GC Mario Tennis - New Import

The misfits of the Mario world swing once again in Nintendo's latest take on the sport of tennis. Players may choose from various members of the Mario family such as Mario and Luigi (all-around versatile players), Yoshi (the fleet footed one), Waluigi (awesome defense), Donkey Kong (power player, what else?), Boo (tricky serves and swerves), and other familiar faces. A number of theme courts may be selected to play on including Luigi's Mansion Court which appears to be haunted, Peach Dome Court - a girlishly painted design, DK Jungle Court, and a number of other colorful venues.    As expected of Nintendo's Gamecube offerings, Mario Tennis oozes with quality. The control is superb with the players running and swinging perfectly in response to one's joypad input. The tennis ball leaves a light trail as it is batted back and forth which makes it easy to spot during frenetic matches. Since Mario Tennis is a whimsical type of game, every character has special moves which enhance the game with a little bit of fantasy. Wario, for example, may pull out an extendable boxing glove which he uses to smash a volley while Waluigi does a tornado spin attack which sends the ball swerving across the court and causes anyone to hit it to whirl like a twister. While the hapless opponent is in the midst of spinning, Waluigi will have hit the ball again to win the match. Donkey Kong launches himself in a cannon and the mischievous Boo serves a gang of miniature ghosts along with the ball to confuse and befuddle players.    The visuals are hot, the gameplay is superb, and the sound is similarly very well done. The smacking pop of the ball as it hits each racket sounds off in sharp retort and like true tennis players, the Mario crew make utterances when returning serves. Donkey Kong grunts especially loud with each and every stroke while Bowser croaks out a little "Ack" with each swing. The light-hearted music blends in perfectly with the pastel colors to make Mario Tennis a feast for the eyes and ears. Kudos.