Mario Tennis Critic Reviews

While its direct competition is the Dreamcast's "Virtua Tennis," those who pass up this one because of cutesy characters and backgrounds will miss out on one of the best games for the system, hands down.

But don't take it that lightly: it's cute good- looks and sense of humour don't detract at all from what is an exquisitely crafted game of tennis.

The gameplay is so addicting that you might just forget that there’s no chance of Venus Williams’ mini-skirt fluttering up in the wind.

The combination of tight control, classic characters, and an endlessly competitive gameplay balance makes Mario Tennis one of the best multiplayer sports games ever.

If you ever thought you'd see a fun Tennis game, this is certainly it, and probably one of the most fun games in any genre.

It's a game that's so amazing, if you don't own the system that plays it, you feel inclined to rectify the situation as soon as humanly possible.

Put simply, outstanding.

Lifelike tennis action with whimsical Mario Bros.-style flair that's insanely addictive and provides more fun than you could possibly imagine.

It must be understood that the 9 you see on the right in the Overall category of the review scores is a qualified 9. It's the highest possible 9 that can be given, mere micrometers away from a 10.

Like most games with "Mario" in the title, it's good stuff.

The title, which features more than 16 classic mascot characters and realistic tennis rules and physics, plus more bonus modes than you can shake a stick at and an unsurpassed multiplayer mode, is so difficult to put down that there really is no use in trying.

Yes that's right, the adrenaline WILL flow.

This is a game you'll probably keep coming back to periodically even as the years progress -- its simplicity and charm will likely ensure it a lasting place in your game library.

Call me evil, but there is nothing more satisfying then overhead-smashing a ball right into the cute noggin of either Baby Mario or Toad.

(The designers have) managed to balance strict tennis rules with forgiving arcade-style gameplay and have created a wonderfully solid release.

This is a surprisingly realistic simulation, and yet its overriding concern is to entertain. Which it does. In spades.