Mario Tennis

This is a multiplayer game that children can play cooperatively (in pairs against another team or machine opponents) or competitively. They each select a character from a choice of 12 (with DK Jr. and Shyguy unlocked by winning tournaments). Characters include the usual suspects in the Mario world plus Waluigi, Wario's evil brother and 3 other new competitors. They have varying tennis abilities with strengths in technique, speed, power and trickiness, and non-human opponents can be set at different levels of difficulty.

So how do you play tennis on a console? You have to be fast on your thumbs and there is actually skill involved in selecting types of shots. Typically the left thumb moves the control stick to get the player close to where you guess the ball will be, and the right thumb works the A and B buttons for long and low, or short and high, shots respectively. Power-ups send Slices, Smashes and Topspins. Each volley is followed by a replay, which is irritating after a while, but can be interrupted.

At first glance this is a very sophisticated paddle game and I wondered at the kids' enthusiasm in playing it. They like the variety - of player and opponent character combinations, courts, special techniques, singles and doubles games, and different forms of tournament - and of course enjoy the antics of the familiar Mario characters. And kids who struggle through homework memorization seem to have no trouble picking up all the game complexities, such as player skills and ball speeds on different courts. When my son explained them to me, it was like listening to an Olympics commentator.

Some of the highlights for the kids were the Piranha plants that spit out balls in the Piranha Challenge; the Ring-Shot Challenge where the objective is to shoot a certain number of balls through octagonal rings; the Bowser Cup played on a shifting, sliding court suspended from chains; and the flashing effects that come with special shots and power-ups. They also enjoyed developing a character through single player tournaments to win the Star Cup. This is difficult but worthwhile as starred characters have increased abilities, which allow them to take on tougher opponents. And of course there is the challenge of unlocking the hidden characters and courts.

Mario Tennis is another fun and non-violent multiplayer game from Nintendo, great for rainy day indoor play. I especially like the fact that games like this and Mario Party can be played cooperatively. Kids have to discuss their relative roles (net or back court) and there is enthusiastic dialogue about the plays. They enjoy themselves and get along. It is an easy game to get going with (the character simply has to be near the ball to hit it) but there is also scope for more sophisticated control of the shots. And if they aren't getting physical exercise, at least they absorb the language and rules of tennis.

This is another good addition to parents' choices for cooperative, non-violent console play.