=============================================================================== MARIO POWER TENNIS ----------------------- Character Guides, Special Moves Tournament and Court Information Special Unlockables =============================================================================== Copyright 2004 Chris Durel Version 1.0 ++++++++++++++++++ TABLE OF CONTENTS ++++++++++++++++++ Ia. Introduction I. Character Introductions a. Character Listing b. Power Shots c. Secret Characters II. Courts a. Standard Court b. Gimmick Courts c. Unlockable Courts III. Contorls IV. Tournaments a. Normal Cup b. Gimmick Cup c. Special Cup V. Modes of Play a. Standard Match b. Ring Shot c. Item Battle VI. Special Modes a) Minigames b) Event Mode VII. Tips, Tricks, Strategies a. Character specific ablities b. Gameplay strategy VIII. Special Thanks ++++++++++++++++++ Introduction ++++++++++++++++++ I've been waiting for a sequel to the original super-fun Mario Tennis for N64 for a while now, and was disapointed the past year when I heard very little news or any previews on the new game. Then all the sudden, at the end of September 2004, the game was announced to be released on the 8th of November, in the month where every major video game sequel would primere. This title lives up to the original on a basis of pure tennis fun while including the zany antics of the mario world. Filled with personality, and sheer excitement, this is the perfect game to play with your friends, or simply alone honing your skills. As far as depth is concerned, you really can get extrodinarily good at this game, and I won't be surprised if it pops up in some multiplayer based tournaments along with Double Dash and SSBM. Heres a guide to help you with your Power Tennis game, as well as all the unlockable features and characters MPT has to offer. ++++++++++++++++++ Character Introductions ++++++++++++++++++ [OS=Offensive Power Shot] [DS=Defensive Power Shot] a) Character Listing Mario [All Around] The star brother is back with his own set of power moves. A decent all-around character, perfect for beginners as well as experts. Luigi [All Around] The lesser of the two brothers, only popularity-wise. I happen to prefer him over his more famous sibling. As with mario, great for any type of player. Peach [Technical] The princess is for Intermediate-Advanced players, with an insanely good OS,and the most annoying-looking DS in the game. Daisy [Technical] Almost identical to Peach, except that her OS is a little worse, and in her defensive she goes towards the ball instead of making it come toward her. Shy Guy [Technical] I'd say he's more expert oriented, as he's not as fast as normal characters. He's a little hard to control, but can be used very well. Very good offensive special, shocking the opponent. Bowser [Power] The large, but slow arch-foe of Mario has an insane amount of power. His OS is very much like Mario's, but a tad faster. DK type [Power] Just like Bowser in the same sense of Power over speed, except that he does not move toward the ball for his DS. Wario [Power] In my opinion, the best of all the power characters. He has an insanely fast OS that shocks the opponent if he returns it. Koopa [Speed] My personal favorite out of all the speed characters. Has a very fast "dive" for the ball. An excellent OS, as it's a slow ball that is quite hard to hit if your opponents are in the back. Yoshi [Speed] The slowest of the speed characters. But his OS can be hit as a volley from the air, instead of having to wait till it hits the ground. Diddy Kong [Speed] This is character is tied for speed with Koopa, but he makes up for it by having a curving OS that is tricky to predict. Waluigi [Defensive] By far the best "at the net" character in the game, with long arms and a great saving special. Also, his OS makes the opponent spin. Bowser Jr. [Tricky] The fastest Tricky character, Bowser Jr. has a decent dive, and surprisingly a decent smash. An OS that confuses human players pretty well, and also is quite fast. Boo [Tricky] An unpredictable character, that hits "curveballs". Best used in the back, with a powerful OS and a tricky DS. Also, has a great smash hit [AB] move. Fly-Guy [Tricky] A Tricky version of Shy Guy, that can fly around. Relativly faster than Shy Guy, and has trickier shots like Boo, and Bowser Jr. Paratrooper [Technique] A flying-version of Koopa Trooper, that specializes in technique shots such as lobs and drop shots. The fastest, non-speed character, with the best "dive" in the game. Wiggler [Defense] A giant catepillar, that is a tad slow, but a good defensive net player. Has alright specials, and a above-average lob. Petey Pirhana [Power] A giant Venus Fly trap that hits the ball extremelly hard. A great net player, that can fling balls past opponents very quickly. Has a decent OS as well. b) Power Shots Mario [Offensive] Smashes the ball with a hammer. Very fast fireball, pushes blows opponents back if retrieved. [Defensive] Spins toward the ball to hit it. Is not always successfull though, usually if the ball has crosed the line. Luigi [Offensive] Takes out a rainbow hammer to smash the ball. Not as fast as Mario's but is more confusing to where it is going, as it's very colorful. [Defensive] Throws his racket at the ball and uses a vacuum to suck it back in This special ALWAYS works, and he doesn't have to run to the ball either. Peach [Offensive] A heart spins around Peach, goes onto her racket and she hits the ball. It usually curves around whoever it was hit to. Tricky to hit, one of the best offensive specials. [Defensive] Blows a kiss, and has the ball come to her, then hits it. Always works, and usually automatically lobs the ball. Daisy [Offensive] Turns her racket into a flower, and hits the ball. A little worse than Peache's. [Defensive] Flies on a flower bed towards the ball to return it. Also works on volleys, as the ball does not have to hit the ground. Yoshi [Offensive] Floats upward and smashes the ball to the opponent with a rainbow trail. Can be hit as a volley, as well, as Yoshi jumps up in the air. [Defensive] Rolls around in an egg towards the ball. Fast, and directional special. Similar to Bowser and Koopas. Boo [Offensive] Hits the ball with a giant Boo ghost. A tricky shot that isn't easily predicted, and quite fast as well. [Defensive] Turns himself into a giant group of Boo's all with tennis rackets. They all pretend to hit the ball in different directions. Another unexpected shot, and hard to predict. Koopa Tropper [Offensive] Winds up while gathering water to spin around and hit the ball slowly the other side of the field. Drops very quickly, and moves forward slowly. This shot is VERY hard to return. Use when opponent is far away. [Defensive] Goes into his shell to run for the ball, and hits it. Can be directed very easily. Shy Guy [Offensive] Lobs an electricuted ball to the back of the field. Easy to return, but the opponent is shocked which slows them down and makes it harder for them to control for a couple seconds. [Defensive] Uses his spear to hit the ball back. May not move towards the bal if he's close enough, but may move if the ball is over the line. DK [Offensive] Hops in a cannon and launches himsef at the ball. Similar to Mario's in speed and power. While playing doubles, it's good to launch it right down the middle of the court. [Defensive] Turns his racket into a banana and throws it at the ball. I've never seen this miss, either. Diddy Kong [Offensive] Does some action poses and then swings at the ball making it fly in a "crecent moon" formation. Quite useful as a curveball. [Defensive] Puts on a jetback and flys to the ball. A quick hit equal to the button press "B". Bowser [Offensive] Breaths fire at the ball, then hits it laucnhing a fireball at the opponent. Same as Mario and DK's OS. [Defensive] Gets in his shell and slides to the ball. Can easily manipulate the direction of the ball as well. Bowser Jr. [Offensive] Uses a paintbrush to wack three identical looking paintballs at his opponent in three different directions. A confusing shot, which is also very fast. Very good aimed to the extreme side of the opponent. [Defensive] Leaps at the ball hitting it with a paintbrush. Can be directed quite eaily, and sometimes is confusing to the opponent with all the colors. Wario [Offensive] Becomes electricuted, then hits the ball at a blazing fast speed in a curving line towards the opponent. If hit, the opponent is shocked for a couple seconds, making him slower and harder to move. Very good special. [Defensive] Pulls out an extentable arm to hit the ball. Wario does not move in this special at all, which can be a good and bad thing. Waluigi [Offensive] Spins around quickly sending the ball curved towards the opponent. If received, the opponent is spun around, making it easier to score for Waluigi. [Defensive] Makes a pool where he swims towards the ball. Never fails. Fly-Guy [Offensive] Spins around upside down, forming a tornado. Then hits tha ball very fast towards the opponent, wuich curves around quickly. The opponent is spun around if he returns it. [Defensive] Forms a tornado to go retrieve the ball, which flys back to him, and he hits it. He does not move at all during this. Paratrooper [Offensive] Projects himself like a missle into the ball, sending it high into the air and to the back of the court. Very hard to return, as it's a long lob and the ball bounces very high after hitting the ground. Spins the opponent around if returned. My personal favorite OS. [Defensive] Flys up into the air then swoops quickly down into the ball, hitting it back. Can be easily directed. Wiggler [Offensive] Turns red and hits the ball hard. The opponent spins around if the ball is returned. [Offensive] Turns into a butterfly and returns the ball. Always works. Petey Pirhana [Offensive] Swallows the racket, then spits it back out, and hits it quite hard. Slows down the opponent if hit. [Offensive] Coughs up some sludge that grows into a plant and sends the ball back. Does not always work, especially if the ball is in the air. c) Secret Characters Fly-Guy [Tricky] To unlock, beat all Normal Cups in singles mode. Paratrooper [Technique] To unlock, beat all three Normal Cups in doubles. Watch out for the Daisy and Peach doubles round at the end, it's by far the hardest. Wiggler [Defense] To unlock, beat the Fire and Lightning cups in singles, in the Gimmick tournaments. These can get kind of tricky, as the courts can mess up your play. Pete Pirhana [Power] To unlock, beat the Fire and Lightning cups in doubles, in the Gimmick tournaments. By far, the hardest challenge yet. You must play Daisy and Peach (the hardest doubles players) together on the Mario Classic court, the most annyoing court ever. Use your best character, and a good supporting partner that can save your shots often. ++++++++++++++++++ Courts ++++++++++++++++++ a) Standar Courts Peach Dome Court The standard blue court. Ball Speed: Normal Bounce: Strong Peach Dome Clay A clay version of the standard court. Ball Speed: Slow Bounce: Weak Peach Dome Grass A grass version of the standard court. Ball Speed: Fast Bounce: Weak **Note: Playing each round of the Fire and Thunder Cup in the Gimmick Masters unlocks each Gimmick Court to be played in standard, without any "enviromental hazards", or gimmicks. b) Gimmick Courts Luigi's Mansion Ghost interfere with your game, to stop them from being on your side of the field, hit the light on your opponents side. Ball Speed: Fast Bounce: Normal Delfino Plaza The pirhana plants cough up slime at the places the balls hit. To clean up the sludge, stand on the circles. Ball Speed: Normal Bounce: Weak Glooper Blooper When the ball hits some squares, the panels slide back and forth, revealing the ocean. The ball cannot be hit there or it's considered out. Ball Speed: Fastest Bounce: Normal Wario's Factory The net has arrorw on it, and when the ball hits them, certain conveyor belts start to move in the direction the arrow was pointing. Ball Speed: Fast Bounce: Strongest DK Jungle The klaptraps move across the net. Hit them to send them to your opponent's side so they can interfere with is game. Ball Speed: Slow Bounce:Normal c) Unlockable Courts (Gimmick Courts) Bowser Court This court tips left and right, sliding your character around. Ball Speed: Fast Bounce: Strong Mario Bros. Classic Koopas, crabs and bugs walk across the court, messing with your game. To get rid of them, hit the POW box with the ball, which stuns the enemies and flips them over, then walk over them to kill them. Crabs have to be POWed twice though, as once makes them angry. Ball Speed: Slow Bounce: Strongest ++++++++++++++++++ Controls ++++++++++++++++++ [A] Hit the ball with a topspin. Hold to charge. [B] Hit the ball with a curve, or a slice during the serve. Hold to charge. [X] N/A [Y] N/A [Z] Change camera angles [Control Stick] Move your character, direct your shots, scroll through menu items. [L] Cancel Charge Shots. [R] Hold and press A or B to hit a power shot. R+A is the offensive power shot, while R+B is the defensive power shot. [A+B] Lob shot. Goes high into the air, to the back of the court. [B+A] Drop shot. Slow moving forward, falls quickly to the front of the court. **Note: To perform a Lob shot or a drop shot, charge with A or B then press the other button when the ball reaches the racket. ++++++++++++++++++ Tournaments ++++++++++++++++++ a) Normal Cup Singles Mushroom Cup The mushroom cup is quite easy. The computers' level is about at intermediate. Most of the computer opponents tend to guard the middle, so it's easy to score on them by aiming for the coreners. Also, it's very easy to trick computers with shots like the lob and dropshot. So, use the lob when they migrate towards the net for an easy score. Other than that, try to use only offensive Power Shots, as you won't need defensive power shots to save the ball too much. 1st and 2nd Match - 1 Set Championship Match - 3 Sets Flower Cup Like the Mushroom Cup, but the computers are a tad smarter. You can still easily use lobs and dropshots to score on them, but they know use their Defensive Power Shots to retrieve the ball after it being hit to the side. Computers will use their Offensive Power Shot often, which is actually a good thing for you. When they used up their Power Shot for Offensive purposes, you can easily aim to the opposite side and score on them since they have no way to return it. Remember to always "try" to retrieve the ball, as sometimes you'll surprise yourself and hit it back. It's not smart to use a Defensive Power Shot when you could've saved it by yourself. 1st and 2nd Match - 1 Set Championship Match - 3 Sets Star Cup The Star cup is a little tougher challenge compared to the Mushroom and Flower Cups. But as you've already beaten those, you've probably already got used to the controls, and your character. Use all methods listed for the above two Cups to win your way through the Star Cup. Make use of your Offensive Power Shot often, directing it where the opponent is not. Even if they return your offensive power shot, most of the time the opponent is stunned so you can easily score by hitting it to the opposite side. Use your Defensive Power Shot only when neccessary, and remember to use lobs and dropshots for the tactical advantage. 1st Match - 1 Set 2nd Match - 3 Sets Championship Match - 5 Sets With this Cup won, you'll unlock the Star Cup, Fly Guy (Tricky), and the star version of the character you beat all three cups at. b) Gimmick Masters Fire Cup Singles 1st Match - Luigi's Mansion 1 Set This is a pretty easy match, no matter who you play. The ghosts don't play a big part in the match, since you can easily extinguish them by hitting the lightbulb. Just use the same technique you did with the previous cups and you'll be fine. 2nd Match - Glooper Blooper 1 Set A little more difficult. The computer is on the same level as before, but the panels on the floor move creating an out of bounds section. Remember to aim the ball in the middle normally, or at panels to move them back in place. Lob shots work nicely against opponents here, since they normally migrate to the front of the net. Championship Match - DK Jungle 3 Sets The court is less difficult than Glooper Blooper, but the computer opponent is slightly harder. Klaptraps will appear on your side of the court if your opponent hits one on the net, so be sure you hit a Klaptrap first. If one appears on your side of the court and grabs your leg, rid him by hitting the lightning panel on your opponents side of the court. With this victory, you gain standard, ring, and item play on all courts you won at, plus you unlock the Thunder Cup. Thunder Cup Singles 1st Match - Delfino Plaza 1 Set The opponent is slightly less difficult than the last one you played at DK Jungle. This court gets a little tricky, as when you or your opponet hit one of the panels the pirhanas will cough up slime onto your court. Walking over this slime greatly slows you down and makes you slip, making it more difficult to retrive the ball. To clean up your side of the court, step on the water panels to wash the slime away. Try to sludge your opponent as well and then hit a ball to the side of him or dropshot one so he cannot return it. 2nd Match - Bowser's Court 3 Sets The trick to this court is that it's always swaying left to right, which makes it a little difficult to serve or return the ball successfully. Stay where you normally would in a normal game by "leaning" the control stick so that you don't move as much. This way, you'll stand still easier so that you can succesfully return the ball. Use the court to your advantage when hitting the ball, as it'll be easier to score on one side if your opponent is swayed to the opposite side. Championship Match - Wario's Factory 5 Sets This level is kind of confusing, as your constantly moving on conveyor belts. Theres colored arrows on top of the net which influence the direction of each conveyor belt. Don't pay too much attention to the arrows, as they only affect your opponent's conveyors. Use the same technique as you did on the last court to "stabalize" yourself in one position, without moving. Try to predict where the ball is going so that you don't have to move there when it's hit because sometimes the conveyor will be turning in the opposite direction making it alot harder to move. Just make sure you balance yourself out, and don't let your character slide too much. Usually extreme left or right shots work well, as your opponent tends to stay in the middle of the court. For winning this Cup you'll unlock standard, ring, and item play on all the courts in this cup. You also unlock a new character, Wiggler, a defensive worm. Doubles Type and Star Tournament coming soon. ++++++++++++++++++ Modes Of Play ++++++++++++++++++ a) Standard A standard match is a simple Tennis match, nothing special. Standard can be played on any Standard (or Gimmick Court with Standard unlocked) Court. It's played for 1, 3 or 5 Sets with 2 or 6 games per set. In order to win a game, you must win the majority of a set. In order to win a set, you just win the majority of the games. For instance, if I played a 3 Set, 2 Game Match, I'd have to win 2 games to win one set, and 2 sets to win the match. b) Ring Shot Hit the ball through a set of rings to collect ring points, and then score a point to add those points to your total. The player who earns the most ring points wins the game. Note, though, that hitting tha ball through rings doesn't earn your ring points, it only collects them. To earn the rings point you collected, you must score a point. c)Iteam Battle Normal Tennis, but with a Mario twist. Item boxes are on top of the net as you begin. When you hit an item box with the ball you receive the item randomly contained in the item box. When hitting your next shot, you automatically use the item on your opponent. There are a variety of items from turtle shells to lightning bolts, each with it's own special affect. As turtles shells hit your opponent back and knock them down, the lightning bolt shrinks them and makes them loose some of their hitting power. Also, some items make you faster, or invulnerable to shells. The banana peel when used, hits the ground wherever the ball first lands, but only if the ball lands. When walked over the banana peel makes players slip, and loose their footing for a short period of time. Item battle is a fun twist to normal tennis, a fun addition to play with your friends, in a mario kart-esque kind of way. ++++++++++++++++++ Special Modes ++++++++++++++++++ a) Minigames Theres all sorts of minigames in Mario Power Tennis. From Artist on the Court to Chain-Chop Challenge. All with their unique twist on tennis. Minigames are Tennis based, but have nothing to do with the game. Their small multiplayer games in which you and some friends can play wild tennis scenarios just for plain fun. I've listed some mini-games below: Artist on the Court Hit paint balls to the giant un-colored picture. It can be played in teams, and is a race against the clock to finish the picture with the correct colors. Terror Tennis Hit the ghosts to seal them in their portraits. Earn points for every ghost you hit. But watch out, because if they aren't hit, they'll come after you. Tic-Tac-Glow Pretty self-explanitory. Hit balls into the other court to line them up and earn point. Played against your opponent, for points. Glooper Blooper Bolley Volley the balls with the octupus thing. Just make sure you don't let the balls land in the illegal panels marked with an "x". Chain-Chomp Challenge One of my personal favorites. Hit the chain chomp with normal tennis balls to earn points. Hit them with bombs to turn them red which will double the point value of tennis balls. But make sure you don't hit a red chain chomp with a bomb, because they'll come after you, and you'll have to run away with the "A" button. Cool them off with balls of water, turning them black again. A multiplayer game in which you can anger your opponent's chain chomp. Quite entertaining. Baloon Panic A fun game with friends, mostly. Hit the panels with the ball to re-arrange the vines so that the Klaptraps climb a different path. Don't let them get to your balloon, but direct them to your opponent instead. Coin Collectors You and three other players randomly start on different panels. Hit the ball at the pow to switch panels with the person in front of you, so you move up. Collect the coins that are thrown at you, while avoiding the fireballs and other obstacles. Try to get in the front, as it's easiest to collect coins there. b) Event Mode Event mode is a hidden mode that can be accessed by pressing Z and the Start button at the start screen. Event mode is simply a game with 2 or more human players playing in similar to a "tiebreak" round. Instead of scoring points of 15 each, you each play to 7. ++++++++++++++++++ Tips, Tricks and Strategies ++++++++++++++++++ a) Character Specific Abilities Different characters have different abilities and skills, so making your selection on which character you "normally" use is a little difficult. It depends upon which type of game you like to play. Volleying/Close Net Waluigi is probably my personal favorite for close-to-the-net characters. He has long arms and can move relativly fast so he's very good at being close to the net in most games. Also, his special always returns the ball in case he ever misses it. A very good doubles character, as he can be paired with a fast character with a good "dive". Speed Yoshi, Diddy, and Koopa Trooper are among the fastest characters in the game. This is what they have over everyone else, so they can easily play any side of the court and can make saves better than most characters. Another noteworthy character that isn't classified as speed is Paratrooper, whos the fastest of all the non-speed characters and has the quickest "dive" in the game making it very easy to save the ball. Defense/Back Court Anyone whose fast will do good here. As listed above, most of those speed characters can play anywhere on the court, like Koopa Trooper for example. Paratrooper has the fastest "dive" in the game and he's also relativly fast making him an excellent character for defense or back court, easily paired with someone playing close net. Technique Any characters with technique have the most useful lob shots, dropshots, or "slices". They're used to confuse the opponent or get the tactical edge in a game. Technique characters are good alone or while playing doubles and they include Shy Guy, Daisy, Peach, and Paratrooper. Notable is Shy Guy, who has probably the best technique in the game. All Around Any speed character can be interchangable to play all around. Notably Koopa Trooper who is fast enough to play all sides of the court. Luigi and Mario excell in all aspects, making them a good choice for doubles play, or if you've improved your skills enough to play singles. All Around characters are the most balanced and are good for beginners and experts alike, also having usefull Power Shots. Power If raw power is something you desire, you should be careful not to make stupid mistakes. As power players have a fast shot, they lack the speed necessary to move around quickly and efficiently. So, you could say, it's difficult to be very good with a power player in singles, as you'll need to predict your opponents shots more often. As for doubles, a power player balanced out with a speed or defense character would make a great combination. b)Gameplay Strategy Coming Soon! ++++++++++++++++++ Special Thanks ++++++++++++++++++ To Paranoia for being the best doubes partner ever. To Nintendo for making the Mario franchise so awsome. To Camelot for making such a fun Tennis game. To GameFaqs for hosting my FAQ. ...and you for reading this!