December 9, 2005 - Camelot has a knack of creating a full-fledged sports design on the console, and then, a mere few months later, mangaging to take all that work and shrink it down into an even more elaborate and deeper game experience for the handheld systems. Back on the 8-bit Game Boy Color the team put both Nintendo 64 Mario Golf and Mario Tennis games in fantastic portable forms, and Mario Tennis Power Tour caps off the same duo move from GameCube to Game Boy Advance. The sport of tennis may be much more twitch-based and fast-paced than golf, but the inherent nature of the design doesn't offer allow for the same amount of variety. Even with that said, just as Mario Golf took the award for the best GBA sports game last year, the same is totally going to Mario Tennis for 2005, no question.

For the console game experience, Camelot focuses on the sport in its presentation. The team simply cuts to the chase and throws the players right onto the field and court and starts them right into the action. When they work on the portable rendition, though, Camelot puts way more attention to the single player experience. It's not just about playing the sport in the handheld version, it's more about living it. So, while you're definitely going to get a full-fledged Mario Tennis experience on the Game Boy Advance, just like the studio's GBA Mario Golf this game is focused on the role-playing aspect of becoming the best of the tennis best. Which is honestly one of the only hard criticisms about Camelot's design: if you want to just jump in and play, this game doesn't make that easy. You'll have to wade through the game's several minute introduction before you'll even get a racket in your hands.

The RPG exploration part is clearly (but smartly) lifted out of the development team's gorgeous and very capable Golden Sun engine. It's not really an RPG title, though, more of a way to extend the experience for the single player; instead of jumping from one menu option to the next, players work their way through the environments finding competitions and challenges to take part in, and win or lose these competitions and challenges increase your character's potential with experience points that can be attached to attributes like power, serve, and spin. By the time you get to the end of the storyline, you'll be an unstoppable powerhouse on the court. That is, of course, if you were generous to your doubles partner and leveled that player up as well - it's not just a solo outing, you've got a second character to worry about. And much of the game is in its Doubles play.

The RPG also brings up some pretty inventive mini-game challenges that are meant to improve the player's skill on the court. Other games are simple, non-tennis related games that bring back some old-school flavor to reward players with some experience points. At the very least, these little challenges increase the replay and variety of Mario Tennis on the Game Boy Advance, and once they've been discovered in the single player adventure they can be enjoyed whenever.

Once out on the court, you'll easily find some of the finest, fastest, and most balanced tennis action ever seen on the handheld. It's a shame that Mario Tennis begins with Doubles play - the second player makes the game feel a little on the easy side since most of the court is covered by the AI partner. The AI is so tight on both sides of the net that many times the only way to score in Doubles is to slam the ball hard into their crotch - body shots are next to impossible to return, and the players will need to exploit the mechanic if they want to survive with two-on-two play.

The tennis engine is based entirely on the GameCube Mario Power Tennis design, which means the dual A-B button combination comes into play. Specific shots are "dialed in" using "Double A," "Double B", or "A-B," and "B-A" button actions. It's a control mechanic that was inspired by what Camelot did in Mario Golf, and in Mario Tennis is really does open up a whole slew of shot-placing strategies. The Power Shot, a set of outrageous moves specific to the character, is also in the Game Boy Advance rendition, and like the GameCube game players can simply opt to turn this extra element off. Honestly I recommend doing so - even though this game is supposed to be over-the-top Mario, sometimes this goes a little too far. It's fun for a bit, but Mario whipping out a gigantic hammer or Peach blow-kissing a shot to save it from going out is far too over-the-top for any real tennis fan.

Even while the adventure's in progress players can simply jump into a singles or doubles match, and if that's all you're really looking for in a tennis game, Mario Tennis has it. You just have to sift through the RPG introduction and save it to cartridge. Then, every time you boot up the game, Mario Tennis Power Tour thrusts you into the standard "select game" menu system where you can choose the standard match-ups with Mario and Crew, as well as any mini-game challenges you may have unlocked on the way. Of course, this is Camelot, so link cable and Wireless Adapter multiplayer is in this package, but surprisingly, it looks like connectivity was given the axe. Nintendo has gone on record stating that the link between the GameCube and GBA has been severed in Mario Tennis, and though we didn't test this for review, if this is the case that's a darn shame.

Closing Comments
Mario Tennis Power Tour does for tennis what Mario Golf Advance Tour did for its sport: It's the best representation of the sport on the handheld, and it offers up the same amount of depth and playability. Though I prefer the casual challenge of Mario Golf over this game, the fact remains that you won't find a better game of tennis on the handheld. Even without the RPG elements Mario Tennis Power Tour would have rocked our socks. But the extensive adventure mode really gives the portable experience far more legs than the console design.

Rating	Description
out of 10	click here for ratings guide
9.0	Presentation Though it's a little too deep for players who might just want to get a little tennis action in, the RPG element really explores a lot you can do with the sport.
9.0	Graphics Camelot's expertise is put to the test, and they once again pull off a fantastic looking GBA title using its existing and newly created engines.
8.5	Sound Music sounds a heck of a lot like recycled Mario Golf, and in turn Golden Sun tunes. Sounds great, but it feels like we've heard it before.
9.0	Gameplay Tennis doesn't really lend itself well to a whole variety of gameplay options, and yet Camelot takes it into all sorts of directions. The tennis action is fantastic alone, but the RPG extends it.
9.0	Lasting Appeal The RPG alone keep things going for several hours. But tennis is pretty timeless and pick-up-and-play. This one will last a good long while.
9.0 Outstanding	OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average)