Mario Tennis Open

© 2012 Nintendo of America
$40, Nintendo 3DS
Teaches: sports, tennis, collaborative play
CTR Rating: 87.5%
Editor's Choice

CTR Review

Fun and fast, this 3D edition of Mario Tennis lets you join Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom friends on the tennis court for single or doubles matches. There are also skill building mini games and online play. You can use the built-in wireless features of the Nintendo DS to play with up to four players in local or online multiplayer modes and exchange information using StreetPass. You can choose between touch-screen and gyro sensor controls or button-based gameplay. You can also choose from a variety of playable characters or use your own personalized Mii character. Other features include: an Open Match mode that automatically pairs you with players of comparable skill levels; Single Player Tournament mode that lets you compete against your favorite Mushroom Kingdom characters in a classic single elimination tournament; Exhibition mode that lets you adjust the skill level of your computer-controlled opponent, select a court, and choose the number of sets to be played; and Chance Areas that appear on the court during a match that you can run to in order to execute a supercharged Chance Shot. Developed Camelot Co., Ltd. for Nintendo. Note: additional Nintendo 3Ds systems are required for local multiplayer mode and broadband internet access is required for online play. Addison says: When I think of immersive 3D video games, I can't help but think of Nintendo's ill-fated Virtual Boy, an early attempt at 3D virtual reality. But Mario Tennis on the 3DS is an example of immersive 3D done right. The minigames are very well done and add variety. The leveling is my big problem. It's a little too easy to hit the ball, you hit it if you're anywhere near it. On the flip side, when the game gets hard it's frustratingly hard. It can also be a little tedious: I spent five minutes trying to get the final point in a match. The 3D effect is convincing, but to get a first-person view instead of the standard top-down view, you need to hold the 3DS vertically in front of you. This is not very ergonomic or comfortable.