NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Technology

Game review: Mario Tennis Open

By Jess Nickelsen
Other·
27 May, 2012 05:30 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Goomba army gets a break from facing Mario's fireballs, but they're still on course for a balls-up. Photo / Supplied
The Goomba army gets a break from facing Mario's fireballs, but they're still on course for a balls-up. Photo / Supplied

The Goomba army gets a break from facing Mario's fireballs, but they're still on course for a balls-up. Photo / Supplied

Mario Tennis Open is the newest Mario tennis title from the Japanese game developer, Camelot. It lets you play as any one of the gang of Mario characters, and they each have specific strengths and weaknesses. If you'd prefer something more personalised, players can also use their 3DS Mii character.

Mario Tennis Open comes equipped with the game modes you would expect from the 3DS: singleplayer, local multiplayer, online multiplayer, and "Street Pass", which lets you engage in games with other Miis that you might encounter as you're wandering around with your 3DS. While I wasn't able to make use of the multiplayer options, which allow you to play against other 3DS-toting friends (only one of whom needs to own the game), there are still a bundle of options for those going solo.

First up is the tournament mode, where you play against a range of opponents in order to climb the ranks and win tournament cups. Getting through one tournament subsequently unlocks the next; there are four different tournaments that you can play through.

Exhibition mode lets you play against different characters on different courts, either in a singles or doubles game. Here you can choose your opponent, the skill level of the game, the court, and the number of sets and games you'll play, as well as the starting positions of each player.

The gameplay in these two game modes is pretty straightforward: manoeuvre your Mii to the right spot on the court, and then choose from a variety of different shots (helpfully referenced in the lower screen while you play). You can go for a lob, drop shot, slice, apply topspin to your shot, or hit it flat and hard. For players finding all the options a bit much, the x button will perform a 'simple shot', but of course you won't want to run around pressing just one button to hit the ball for long.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In addition to the different shot types, there are also two different view modes available. First up there's the standard three-quarter view, that takes in most of the court, and your opponent, from a reasonable distance above all of the action. If you want to get closer to the feel of the court, however, by lifting the 3DS up in front of you, Direct Mode is triggered.

In Direct Mode, you move the 3DS left and right to look around the court. When you hit your shots, they will be aimed in the direction that you're facing as well. In this mode, characters will automatically run in the direction of the ball, which can be useful for beginners who want to practice their different shot combinations, but ultimately means there is little challenge in playing in this mode for too long. (This is a shame; it would be good to have the option to turn the 'auto-run' behaviour off, so players could continue to enjoy the "at the net" experience, but with more of a challenging game.)

There is also a third option for solo players, called Special Games. This is a group of tennis mini-games, designed to mix things up a little and really let players utilise some skilled shot placement. In Ring Shot, you begin a standard rally, but while you play against your opponent you also are trying to hit various golden rings that appear over the net, and that are worth more and more points as they grow bigger. In Galaxy rally, you have to play a rally against the Luma, a floating star opponent, who also has a constantly changing court. In Ink Showdown, you play on a court where several Inky Piranha Plants have positioned themselves. They spit out great balls of ink that you have to hit back, or else your screen gets covered in ink splotches.

My favourite of the Special Games however, was the Super Mario Tennis game, where you repeatedly hit a ball against a wall, upon which a scrolling game of Super Mario Bros is playing. You get points for squashing Goombas and Koopas, as well as triggering mushrooms and collecting coins. For veterans of the classic Mario game, it is an interesting twist on the title.

Winning games (or even doing reasonably well) rewards players with coins that they can then use to buy new gear for their Mii in the Club Room. Some gear is obviously just decorative, while other items, like the Donkey Kong Wristbands, improve your character's power, spin, and movement on the court.

Discover more

Technology

Game review: Kid Icarus: Uprising

18 Apr 05:30 PM
Technology

Game review: Mortal Kombat Vita

16 May 07:00 PM
Technology

Game review: Fable Heroes

23 May 03:47 AM
Technology

Game review: Dragon's Dogma

23 May 05:30 PM

While Mario Tennis Open certainly has a lot going for it, including a good theme and the great production value we have all come to expect and enjoy from Mario games, there wasn't really enough to keep me riveted to the game for long periods of time. The music was too cutesy and grating for my liking (a complaint I have with many Nintendo sports games), and I would have liked the option to be able to turn it off, but keep the sound effects of the match. Still, I would rate it as a good go-to game to pick up for short periods, like the bus ride to work.

Just make sure your headphones are firmly plugged in first.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rating: 3.5/5
Platform: Nintendo 3DS

- NZGAMER.COM

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Technology

Premium
Business|companies

Tech Insider: UK tells retailers to use NZ’s Auror crime-fighting software

07 Jul 07:00 AM
Premium
World

Videos make pay day routines everybody’s business

06 Jul 07:00 PM
Premium
World

Influencing without influencers - firms get staffers to star in lo-fi content

06 Jul 07:00 PM

Audi offers a sporty spin on city driving with the A3 Sportback and S3 Sportback

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Car submerged in Christchurch river, fears people could be inside
Christchurch

Car submerged in Christchurch river, fears people could be inside

07 Jul 08:19 AM
The moment Erin Patterson knew her fate was sealed
World

The moment Erin Patterson knew her fate was sealed

07 Jul 08:17 AM
Health NZ board re-established by Government
New Zealand

Health NZ board re-established by Government

07 Jul 08:03 AM
'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child
New Zealand

'The man I once trusted violently raped me': Man jailed for attacking ex-wife next to sleeping child

07 Jul 08:00 AM
'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named
New Zealand

'Do it now, run him over'. Teen who ran over mother's partner twice can finally be named

07 Jul 07:00 AM

Latest from Technology

Premium
Tech Insider: UK tells retailers to use NZ’s Auror crime-fighting software

Tech Insider: UK tells retailers to use NZ’s Auror crime-fighting software

07 Jul 07:00 AM

PLUS: Medtech projected to earn $3.8b a year by 2028.

Premium
Videos make pay day routines everybody’s business

Videos make pay day routines everybody’s business

06 Jul 07:00 PM
Premium
Influencing without influencers - firms get staffers to star in lo-fi content

Influencing without influencers - firms get staffers to star in lo-fi content

06 Jul 07:00 PM
Premium
Silicon Valley to NZ: Kiwi Facebook Marketplace inventor is back home to give back

Silicon Valley to NZ: Kiwi Facebook Marketplace inventor is back home to give back

05 Jul 12:00 AM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search