================================================ There are four secret players you can unlock. None of them are the cream of the crop, and each of them are different types. However, only one of them is actually bad. Here's the setup. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Character Name Unlock: Background: Offensive Power Shot: Defensive Power Shot: Overall: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now for the list. I'll sort them by type, of course, alphabetically, too. Note that, since names for their power shots aren't included in the game or manual, I wont be naming them, but rather I'll just refer to them as offensive/defensive power shots when appropriate. ================================================================================ Defense Players ================================================================================ Wiggler Unlock: Beat Thunder Cup in Gimmick Masters in Singles mode. Background: Wigglers first appeared in Super Mario World as long caterpillar like creatures. Although peaceful and innocent at first, jumping on them can prove otherwise. They get red, steam comes from their noses, and they just get po'd. It's actually kind of cool the way they pulled off including a Wiggler in tennis. Wiggler has never been an important enemy. In Super Mario 64, one Wiggler found a Power Star and became corrupted by its power, much like Gollum in Lord of the Rings. In tennis, Wiggler taps into his dark side to unleash powerful shots. Offensive Power Shot: Wiggler curls up and becomes enraged, turning red. He uncurls to send a curve ball at his opponents. Defensive Power Shot: Wiggler sprouts wings temporarily to fly to the ball easily. Overall: With a long body, Wiggler need merely shift side-to-side to cover most of the court. This makes its speed less of a disability than other characters'. Curved power shots are always useful, and Wiggler is a much better defensive player than Waluigi. If that's how you play, use Wiggler. He's a good back-up player in Doubles. ================================================================================ Power Players ================================================================================ Petey Piranha Unlock: Clear Thunder Cup in Doubles in Gimmick Masters. Background: In Super Mario Sunshine, Mario visited many different regions of Isle Delfino in search of the missing Shine Sprites. Bianco Hills was the first, and there he fought Petey Piranha three times. Petey Piranha is a young Piranha Plant with leaves for feet. I know it's an infant due to the flower (baby bonnet) and the diaper is a good giveaway. Petey Piranha sat atop Big Windmill and spat huge balls of slime down at the pour residents of Windmill Village and polluted the lake. Using FLUDD, the Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device make by Professor E. Gadd from Luigi's Mansion, Mario pumped it with water until its belly-button stuck out, at which point he ground pounded its stomach. The first time Petey Piranha was beaten (Mario encountered it twice in this sort of battle inside Big Windmill), it repositioned itself to a cliff over Windmill Village. Mario woke it with water balloons and then fought it in a similar battle (except Petey was flying). Petey disappeared afterward and is a boss of Super Mario Sunshine like Gooper Blooper. However, Petey made a cameo in a golf game of Mario's... Offensive Power Shot: Petey Piranha swallows his racquet and regurgitates it. Now covered with slime, he can hit the ball back. Defensive Power Shot: Petey Piranha vomits up a Piranha Plant to hit the ball back for him. Clever, no? Overall: Petey Piranha isn't bad for certain situations. However, he is very bad for the majority. Petey has a huge head, and you will get hit every time you try to net-guard. Use DK or Bowser unless you like Petey a lot. Plus, he's as slow as molasses in Antarctica. ================================================================================ Technique Players ================================================================================ Paratroopa Unlock: Beat Star Cup in Doubles of World Open. Background: Koopa Paratroopa is a flying Koopa with a red shell. Koopas are the backbone of Bowser's army, and Paratroopa has been around since the first. They jumped and hovered before lighting, which game that little advantage over their grounded cousins. Nevertheless, these are great. Paratroopas died out after the 2D games. In 3D, they are much harder to render. However, they are now appearing more frequently in RPG Mario games and racing/golfing/tennis playing games. In Paper Mario, the first and the sequel, Paratroopas were mailmen. In Paper Mario for the N64, it was the second partner you got. But you know, Paratroopas got me thinking. If they can jump, then they would be great against Goombas and Koopas, huh? There could be a renegade Koopa Troop... Offensive Power Shot: Paratroopa gets level with the ball and dives into it like a torpedo. Purple light is escaping from it as it goes straight forward steadily. Defensive Power Shot: Paratroopa takes to the skies and shell dives like a comet through the air at the ball, sending it high into the opponent's court. Overall: Paratroopa handling could be better. That is, he skids (it's really debilitating when you dive for something). However, he's very fast and he's a technique player, giving him both good control over the ball and enough speed to reach it, which can hardly be said of Peach or Daisy. He also has an awesome offensive power shot. If you're quick on your feet, use Paratroopa. ================================================================================ Tricky Players ================================================================================ Fly Guy Unlock: Beat World Open Star Cup in Singles. Background: Flying Shy Guys that have propellers on their hats are called Fly Guys. Now, a lot of you may be wondering where these creatures come from. In Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS, Fly Guys were the only type of Shy Guy to be found. They sometimes shot fire, always in double servings, and usually dived into you. So, Fly Guys have a very short history in the Mario world. Apparently, though, they can play tennis. Offensive Power Shot: Fly Guy turns upside-down and spins around to create a tornado that follows the ball and spins around the receiver. Defensive Power Shot: Fly Guy spins to make a tornado form and carry the ball to him. I'd use it to carry it to the boundary of the opponent's side of the field, but I don't control it... Overall: Fly Guy has a good balance between straight and curving hits. He is tricky, yes, but he is between tricky and normal (unlike Boo and Bowser Jr., both of him definitely tilt the scales in one direction). If you like Tricky characters and you find Boo too difficult to use, use Fly Guy. He's a great character. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aren't you impressed by the secret characters? Really, I didn't expect it. I think that Birdo should've been included (I don't know why they took her out), and also that Toad, King Boo, and maybe another Mario enemy would've been nice. By that, I mean a Magikoopa or something like that. Oh well, though. I'm sure there'll be more in the next tennis game they release. ================================================================================ =================================Secret Courts*================================= ================================================================================ There are two secrets courts. I'll list and classify them here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bowser Castle Court Unlock: Beat Fire Cup in Gimmick Masters Singles tournament. Background: Bowser's Castle was the final level in each world Mario and Luigi visited in Super Mario Bros. It's always lava-filled and filled with enemies, usually statues of Bowser that spit fire. Bowser, waiting at the end, jumps and spit fire. If Mario or his brother could reach the ax switch behind him, they could destroy the bridge and Bowser would fall into the lava. Of course, Bowser always survives. In this game, Mecha-Bowser is kept in the castle and the court rocks back and forth in gimmick matches. Mecha-Bowser first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine. Bowser Jr. was determined to defeat Mario with it in Pinna Park of Isle Delfino, but Mario launched rockets at Mecha-Bowser to defeat it. Speed: Fast Bounce: Strong -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mario Classic Court Unlock: Beat Thunder Cup in Gimmick Masters while playing Doubles. Background: This entire court is background! The graphics are NES/arcade-style and it's obviously modeled after Mario Bros. Remember that Mario and Luigi were originally said to be from Brooklyn, New York. The background shows monsters coming out of pipes, a reference to Mario and Luigi's first game together, which is also the multiplayer setup for SMB 3 (set in the sewers of Brooklyn). In gimmick matches, there's also a POW Block hovering over the net. That can be hit to sic enemies on opponents (although originally it flipped all enemies). Seeing this court is a good example of just how much graphics have improved since the 1980's. Speed: Slow Bounce: Strongest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Only two? That's right. However, there are many more secrets aside from characters and courts ================================================================================ =================================Other Secrets*================================= ================================================================================ There are myriad secrets in Mario Power Tennis other than secret characters and courts. I'll list them all here. +-------------------+ | Event Games | +-------------------+ Hold Z while you start the game. Afterward, you'll have unlocked the secret Event Games. They are multiplayer tiebreaker games for three, five, or seven points. However, you must do the Z trick every time you start playing to keep it unlocked. +--------------------+ | Yoshi Colors | +--------------------+ Beat Flower Cup Doubles in the World Open Tournament and Yoshi will get an upgrade defensive power shot. When he comes out of his egg, he will be a new color. They come in all varieties, and it sure makes the match cooler. +---------------------+ | Balloon Panic | +---------------------+ To unlock this mini-game set in DK Jungle Court, beat Flower Cup in Singles (World Open). +---------------------------+ | Mecha-Bowser Mayhem | +---------------------------+ To unlock this mini-game in Bowser Castle Court, beat the Mushroom Cup in Singles. +-----------------------+ | Coin Collectors | +-----------------------+ This mini-game can be unlocked by beating Mushroom Cup in Doubles. +------------+ | Cups | +------------+ Beat Mushroom Cup with any character in World Open to unlock Flower Cup for them. Beat that for Star Cup. In Star Tournament, beat Rainbow Cup to unlock Moonlight Cup. Beat Moonlight Cup to unlock Planet Cup. In Gimmick Masters, beat Fire Cup to unlock Thunder Cup. +-----------------------+ | Star Tournament | +-----------------------+ Beat Star Cup in World Open once with any character to unlock Star Tournament for everyone. +-----------------------+ | Star Characters | +-----------------------+ Beat Star Cup in World Open and you'll be able to use a character's star form. When selecting them, press R. They will be upgraded slightly and they shine. +---------------------+ | Ace COM Level | +---------------------+ Beat either Star Tournament (Doubles or Singles) and you'll unlock Ace. It's a new COM type and you can put computers in exhibition matches on it. It's the most difficult level. +-----------------------------+ | Match Type Selections | +-----------------------------+ In Gimmick Masters Singles play, when you beat a character on a particular court you will unlock exhibition match, ring shot, and item battles on that court in exhibition mode. This does not work when you unlock a court. +---------------------------------------+ | Random Character & Court Select | +---------------------------------------+ Press X when selecting a court or character and the computer will randomly assign you one. +------------------------+ | Lefty Characters | +------------------------+ When you select a character to play as, press L and they'll hold their racquet in their left hand. +----------------+ | Taunting | +----------------+ Press A or B when the opponent is serving the ball. This decreased the power of their shot. There are also several mini-game difficulty levels you can unlock. See that section for details. ================================================================================ ======================================FAQ*====================================== ================================================================================ A lot of people have questions. FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions, and here I list them. Please read this section before e-mailing me. Question: I keep trying to do lobs but it never works! Please help! Answer: That's not a question, but I'll run with it. To do a lob, you must press A and then B. The easiest way to do this is to hold A and then press B to release the charge shot. Lobs are very useful in the mini-games. Question: Same question only with drop shots (see above). Answer: Again, drop shots are B and then A. To perform one, press and hold B. Then press A as you release the charge shot. Drop shots can be quite useful against back-players when luring them to the net. Question: What are those numbers in the background that appear every time I serve the ball? Answer: This is how many miles (possibly kilometers, since it was made in Japan) per hour the ball moves after the serve. The higher, the better. I've seen some players hit 130 mph, and others hit 91 mph. It's all based on your character's power and how high the ball is when you hit it. Question: Who's that referee guy? Answer: Sitting in the chair is Toadsworth, Princess Peach's caretaker (although he's not too good at it). He first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine and has been watching over the princess ever since. Question: Who's the guy sitting on the cloud by the net in some matches? Answer: That would be Lakitu. He's official cameraman, although he doesn't hold one (there are multiple ones and the one you see probably alternates with the current cameraman). He's been filming Mario since Super Mario 64, but he's been helping in racing games since Super Mario Kart. He also retrieves the tennis ball. Question: What do you got against Waluigi? Answer: Nothing. But, I speak the truth when I say that he's widely disliked. But, we should remember that Luigi was once a filler character, too (just a change in palette). We should give him a chance. Also, people dislike the fact that Waluigi appeared out of nowhere and became an instant regular, whereas Birdo, Donkey Kong, and Daisy had to go through years of obscurity before they could land a Mario party-style game. And also, a lot of people just dislike him. Question: Who's the best character? Answer: This is a matter of personal taste and style of play. Some people like tricky characters, others like to dominate with power characters, and others just try to return the ball and wear their foes down. Personally, I like (in this order) Diddy Kong, Luigi, and Shy Guy. Depending on who I play, I switch between them (although Diddy Kong is my norm). Question: Do I have to play mini-games? Answer: Of course not. In fact, there is no real motivation because mini-games do not let you unlock anything else. They're just for fun. Question: Racket or racquet? Answer: Either works. It's merely two different ways of spelling it. Question: Is there an advantage to using a left-handed character? Answer: Yes. They will be able to reach further when a ball is hit to their left. However, this also limits their ability to hit right balls. It's balanced out in the end. Question: I cannot beat ____! He/she/it's just too hard! Answer: If you can't beat a character, then don't play them. That is, save in the tournament before a match. If you end up playing someone you can't handle, turn off the Game Cube and restart it. Continue from where you saved. This time, you'll face the other character, not the one that you couldn't beat. Question: a/s/l? Answer: Nope. For anyone who isn't Internet slang savvy, a/s/l is a question meaning age/sex/location. My e-mail is given to help you with the game, not help you make a friend. I'm not interested in socializing; don't e-mail or IM me with the intention of small chat because I simply won't respond. Question: Can I use your guide on my site? Answer: Absolutely not. I'm tired of explaining and I really don't have to; see my legal section for details. Question: What other games do you have guides for? Answer: Well, this is my twenty-fourth (I know what you're thinking). I've written guides for each of the following games (in this order): The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 1, Sonic Heroes, Mario Kart: Double Dash, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time/Master Quest, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros. Melee, The Legend of Zelda: The Adventure of Link, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario 64, Super Mario 64 DS, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario Sunshine, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, and you're reading my twenty-fourth. I'm such a dork... Anyhow, you should find all of them on GameFaqs.com. For an up-to-date listing of the games I have guides for, use the below address. http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/46879.html Question: How can I contact you? Answer: More people should ask this question. First, do not send me IM's. If you do, you'd better be armed with a rabbit's foot and a dozen four-leaf clovers 'cause you have no chance of me answering otherwise. I do take e-mails, though, which you should send to Kirby0215@aol.com (it's also listed at the top of this guide). In your e-mail, remember to stick to game topics (my e-mail is not given for socializing) and to tell me what game you are having trouble with. As you've seen, I have quite a few guides. Please try to be as specific as possible ("how do you get the thing at the place?" for instance, is a bad question), and try to use readable script. That is, I know most Internet slang, but try to spell things correctly, etc. Follow these guidelines and you get more help out of me than usual. And let the questioning commence! Err, stop. Now for the best part - the legal section. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- __________________________________________________________________________ / \ / \ ||--------------------------------Section 4*----------------------------------|| \ / \__________________________________________________________________________/ ================================================================================ =========================Credits and Legal Information*========================= ================================================================================ Most of this section has been extracted from another guide. If you're a stalker or if you're really bored, you'll know which one. Reading legal sections is about as fun as watching a foreign-language film about the making of boxes in black and white. First, though, the credits. Yes, I know that everybody is dying to know who helped me write this. Let's get started, shall we? +---------------+ | Credits | +---------------+ First, I'd like to thank myself for writing the guide, playing the game, and for posting it. The man! The myth! The legend! Second, a big round of applause to Nintendo. They made Mario and this game, and this guide wouldn't be around without them. Third, let's all thank GameFaqs, the great site that is the only place where you can find my guides. Without them, you wouldn't be reading this. Recently, some more people have helped me out. Here's a list of who they are and what they did. That's it for now, but I'm sure that list will grow. Now for the legal section. If you're really obsessed with my guides, you'll know which one I copied the legal boilerplates out of. +-------------------------+ | Legal Information | +-------------------------+ First of all, I take no credit for the creation, distribution, production, idealizing, or in any way making this game. That honor goes to Nintendo, not me, and I do not deny this. Second, this document is Copyright 2005 Brian McPhee. Third, this may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. To phrase that first item legally, all trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. To make it clear for those of you who might having problems absorbing information, no one but the website GameFaqs may use my guides on their sites, books, magazines, etc. Did you see my delivery? That was SO awesome. Anyways, though, it's been real, my friend. I've had a blast playing tennis and writing this guide. And I'll always have your e-mail to me remind me. Strong men cry... Let's not say good- bye. Instead, I'll leave you gasping for more with my trademark signature move, my clever great escape, my off-the-chain, gravity-defying phrase... Drum roll please. Adios. No, but seriously. See ya later.