Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash

It's one we'll probably all pick up when it's cheap.



It's all good until the 22nd second of the trailer where it all goes a bit gimmicky. Plain old Mario Tennis - like on Game Boy Colour, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo 64 - is how it's best, and I hope that's what they go for with the Wii U version.

On a side note, does anyone else think that this feels old hat because of the sound effects? The character noises are lifted straight from the ten year old Mario Power Tennis, and it's not the first time they've been regurgitated too. The f**king cheek of that.

I'll probably pick this up on release. Love me some Mario Tennis, as long as it's not the mince 3DS version.

I liked Mario Power Tennis, so this one of the good parts of Ninty's E3 stream. It's Mario Tennis, innit - can't really go too wrong.

Hopefully have an option to disable the powerups and gimmicks.

I like Tennis as a sport and in video games, I was only tweeting about getting a new tennis game the other day during the French Open.

It's been a while since I've played MPT, but was there a way to disable the powerups in the main game or was that only in the exhibition/multiplayer mode?
Like Balladeer this will be a day one pick up for me. I've always loved the franchise, bar the 3DS version and this does look great.
In terms of the gimmicky powerups I'd be happy if you couldn't disable them but only able to use them once per match. There's bigger fish to fry with Nintendo franchises (like getting rid of those bloody bikes from Mario Kart...)

Yeah, I'm mega-excited for this - Mario Tennis is an old family favourite. I've got to admit that I also hope they make the power-ups optional - proably someone at Ninty thinks they need to make the game "more Mario-y", but actually the games have traditionally played a really good game of tennis (and thankfullly without Wii Sports' dodgy CPU-controlled positioning)

Solve My Maze wrote:

There's bigger fish to fry with Nintendo franchises (like getting rid of those bloody bikes from Mario Kart...)

Oh come on, they were fine following the Great Wheelie Cull of MK8.

I imagine you'll have to play the main game with power-ups on, but be able to turn them off for exhibition matches, like MPT. Still don't look as bad as that game's power shots, though.

I'm a-umming and a-aahing

DIGRESSION ALERT: Far easier to type than say!

about Ultra Smash. I actually enjoyed Mario Tennis Open ( ), despite it feeling underdeveloped. Hopefully there is enough content to make buying MT:US worthwhile.

It's a repeat of the New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis that gives me the fear; no joke, I considered that for the cr@p games thread. It's rotten.

They can't really go wrong with Mario Tennis, the mushroom thing is only a mode so there won't be any forced gimmicks I think, they just need to include more content than they did on Mario Tennis Open, as fun (also frustrating) as that was online it needed a lot more in the way of game modes.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

On a side note, does anyone else think that this feels old hat because of the sound effects? The character noises are lifted straight from the ten year old Mario Power Tennis, and it's not the first time they've been regurgitated too. The f**king cheek of that.

THIS! Noticed that immediately. I think Camelot have become a bit conservative these past two generations, and I worry this one has been rushed out like Mario Tennis: Open was. Could do with some HD Mario Golf right now, but if this has enough content I'll be onboard.

You did a proper TonyPang last night, didn't you Fronk? We'll have to rename it!

Can't say I noticed the sound-effects thing, although I do think they need to do some new stuff. I'd love an orchestral soundtrack, for one.

("Oh Balladeer, you always want an orchestral soundtrack." Yes, voice in my head, your point being?)

Balladeer wrote:

You did a proper TonyPang last night, didn't you Fronk? We'll have to rename it!

Can't say I noticed the sound-effects thing, although I do think they need to do some new stuff.  I'd love an orchestral soundtrack, for one.

("Oh Balladeer, you always want an orchestral soundtrack."  Yes, voice in my head, your point being?)

Haha! I like sitting down for a couple of hours of posting

I'd be up for a live/orchestrated soundtrack too, depending on which direction Sakuraba takes with the music. If it's going to sound like something out of Golden Sun again, then yes!

But part of me wants the unashamedly arcade-y music of Mario Tennis 64 to return, so I'd take "live" instrument recordings or live music over a traditional orchestra in that case.

Fair enough. It's not really a game that supports a sweeping orchestra (apart from in the opening cut-scene, natch). Recordings of real instruments as opposed to MIDI would be fine.

Actually, that's what I want the most in this game: a return to the bonkers opening cut-scenes and cup-winning scenes of MT and MPT. I still remember the horror on (I think) Luigi's face as Shy Guy's mask fell off in MPT.

Ohh Nintnedo this comes out the same day as Star Fox Zero, why again from them bringing stuff out at the same time.

It's an odd strategy, you're right! Hopefully they'll move one or other before the date.

I'll be buying both on day 1 anyway, but it's definitely a bit silly.

Maybe they think it's fine since one is a sports game you can dip in and out of?

Yeah, people will just buy two games. As sad as I am to say it, it's not like people are going to be buried under new WiiU releases...

To be honest, I don't think Nintendo have the guts to let this game shine with its own release date. New balls, please.

Yeah as strange as it sounds, it becomes more appealing when named alongside Starfox than on its own so clever strategy for me.

I played this during Nintendo's summer tour and it's very much what you'd expect really, a really solid game of tennis so the features will make or break this iteration, the mushroom thing is definitely just a throwaway gimmick, more so than the special moves were in Power Tennis.

Bah. Much though I disliked the game, I thought that MTO's colour shots were actually the best shake-up the series has had.

They make a welcome return, I'm a big fan of them too, love the roulette of guessing whether or not they'lol use that type of shot or not. It's more the single player that needs building than anything, as great as it is in multiplayer without all the extra modes MTO just felt a bit empty.

100% agree with that.  Some bonus modes would be welcomed, maybe not an RPG mode but definitely something more substantial for the lone player.

I'm very tempted to go play some MTO, actually.  It had a good game of tennis underneath the bare-bones presentation.