Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe’s guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo’s download service. Written by Sam C Gittins

If you're a fan of Nintendo sports games then it's likely that you will enjoy this latest title. Anyway enough from me and on with the game!
 
Available for download this week we have...     

Mario Tennis

Price: GB £4.49, EU €4.99
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Camelot
Released: 2001
System: Game Boy Color

For those of you who might be put off - for some odd reason - by this sports title having 'Mario' at the front of it, I can assure you that it's more about the Tennis than anything else in particular because of the fact that Mario is actually noticably absent from the character roster at the start, as are other characters despite them being clearly depicted on the original box art; instead you may initially take to the court by selecting more original tennis player characters made specifically for the game. Jumping straight into a quick match will allow you to play a simple game of Tennis across a handful of available courts which is fine if you only happen to have a few minutes to spareat the time or perhaps you might feel like having a go at one of the limited mini-games which are available though you will probably want to wait until you've unlocked more characters first so you can play a decent selection of them, in order to do this though you'll need to play the games main attraction.

Mario Tour Mode lets you play as one of the more original Tennis rookie characters who have enlisted as students at the Royal Tennis Academy, you get to name your character in addition to choosing their gender plus a roommate for them, then after the introduction - and only then - you can then pick between training via various mini-games or just working your way through the ranks as you gradually beat every oponent on your way to the top. Because the game takes on a unique RPG style system in the way in which you progress it can be quite rewarding to tackle a load of challenges or beat an opponent earning yourself some points, these are in turn then applied to either your character or your roommate who becomes your partner when playing doubles; you get to choose from four categories including Control, Power, Speed and Spin so selecting which area is best for you is very much key to your success later on in the game, don't take the allocation of points lightly as it could be your undoing.

Owing to its near-perfect control scheme the improvements which you make to your character really do carry a pleasing amount of weight, newcomers can quite easily just pick up and play but if you really want to master the game in addition to exploring everything it has to offer then you'll really need to be on top form as there are many shots that are heavily reliant upon verious button combintations, your place on the court plus of course timing which is very much key so there is plenty of depth here too. Thankfully the A.I in the game doesn't ever feel cheap instead it's actually rather decent providing you with many challenging but at the same time enjoyable matches during the main mode, while being able to later unlock Mario & Co is definitely welcome it's not actually the main attraction here contrary to the games title; some might find the ommision of the original unlockable characters - obtainable back in the day by linking to the N64 version - plus the complete lack of multiplayer a step backward but in terms of providing a deep single player experience this offering at least betters Mario Tennis Open by a country mile.

Visually the presentation is vry nice indeed featuring a decent amount of detail from what seems to be a rather limited colour palette, the change of depth to the green of the court is a nice touch as is the simple but charming animation of each character within the game. The sound is pretty decent too featuring subtle sound effects incorporating just enough to improve the game but not too much so as to detract from it, accompanying chip-tunes always feel well placed naturally adding to the charm, serving to bring the whole experience together nicely.

If you found yourself being disappointed by the lack of depth in the single-player department that the latest 3DS entry demonstrated then you will most likely find Mario Tennis to be very satisfying indeed especially if you are particularly fond of classic Nintendo sports titles but aren't too fussed about the 'Mario' aspect. But if its multiplayer that you are after then just stick with Mario Tennis Open because for all of the titles faults you at least get value for money in that department, overall though it's clear to me that this virtual version of the much acclaimed GBC entry in the series is a clear winner indeed.        

Verdict : Game, Set and Match to Mario Tennis.

That's it for another installment of VC Weekly which will return again soon. So until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!