Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash

Didn't Mario Power Tennis on Gamecube have a Story mode, or am I completely imagining this?

Hmmm... I don't remember a particular story mode. I do seem to recall that, if you won a tournament, each character had their own "hillarious" cutscene, but I don't think that would constitute a story as such.

I really liked those cut-scenes! It was a reason for plugging through the tournament with every single character that MTO didn't have.

Reminded me of fighting games back in the day where you would do with them all to get all the endings, now that doesn't happen

There were plenty of things that MTO didn't do which it should have, I'm hoping it was maybe down to hardware limitations but I have a horrible feeling Ultra Smash will be a rush job with the bare bones treatment.

And preferably without Miis. Horribly imbalanced, they were.

I did like the whole Mii thing with the different stats and clothing but like Mario Kart they don't feel quite right so if they want to remove them (they won't) I'm fine with that.

Oh for crying out loud.  This is the second big game of recent times that Nintendo Life has put a spanner in (third if you count Zip Lash), and this is a big spanner.  No tournaments?  No minigames?  Just a shiter of a single-player mode?  You can stick that up your serving area.  Even Open had tournaments.

Not sure how much of a positive spin we can put on this one. Feels like it might get lobbed into the bargain bins before too long...

Acht. And I felt Mario Tennis Open was too lightweight and all. Still, Mario Tennis is getting it's Virtual Console release along this. Leave the memories alone, and all that.

Balladeer wrote:

Oh for crying out loud.  This is the second big game of recent times that Nintendo Life has put a spanner in (third if you count Zip Lash), and this is a big spanner.  No tournaments?  No minigames?  Just a shiter of a single-player mode?  You can stick that up your serving area.  Even Open had tournaments.

One of the best bits of Mario Power Tennis was its silly campaign and its minigames, like that one where you paint a picture of Mario's face by lobbing paint balls at it.  Shame to hear there's no equivalent in the new one.

Euch. (Although I will be mostly playing local multiplayer)

In this generation, we've tended to have to point out that Nintendo themselves are the reason that Everything Isn't Runied Forever. However, the last few releases gave felt a bit throwaway, as if Everything Actually Is Ruined Forever.

(I'm aware that is narrow-minded, simplistic and hypocritical, given the overwhelming positivity around Super Mario Maker. I'm just greedy   )

This news just reeks of the laziness I was originally expecting from this game, online and Amiibo support is great and all but Mario Tennis needs more to it, straight up Tennis is only fun for so long, quite glad I've not preordered this now.

The Amiibo support sounds surprisingly inspired, but everything else is disappointing.

Why Nintendo doesn't give Camelot the time they need to actually finish their games I do not know, but like a few other releases this year it really gives you the impression that these games are just rolling off an assembly line.

Big shame nonetheless -- the mechanics and visuals are superb, but it really just needs a lot more content. If I were Nintendo I'd have priced it at a lower RRP (I think it's $40 in North America, but that's still too much), and steadily added new content to the game on a weekly basis, which would keep people coming back for more.

It's too late for that now, though, but I'd have dug it.

What amiibo support is there, Fronk?

I've seen the game for £28 if you shop around.

Similar to Smash Bros Amiibo support in that you train up an AI character, interesting but I can't see myself giving it the justice it deserves.

fronkhead wrote:

Big shame nonetheless -- the mechanics and visuals are superb, but it really just needs a lot more content. If I were Nintendo I'd have priced it at a lower RRP (I think it's $40 in North America, but that's still too much), and steadily added new content to the game on a weekly basis, which would keep people coming back for more.

I'll echo this - it plays a good game of virtual tennis, but it's crippled by it's lack of imagination. Mario Power Tennis is fondly remembered because of all the crazy modes and extras on top of what was accepted as pretty much the single player norm: this genuinely has bugger all outwith of "Classic Tennis" and three straightforward, unexciting variations that ask to be played once and only once. I know this is what the previews warned but to be honest I just thought it was folk getting arsey. But it turns out they weren't wrong. It really lacks.

I shouldn't come home at five to four, put this into the Wii U disc drive at four and think 'hmm, I wish this had DLC' before it's quarter past. This needs attention, simple as.

Got this today and I've played for a whole 1 hour but now I'm like what do I do, do I go for the in game trophies & unlock the hidden characters but even after a hour it feels a bit of a chore & pointless.

Woof, sad to hear that there really isn't much to this.

When I switch my Wii U on, the Quick Menu has an advert for this. I don't know how they have the balls (pun not intended).

ZeroJones wrote:

When I switch my Wii U on, the Quick Menu has an advert for this. I don't know how they have the balls (pun not intended).

YOU DIRTY BASTARD.

~

It's very disappointing. The dearth of content kills it off - compared to even Wii Sport Club's Tennis, it's really ungenerous with what it offers. That game had some Skills Shaper minigames as well as the single player, multiplayer and online modes, and it's been free.

Camelot supported Mario Golf World Tour with extra DLC after that launched, so I'd like to think that there's hope for Ultra Smash. As it stands, it's a good game totally spoiled by the fact that it released nine months too soon into development.

If they had waited 9 months it could be a NX launch game

That Shigsy photo.'s got to be airbrushed, surely? Otherwise his skin is impossibly beautifully smooth.

Chibi-Robo(llocks).