System: Nintendo 64 Genre: Sports/Tennis Developer: Camelot Software Planning Publisher: Nintendo Release date: August 24, 2000 ESRB rating: E Players: 1 - 4 simultaneous Save: Battery? Memory size: ? SRAM size: ? Peripherals: Rumble Pak, GB Transfer Pak

Overview

Camelot, the same developers behind Hot Shots Golf (PSX) and Mario Golf (N64/GBC) are taking the reins of another Mario sports game. This time, Mario and friends will be serving up the fun on the tennis court! Camelot is again planning on a Game Boy Color version of Mario Tennis, so just like with the Mario Golf N64 and GBC combination, you'll be able to transfer some sort of data between Mario Tennis 64 and its GBC partner.

Play modes
If we've learned anything from the design of Mario Golf, we should expect play modes galore in Mario Tennis. Here's what I've seen so far:

• Exhibition
• Tournament
• Ring Shot
• "Piranha Plant Challenge" (expect a renaming...)
• One(?) hidden mode

Reminiscent of Mario Golf's Ring Shot mode, one version of this mode in Mario Tennis challenges you to hit the ball through all the golden rings with only a limited number of shots.

Cast of characters

• Mario
• Luigi
• Baby Mario
• Yoshi
• Birdo
• Peach
• Daisy
• Toad
• Waluigi
• DK
• Bowser
• Wario
• Koopa Paratroopa
• Boo
• Shy Guy (or possibly Flyguy)
• four "Camelot humans"

Toad fans rejoice -- Toad is a playable character again! The standard Mario Kart / Mario Golf lineup is back, with Birdo and Boo to boot. Expect a few hidden characters, and... Waluigi?!

Waluigi
Waluigi is supposedly Luigi's evil cousin and/or Wario's brother (I've heard both ways). While his name seems stupid and unoriginal at first, let me explain it from the Japanese creators' point of view. First, take note that Wario is Mario's evil counterpart, and that the word "Wario" resembles warui, a Japanese adjective meaning "bad." Next, if we look at the Japanese name "Waruiiji," we can see that they managed to slip "warui" in there. Clever! But now, what letter goes on his hat? Well, since Wario's "W" is basically an upside-down "M," they gave Waluigi an upside-down "L."

Like in Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros., every character will have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Early information has them broken down into four types:

• Average (Mario, Luigi)
• "Speed" (Baby Mario, Yoshi, Birdo)
• "Technique" (Peach, Daisy, Toad, Waluigi)
• Power (DK, Bowser, Wario)
• "Tricky" (Boo, Koopa Paratroopa)

As an added bonus, every character has a neat little logo on his or her racket (i.e. Mario has an "M," Yoshi has an Egg, etc.) -- another sign that Camelot is trying their best to make the game look good.

Screenshots

• Overhead smash!
• Yoshi dives for the ball
• Grass-court action
• Waluigi: The man, the mystery
• Waluigi and Peach at the net
• "Clap your hands, stomp your feet, Wa-lu-i-gi can't be beat..."
• Waluigi dives for the ball
• Title screen
• DK serves
• Full-court action
• Luigi charges the net
• Waluigi
• Baby Mario finds the net
• Wario and Bowser vs. Baby Mario and Peach
• Wario and Bowser vs. Baby Mario and Peach 2
• It's-a Mario!
• Tournament mode
• Waruigi vs. Mario
• Ring Shot mode
• Ring Shot mode: Level complete!
• Ring Shot mode
• Ring Shot mode
• "Piranha Plant Challenge"
• "Piranha Plant Challenge"
• "Piranha Plant Challenge"
• "Piranha Plant Challenge": Training results
• Exhibition mode: doubles
• Exhibition mode: doubles