Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)
- This article is about the game Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. For the Game Boy Color game of the same name, see Mario Tennis (Game Boy Color). For the series as a whole, see Mario Tennis (series).
| Mario Tennis | |||||||||||||
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 For alternate box art, see the related gallery. | |||||||||||||
| Developer | Camelot | ||||||||||||
| Publisher | Nintendo | ||||||||||||
| Platforms | Nintendo 64, Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U), Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Classics | ||||||||||||
| Release dates | Nintendo 64: July 21, 2000[1] August 28, 2000[1] November 3, 2000[2] November 3, 2000[?]Virtual Console (Wii): June 18, 2010[2] June 18, 2010[?] June 28, 2010[3] August 31, 2010[4]Virtual Console (Wii U) (full release): July 9, 2015[5] December 17, 2015[2] December 18, 2015[?] July 20, 2016[6]Virtual Console (Wii U) (Promotional Release): November 20, 2015[7] November 21, 2015[?]Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Classics: October 25, 2021[8] October 26, 2021[9] October 26, 2021[10] October 26, 2021[11] October 26, 2021[12] October 26, 2021[13] | ||||||||||||
| Languages | English Japanese | ||||||||||||
| Genre | Tennis | ||||||||||||
| Ratings |
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| Modes | Single player, multiplayer | ||||||||||||
| Format | Nintendo 64:
 Game PakWii:  Digital downloadWii U: Digital downloadNintendo Switch: Digital download | ||||||||||||
| Input | Nintendo 64: Wii: Wii U: Nintendo Switch:  Joy-Con (horizontal) | ||||||||||||
| Serial code | NUS-NM8J-JPN | ||||||||||||
- Everyone
- Three years and older
- Three years and older
- All ages
- All ages
- General
- “Mario & friends serve up another ace!”
- —Tagline
Mario Tennis, known in Japan as Mario Tennis 64, is a Nintendo 64 sports video game. It features Mario and his friends playing tennis, and it is the first direct installment in the Mario Tennis series and the follow-up to Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. This game introduced the character Waluigi as a rival of Luigi, as well as re-introducing Princess Daisy and Birdo into the Super Mario franchise. It is compatible with its Game Boy Color counterpart via Transfer Pak.
The game was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in 2010 and the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2015, and it was released on Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Classics in October 2021.
Opening cutscene[edit]
The game begins with the launch of the Mario Star Tournament. Mario and a prominent cast of characters (including some newcomers like Princess Daisy and Birdo) walk out onto the field, where it switches to a walk-through of more playable characters, and a quick zoom in on two shadowed figures. Eventually, the tournament is started and characters are matched up. Mario defeats DK, Yoshi defeats Daisy, Princess Peach defeats Birdo, and Luigi defeats Paratroopa. In the semi-finals, Mario defeats Yoshi and Luigi defeats Peach.
The finals starts with Mario and Luigi beginning their match by looking for the tennis ball, when suddenly Wario and his new side-kick Waluigi bust in to challenge them. As Waluigi enjoys his new introduction, Luigi exclaims he is not impressed with this new character. Waluigi, now angered, challenges Luigi. Mario tries to calm the two down when Wario confronts him. The four are about to have-it-out, when a gloaming spot-light shines down upon them.
As Toad (who is the announcer) points and shouts, "What's that?!", Bowser and the hovering Boo fall onto the court below, knocking Wario and Waluigi backwards. Everyone appears disgusted that Bowser would try to ruin a tennis match. To everyone's surprise, the pair announce they have come to play a friendly game of tennis. As everyone is baffled, Mario breaks the silence by exclaiming, "Let's all play!". As Peach and Daisy look to each other and agree, everyone, including Wario and Waluigi, follow suit. Out of nowhere, a Bob-omb makes its way onto the field. Without time to act, everyone is caught in the blast, and the game begins.
Gameplay[edit]
Controls[edit]
This section is a stub. Please consider expanding it to include any missing information. Specifics: Missing controls for the Wii and Wii U releases
- Menus
| Action | Nintendo 64 controller | Dual Joy-Con Pro Controller |
Joy-Con (horizontal) |
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| Select option | 
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| Confirm selection | 
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| Cancel selection Return to previous menu |
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| Make character left-handed |  / 
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- Tennis matches
| Action | Nintendo 64 controller | Dual Joy-Con Pro Controller |
Joy-Con (horizontal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move character Control shot direction |
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| Top Spin Shot |
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| Slice Spin Shot |
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| Cancel charged shot |
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| Pause game | 
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+ (left Joy-Con) + (right Joy-Con)
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| Use item (Bowser Stage only) | 
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Serving[edit]
A serve begins each point in a game. Players alternate serving with ever game. To serve, the player must press either or , then or while aiming with the control stick. The right timing can result in a "Nice" serve, which is a bit more powerful and quicker than a normal serve. If the player double taps , they will hit a topspin serve. Double tapping serves a slice and holding and serves a smash.
If the player fails to hit the box during an opening serve, the player gets a fault and must serve again. Getting another is called a "double fault" and causes the server to lose the point.
Types of shots[edit]
Different shots can be executed by pressing specific combinations of the and buttons, and can be aimed with the control stick.
| Shot | Input | Description |
|---|---|---|
 Top Spin |
→
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The top spin is a basic shot with a high arch to it. By double tapping the button, the shot becomes more powerful and an orange trail is added to it.
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 Slice |
→
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A Slice shot has a lower trajectory and less of a bounce off the surface of the court. By double tapping the button, the shot gains an even lower trajectory and a blue trail behind it.
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 Lob |
→
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The lob shot has an even higher arc than a top spin. The lob is especially effective against weaker, quicker players who come to the net. When a player lobs a shot, a star-shaped smash point will appear where the ball will fall. |
 Drop Shot |
→
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The drop shot is a weak shot with a low trajectory that drops the ball very close to the net. If an opponent is deep on the back court when the player performs the maneuver, they will have to sprint forward to make a play on the ball, which often leads to mis-hits. |
 Smash Shot |
+ (together) |
The flat smash shot is very fast shot accompanied by a pink sparks coming out of the racket and by a unique sound effect while receiving. It is especially effective when used at the net. If a player executes a lob shot or returns the ball weakly, a star-shaped smash point will appear on the court. If a smash shot is executed while over one, it becomes an even more powerful smash shot and gains a pink trail. |
Charge[edit]
To charge a shot, the player must press and hold either , or both, indicated by sparks appearing around the player. A charge-up shot is more powerful and easier to control. While charging, the character will automatically hit the ball if it is within reach, leaping if needed. However, the player will also move slowly while charging, unless they are a "Tricky" character. It is possible to cancel charging if they misaligned the shot by pressing .
Charging stances[edit]
Depending on both the position and the trajectory of the ball when a charge is started, the character will assume one of three stances while charging the shot, influencing both the leaps that the character is able to make to reach the ball, the speed and preferred direction of the following shot and, in the case of Flat Shots, the actual type of shot.
| Shot type | Right-handed stance | Left-handed stance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forehand | 
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The character prepares to execute a forehand shot, resulting in a shot skewed toward the side of the non-dominant hand. If needed, while assuming this stance the character is also able to leap in the direction of the dominant hand to reach the ball. |
| Backhand | 
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The character prepares to execute a backhand shot, resulting in a shot skewed toward the side of the dominant hand. If needed, while assuming this stance the character is also able to leap in the direction of the non-dominant hand to reach the ball. |
| Overhead | 
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The character prepares to hit the ball with a forehand shot with the racket above the head. This is the only stance that allows vertical leaps to reach balls flying above the head of the character, as well as allowing leaps both vertically and to either direction. |
Doubles[edit]
In Doubles matches, the side areas of the court, known as the doubles alleys, are used, whereas in singles ball the alleys are treated as out of play. When receiving a service, only the player towards the back of the court is allowed to return it. If the player closer to the court returns it, they lose the point.
Game modes[edit]
In addition to the straight tennis matches offered in Mario Tennis, several special play modes are also available which are playable both individually or with another CPU or Player. These modes offer a variety of different matches and minigames that differ from standard tennis, or pre-created tournaments.
Exhibition[edit]
The exhibition mode offers the player a match in which they can customize their match. They may choose to either play singles or doubles, the length of the match (in number of required sets and games to win a match), the difficulty of the opponent, and the court that they play on. The player can choose five different difficulties, which are Novice, Intermediate, Expert, Pro, and Ace. The player can also choose who their opponent or partner is.
Once the players have selected the number of games they like to play, an opponent is determined, if playing a one-player contest. The difficulty of the opponent can be adjusted too.
- Novice: Easy difficulty, Triangle marks
- Intermediate: Normal difficulty, Circle marks
- Expert: Hard difficulty, Circle with dot marks
- Pro: Intense difficulty, Star marks
- Ace: MAX difficulty, same as Pro. (Unlocked by beating every cup in singles, including the Star Tournament, by every player except the GBC characters)
After the players' foe has been determined, they must select a court to compete on. If they have unlocked any of the special courts, the courts are displayed here.
Tournament[edit]
Mushroom Cup[edit]
The first tournament in the game, the Mushroom Cup a standard, basic tournament with easier than average opponents. The opponents are slower and relatively unskilled. The Mushroom Cup takes place on the Hard Court.
- First Round: 1 Set Match (Novice)
- Second Round: 1 Set Match (Novice)
- Final Round: 3 Set Match (Intermediate)
Flower Cup[edit]
Held on the Clay Court, the Flower Cup showcases slightly harder opponents on a harder court than the previous cup. However, the opposition are still not much of a challenge to experienced players.
- First Round: 1 Set Match (Novice)
- Second Round: 1 Set Match (Intermediate)
- Final Round: 3 Set Match (Intermediate)
Star Cup[edit]
The Star Cup is the hardest cup of the normal tournaments. The opponents in this cup offer a harder challenge to the player. The court played on is the Grass Court.
- First Round: 1 Set Match (Intermediate)
- Second Round: 1 Set Match (Expert)
- Final Round: 3 Set Match (Expert)
Special Tournaments[edit]
There are three more tournaments available in Mario Tennis, which need to be unlocked. To access the Rainbow, Moonlight and Planet Cups, the player needs to win all cups in singles with all 16 characters. Once done, the player must "star" a character by pressing and holding the shoulder button while selecting a player. This allows the player to participate in the Rainbow Cup. The player has to beat the Rainbow Cup to get to the Moonlight Cup, and win the Moonlight Cup to get to the Planet Cup. Beating all singles special cups with all 16 characters will unlock the Ace difficulty mode for computer players.
Rainbow Cup[edit]
The Rainbow Cup is a slight bit more of a challenge than the Mushroom Cup, yet still not very hard. The only significant difference between this and the Mushroom Cup is strength of the serve. Players here also deal a bit more power with their shots. The Rainbow Cup takes place on the Hard Court, much like the Mushroom Cup.
- First Round: 1 Set Match (Intermediate)
- Second Round: 1 Set Match (Intermediate)
- Final Round: 3 Set Match (Expert)
Moonlight Cup[edit]
The Moonlight Cup is a similar to the Flower Cup, except in number of games played. Held on the Clay Court yet again, the Moonlight Cup’s second round is a 3 Set Match, and its final round is a longer 5 Set contest.
- First Round: 1 Set Match (Intermediate)
- Second Round: 3 Set Match (Expert)
- Final Round: 5 Set Match (Expert)
Planet Cup[edit]
The competition level here is the same as that of the Star Cup, albeit much longer in the term of games. Every match leading to the final is a three set match. The final match of the entire game is five sets long, much like the Moonlight Cup's final match. The Planet Cup takes place on the Grass Court, like the Star Cup.
- First Round: 3 Set Match (Expert)
- Second Round: 3 Set Match (Expert)
- Final Round: 5 Set Match (Ace)
Ring Shot[edit]
- Main article: Ring Shot
The Ring Shot mode involves players attempting to hit a certain number of rings, while playing against an opponent. Four different Ring Shot challenges are available:
- Game: "Clear the set number of rings before the game ends."
- Time: "Clear the set number of rings before time runs out."
- Ball: "Continue a rally to clear the set number of rings."
- Points: "Clear rings for points within the time limit."
Bowser Stage[edit]
Bowser Stage takes place on a floating court suspended by chains above a lake of lava. This game is a nod to the Mario Kart series, where the player can collect and use power-ups against the player's opponent. The court pitches and shifts throughout the match, and the player will have to contend with the weird gravity as a result. Running up it will take the player more time, and the down slope will pull them down toward the lava. The ball also reacts differently to the surface angle.
The other major difference between this and normal tennis are the power-ups that are collected and used. They hover near the center of the net in glowing cubes (similar to the Mario Kart games) and become useable when a player sends a ball through one. The power-up then appears in the corner of the screen and can be used by pressing the button.
Power-ups[edit]
- Banana Peel: When the player uses this power-up, a banana peel attaches itself to the ball, then deposited on the court when the ball bounces. This puts a potential slipping spot on the court, forcing the players opponent to play around the peel, lest they slip and fall. However, if the ball does not hit the ground, but is volleyed, the banana has the potential to be placed on the other side of the court.
- Mushroom: Using one of these mushrooms grants the player faster speed.
- Lightning Bolt: When used, a bolt of lightning strikes the opponent, rendering them temporarily dazed.
- Star: Power is increased by the player using a Star. The shots will gain more power and be hard to return if well-placed. Other power-ups can be used with the Star.
- Koopa Shell (Green): The next shot after using this power-up will be followed by a trio of shells, which will temporarily stun the opponent.
- Koopa Shell (Red): This power-up sends out a homing shell that seeks out the opponent and knocks them over for a moment.
Piranha Challenge[edit]
The Piranha Challenge pits the player against four opponents: one Mario team player and three Piranha Plants. The three plants spit fifty balls randomly, and the object is to return them past the net camper and out of play. The Mario team player stays mostly in the center of the net. If the ball somehow does make its way to the center player, the center player returns it, and it will not count towards the score. There are four courts for the challenge: Hard, Clay, Grass or Composition.
Special Games[edit]
Special Games is a special mode including Short Game, Tiebreaker, Ring Tournament, and Demo Mode.
Short Game/Tiebreaker[edit]
Short Game is a multiplayer mode where the first side to score 5 points (with no two point requirement) wins the match. Tiebreaker is equivalent to Short Game, except it goes up to 7 points and players must win by two points. Short Game and Tiebreaker are only for two players for a Singles Match and four players for a Doubles match, with no AI opponents.
Both modes are the only situations two players can be the same character. The second player to select said character will have an alternate palette swap of the character. For example, if both players pick Mario, the second player to select him will have Mario in his Fire Mario outfit.
Ring Tournament[edit]
Ring Tournament is a Special Game challenge mode and service for players per copy of the game to have their high scores depending upon how many rings they each collected submitted to the leaderboard with the players' entered names to the Mario Tennis website. Before playing, the player was required to enter a code for each of the special cups, including character-based ones. The codes came from the former official N64 game website for that game which ran from 2000–2004, and would change from time to time. The service ended in 2004 after the game's sequels Mario Power Tennis and later Mario Tennis Open replaced it for that URL. This Special Game mode remains visible in the Wii Virtual Console, but it cannot be selected because the cursor skips over it.
In Wii U Virtual Console re-release, Ring Tournament was fully implemented again.
- Codes
| Code | Tournament | Type | Player(s) | Opponent(s) | Court | Time/Balls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48HWOR482 | MarioTennis.com Cup | Doubles Points |  
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Grass Court | 03:00.00 |
| V2UFMPUZM | IGN64 Tennis Cup | Singles Points |
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Clay Court | 05:00.00 |
| MM55MQMMJ | Donkey Kong Cup | Singles Ball | 
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Open Court | Three balls |
| M1C2YQM1W | Luigi Cup | Singles Time | 
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Grass Court | 05:00.00 |
| UOUFMPUOM | Wario Cup | Doubles Game | 
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Clay Court | |
| LA98JRLAR | Waluigi Cup | Doubles Time |
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Composition Court | 03:00.00 |
| OF9XFQOFR | Peach Cup | Doubles Ball |  
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Hard Court | One ball |
| J6M9PQJ6U | Nintendo Power Cup | Singles Time |
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Clay Court | 03:00.00 |
| ARM6JQARU | Blockbuster Cup | Singles Time | Player choice |
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Hard Court | 05:00.00 |
| N24K8QN2P | Bowser Cup | Singles Points |
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Clay Court | 05:00.00 |
| A3W5KQA3C | Mario Cup | Singles Game |
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Hard Court |
Demo Mode[edit]
In this mode, all of the characters in the Singles Match and/or Doubles Match are computer-controlled, allowing the players to watch the matches as if they were watching a sports event. However, the skill levels for each character cannot be chosen, therefore it is decided randomly which character or team will win the match.
Records[edit]
After beating an opponent in exhibition or winning a cup, results and trophies are recorded on the Results Screen. Beating an opponent in exhibition mode will result in a shape being placed on a grid, indicating that the player has beaten that opponent. Different shapes mean different difficulties, with a triangle being "Novice" and a star being "Pro".
Characters[edit]
Participants[edit]
The game features a total of 20 playable characters. Of these characters, 14 characters are available from the start, 2 characters are unlockable through playing the Nintendo 64 game, and 4 characters can be transferred from the Game Boy Color version of Mario Tennis. Waluigi, Daisy, Birdo, Paratroopa, Boo, and Shyguy make their playable debuts, with Waluigi also making his first appearance overall. Short Game and Tiebreaker are the only modes that can be played with the same characters. When two of the same character is selected, the second player to select said character will have an alternate palette swap of them. All of the returning cast from Mario Golf retains a returning palette from that game. Alex, Nina, Harry, and Kate are not playable in the Virtual Console and Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Classics versions of the game due to the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch lacking an equivalent to the Nintendo 64/Game Boy Color Transfer Pak.
Aside from the transferable characters, characters are divided into 5 different play styles:
| Character | Type | Instruction booklet description | Unlock criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
 Mario |
All-Around | "His fancy footwork lets him cover the court easily." | Available from the start |
 Wario |
Power | "Watch out for his forceful baseline stroke." | Available from the start |
 Luigi |
All-Around | "His height lets him hit even the balls that look like they're out of reach." | Available from the start |
 Waluigi |
Technique | "His long arms and legs let him return any type of shot." | Available from the start |
 Peach |
Technique | "She can blast the ball right down the line." | Available from the start |
 Daisy |
Technique | "She rarely misses when playing close to the net." | Available from the start |
 Baby Mario |
Speed | "His small size lets him zip all over the court." | Available from the start |
 Toad |
Technique | "His speed gives him more time to plan his shots." | Available from the start |
 Yoshi |
Speed | "Not only is he fast, but also he's pretty accurate, too." | Available from the start |
 Birdo |
Speed | "Her speed lets her move around the court with ease." | Available from the start |
 DK |
Power | "He can return even high balls with incredible force." | Available from the start |
 Bowser |
Power | "His impressive serve may be too strong to handle." | Available from the start |
 Paratroopa |
Tricky | "With his ability to react quickly to any type of shot, he can return the ball anywhere he wants." | Available from the start |
 Boo |
Tricky | "He uses his spin shot to manipulate the ball however he likes." | Available from the start |
 DK Jr. |
Power | - | Winning the Star Cup in doubles |
 Shyguy |
Technique | - | Winning the Star Cup in singles |
Transfer Pak[edit]
Non-playable characters[edit]
Doubles partners in tournament mode[edit]
| Player | CPU Partner |
|---|---|
| Mario | Luigi |
| Luigi | Daisy |
| Wario | Waluigi |
| Waluigi | Paratroopa |
| Peach | Mario |
| Daisy | Birdo |
| Baby Mario | DK |
| Toad | Peach |
| Yoshi | Baby Mario |
| Birdo | Yoshi |
| DK | Toad |
| Bowser | Boo |
| Paratroopa | Bowser |
| Boo | Wario |
| DK Jr. | DK |
| Shyguy | Bowser |
| Alex | Harry |
| Harry | Alex |
| Nina | Kate |
| Kate | Nina |
Courts[edit]
There are 18 courts available in the game, with five being unlocked by default, seven by playing through the game's various modes, and six by connecting the game to the Game Boy Color version of Mario Tennis. Each court can be selected for Exhibition matches once unlocked. Like with the characters, the courts which require the Game Boy Color version of Mario Tennis cannot be unlocked in the Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online releases.
| Court | Ball Speed | Bounce | Notes | Unlock criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Open Court |
Normal | Normal | Only available during Special games. | Available from the start |
 Hard Court |
Normal | Strong | The surface used in the Hard Court yields a higher bounce than other courts. | Available from the start |
 Clay Court |
Slow | Weak | The clay court makes players move much more idly. | Available from the start |
 Grass Court |
Fast | Weak | The grass court yields a lot of low, fast shots. | Available from the start |
 Composition Court |
Very Fast | Normal | Not available in any tournament, the composition court is a super-fast surface. | Available from the start |
 Mario Bros. Court |
Fast | Weak | The Mario Bros. Court has a picture of the famous plumbers emblazoned upon it. This surface slightly favors All Around players. | Win the Mushroom Cup with Mario in singles. |
 Baby Mario & Yoshi Court |
Very Fast | Weak | The Baby Mario and Yoshi Court goes well with speedy players. | Win the Mushroom Cup with Yoshi in singles. |
 Donkey Kong Court |
Fast | Very Strong | The court has a super-quick ball and ultra-bouncy surface. This favors power players. | Win the Mushroom Cup with Donkey Kong in singles. |
 Mario & Luigi Court |
Fast | Normal | A zippy surface, the Mario and Luigi court is great for a fast-paced match among friends. Power and all-around players will thrive. | Win the Star Cup with Mario in doubles. |
 Wario & Waluigi Court |
Slow | Very Strong | The ball is slow but bouncy. This benefits taller and quicker players. | Win the Star Cup with Wario in doubles. |
 Birdo & Yoshi Court |
Slow | Strong | Slow, but bouncy. This court favors tall and fast players. (Uses same background as Baby Mario & Yoshi court) | Win the Star Cup with Birdo in doubles. |
 Super Mario Court |
Normal | Strong | A court in the sky that features a picture of Mario. (Uses same background as Mario Bros. court) | Win round three of the GBC Mario Tennis minigame Boo Blast, and complete every challenge listed in the Clear Status menu. Then transfer the data through a Transfer Pak. |
 Peach Court |
Normal | Normal | A secret court built inside Peach's Castle. (Uses same background as Mario & Luigi court) | Win round three of the GBC Mario Tennis minigame Peach Perfect Shot, and complete every challenge listed in the Clear Status menu. Then transfer the data through a Transfer Pak. |
 Yoshi Court |
Fast | Strong | A court located on Yoshi's Island. (Uses same background as Baby Mario & Yoshi court) | Win round three of the GBC Mario Tennis minigame, Fruit Fantasy. Then transfer the data through a Transfer Pak. |
 Wario Court |
Slow | Weak | Wario built this mysterious court. (Uses same background as Wario & Waluigi court) | Win round three of the GBC Mario Tennis minigame, Treasure Box. Then transfer the data through a Transfer Pak. |
 Waluigi Court |
Very Fast | Very Strong | Waluigi customized this court himself. (Uses same background as Wario & Waluigi court) | Win round three of the GBC Mario Tennis minigame, Medallion Match. Then transfer the data through a Transfer Pak. |
 Bowser Court |
Normal | Very Strong | A court built on the shadowy world of secret courts. | Win round three of the GBC Mario Tennis minigame, Two-on-One. Then transfer the data through a Transfer Pak. |
 Piranha Court |
Normal | Normal | Only available in the Piranha Challenge. | Get a perfect score of 50 on the Piranha Challenge. |
Trophy celebrations[edit]
This is a list of all the trophy celebrations a player can get for winning a tournament with certain characters.
- Mario: Mario jumps around happily with the trophy until a pipe sprouts out of the platform. Wario emerges from the pipe, and takes the trophy before slowly descending into the pipe. Mario attempts to retrieve the trophy.
- Luigi: Luigi, trophy in hand, runs around in circles, but falls down, leaving the trophy on the ground. A nearby Lakitu takes the trophy while a disappointed Luigi stands and watches.
- Peach: The trophy levitates around Peach. She spins around with it, and reaches out to grab it.
- Baby Mario: Baby Mario attempts to drag the trophy, but can barely get it to budge. Seeing the issue, Yoshi walks in, puts the trophy in his mouth, and signals for him to get on. However, Baby Mario makes the mistake of Ground Pounding onto Yoshi, causing him to spit the trophy out.
- Yoshi: The trophy falls in front of Yoshi. He eats it and turns it into an egg. Yoshi turns around and, to his shock, sees he laid a golden egg.
- DK: DK beats his chest while holding the trophy up. However, seeing some bananas next to him, he throws the trophy away and goes after them instead.
- Paratroopa: Four other Koopa Troopas watch the Paratroopa juggle the trophy. He lands and catches the trophy and poses, while the Koopa Troopas applaud.
- DKJr.: DKJr. hops from leg to leg holding the trophy up. DK walks in, and DKJr. jumps into his arms and holds the trophy up.
- Wario: Wario, chanting to himself, runs around waiting for his trophy. He becomes bored and runs so fast that he falls off the platform. When he looks back at the platform, he sees that the trophy has fallen and looks at the camera.
- Waluigi: Waluigi is hopping around on the platform and talking about how happy he is. A disinterested Luigi watching Waluigi decides to walk away, causing Waluigi to growl in anger. Waluigi uses the same growl that Wario uses when he charges a shot or serves.
- Daisy: Daisy begins celebrating and thanking the crowd before stepping on the edge of the platform, losing her balance and falling off. She lands on her bottom and gives a slightly embarrassed look to the camera.
- Toad: Toad, after throwing the trophy in the air and catching it two times, attempts it a third time, only for it to fall on his head, causing bright red sparkles to fall everywhere. To Toad's surprise, the platform now has little mushrooms on it.
- Birdo: Birdo celebrates with her trophy, then puts it down to fire victory eggs. One of the eggs deflects off of something, causing it to head back to the platform and explode.
- Bowser: Boos can be seen circling the trophy, but Bowser drops down and gets rid of them with his fire breath. He takes a step forward, snatches the trophy, and holds it up for the crowd to see.
- Boo: Boo along with some Boo Buddies float along the platform. The Boo Buddies pick Boo up and throw him into the air, only to be confused when only the trophy comes down. It turns out Boo turned invisible, so he reappears, scaring the Boo Buddies.
- Shyguy: An excited Shyguy jumps around. A rotor comes out from him, turning him into Fly Guy, as he flies around.
- Alex: Alex steps onto the platform and Mario gives him the trophy, with Alex shaking hands with him afterwards. Peach, Luigi, and Mario applaud Alex as he thanks the audience and jumps triumphantly.
- Harry: Harry tries to pick up the trophy but it is too heavy. He lifts it only a short distance off the ground before grinning sheepishly.
- Nina: Nina and Kate share a hug and slap hands. Kate pinches Nina's cheeks before Peach and Daisy present the trophy, which Kate encourages Nina to accept.
- Kate: Kate happily shows off the trophy until Harry appears. Much to Kate's shock, Harry confesses an apparent love for her. With Kate unsure what to do, Nina tells her to reject him, which she does and leaves with Nina.
Version differences[edit]
The LodgeNet version removed four of the seven mode options on the main menu, leaving only 1 Player, Continue, and Settings left to be chosen. If an on-premises LodgeNet installation did not internally delete save data after the session, the game version itself would delete save data on the next startup, which is incorrectly claimed due to being "[...] corruption or damage."
Staff[edit]
- Main article: List of Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64) staff
The game was developed by Camelot, and as such, it shares most of its staff with the Game Boy Color counterpart and future Mario Tennis games. Shugo Takahashi and Hiroyuki Takahashi were the lead game designers, and Haruki Kodera was the director. The music was composed and arranged by Motoi Sakuraba.
Pre-release and unused content[edit]
Camelot suggested Goomba, Bullet Bill, and Whomp to be made playable, along with a potential bad counterpart to Peach in the vein of Wario and Waluigi, but these were all dismissed for varying reasons, such as Goomba and the Super Mario 64 Bullet Bill's lack of hands, and Whomp's rigid posture. The idea for a Wario-like rival for the princess was dismissed by Nintendo for not being cute enough. Birdo and Daisy were suggested by Nintendo in place of these characters.[14] Coincidentally, a「ワルピーチ」(Warupīchi, "Walpeach") previously appeared in the Kodansha adaptation of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, but it was Peach temporarily consumed by her minor mischievousness and not a separate character.[15] It was later revealed in a 2008 interview with Camelot vice president Shugo Takahashi that the real reason why a "warui" counterpart to Peach was rejected by Shigeru Miyamoto and other Nintendo staff was to avoid similarities to Doronjo and her lackeys, Tonzura and Boyacky (the latter of whom bears a striking resemblance to Waluigi), from the villainous Doronbo gang in the Yatterman anime series.[16] Designs for "Walpeach" were posted on Instagram by Fumihide Aoki in December 2023, having been proposed and rejected again for Mario Power Tennis.[17] Out of the four cut characters, Goomba would eventually make his playable debut in the series in Mario Tennis Fever.
Reception[edit]
In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of the game, the magazine gives it a Gold Award, meaning its average score among the three reviewers is a 9.0 or higher.[18] They praise the solid gameplay and the variety of game modes.
| Reviews | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release | Reviewer, Publication | Score | Comment |
| N64 | James Temperton, Cubed3 | 9/10 | "It really is that good. Stuff your Tim Henmans and your Andy Roddicks all we want to know about it Wario and Paratroopa! Superb depth in gameplay and a wonderful feel for how the game plays in real life make this title a privilege to play. Add to that a superbly evil multiplayer and controls so perfectly balanced that you glide about the court with style and you have the best sports game on the N64. We normally don't wax lyrical about something unless it is very special, and judging by our comments thus far this title is well worth your attentions. It'll be your own fault if you ignore it." |
| N64 | Joe Funk, Electronic Gaming Monthly | 8.5/10 | "With a lineage or games unmatched in quality. I held the highest expectations for MT. Maybe that's why I was ever so slightly disappointed with this latest Mario sports offering. MT is excellent, but doesn't define state of the art in its genre like Mario Golf did. While the graphics are as good and fluid as you can get on the N64 and the gameplay solid, the game suffers from what is perhaps an inescapable part of tennis games: playing on the top or bottom of the screen. While MT has different settings, all the Mario-style power-ups you'd imagine and some cool mini-games, the traditional tennis game is still the best part." |
| N64 | Marcel van Duyn, Nintendo Life | 8/10 | "With Mario Tennis, the portly plumber proves once again that he can make any sport more entertaining. The game later received a sequel on the GameCube and Wii, which, despite mostly being very similar, introduced some questionable gameplay elements that many did not particularly enjoy. If you were one of those people and would rather have a pure, unspoiled Mario Tennis experience, look no further: this is his best outing so far." |
| Aggregators | |||
| Compiler | Platform / Score | ||
| Metacritic | 91 | ||
| GameRankings | 87.32% | ||
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64).
DK and Baby Mario
Multimedia[edit]
- For the complete list of media files for this subject, see Multimedia:Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64).
 Mario Bros. Court - Plays on the Mario Bros. Court, the Mario & Luigi Court, and the Super Mario Court. It is an arrangement of "Ground BGM" from Super Mario Bros. | File info 0:30 |
| Baby Mario & Yoshi Court - Plays on the Baby Mario & Yoshi Court, the Birdo & Yoshi Court, and the Yoshi Court. It is an arrangement of "Yoshi's Song" from Yoshi's Story. | File info 0:29 |
| Donkey Kong Court - Plays on the Donkey Kong Court. It is an arrangement of "Opening" from Donkey Kong. | File info |
| Yoshi Trophy Ceremony - Plays during Yoshi's trophy ceremony. It is an arrangement of "Yoshi's Song" from Yoshi's Story. | File info 0:09 |
| Super Star - Plays after collecting a Super Star. An arrangement of "Invincibility BGM" from Super Mario Bros. | File info 0:27 |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | マリオテニス64[19] Mario Tenisu Rokujūyon |
Mario Tennis 64 | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 瑪利歐網球64[20] Mǎlì'ōu Wǎngqiú 64 (Mandarin) Máhleih'āu Móhngkàuh 64 (Cantonese) |
Mario Tennis 64 |
Notes[edit]
- If the player does not have any controllers plugged into the console, a scene is displayed featuring Luigi holding a Nintendo 64 controller and chasing Waluigi flying away with the console.
- In tiebreakers, the points number "0" is pronounced as "oh", whereas later Mario Tennis titles pronounce it as "zero".
- The Toad that appears in the main menu is the most detailed model of a Mario character in a Nintendo 64 game. At 1948 triangles, the model features more polygons than even a full set of characters in a doubles match.[21]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Super Smash Bros. Brawl Chronicle
- ^ a b c Mario Tennis | Nintendo 64 | Games | Nintendo UK. Nintendo UK (British English). Retrieved February 4, 2026. (Archived July 10, 2025, 22:47:23 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ June 28, 2010. Should Old Acquaintance Be (Half) Forgot?. Nintendo of America (American English). Archived July 5, 2010, 12:50:17 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ VC マリオテニス64. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Retrieved February 4, 2026. (Archived March 14, 2013, 13:57:05 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ Mario Tennis for Wii U - Nintendo Game Details. Nintendo of America. Archived December 14, 2020, 20:17:54 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ マリオテニス64 | Wii U | 任天堂. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Archived June 5, 2025, 06:39:33 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ October 22, 2015. Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for Wii U serves up mega multiplayer fun on November 20th. Nintendo UK (British English). Retrieved February 4, 2026. (Archived February 15, 2025, 22:51:33 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ Nintendo of America (September 23, 2021). Nintendo Direct - 9.23.2021 (21:00). YouTube (American English). Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- ^ Nintendo 公式チャンネル (September 24, 2021). https://youtu.be/MegZz4gKSPk?t=1142 Nintendo Direct 2021.9.24]. YouTube. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- ^ @NintendoEurope (September 23, 2021). Play a growing library of Nintendo 64 and SEGA Mega Drive games anytime, anywhere with #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack, a new membership launching in late October.. X (British English). Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- ^ @NintendoAUNZ (September 24, 2021). Play a growing library of Nintendo 64 and SEGA Mega Drive games anytime, anywhere with #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack, a new membership launching in late October.. Twitter (Australian English). Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- ^ October 15, 2021. 《集合啦！動物森友會》將於11月5日發布免費更新（Ver.2.0），以及發售付費新增內容《集合啦！動物森友會 快樂家樂園》。. Nintendo HK (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- ^ 「Nintendo Switch Online」을 더욱 즐겁게! 「Nintendo Switch Online + 추가 팩」이 10월 26일(화)부터 시작!. Nintendo Korea (Korean). Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- ^ October 28, 2000. あなたのギモン その１３. Camelot (Japanese). Archived December 9, 2000, 08:09:00 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ Kazuki, Motoyama. KC Deluxe vol. 20 - Super Mario Land 2: 6-tsu no Kinka 2. Page 108-109.
- ^ ワルイージ誕生秘話（2008年 9月号より） – Nintendo DREAM WEB. Nintendo DREAM WEB (Japanese). Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ yuzumpo (December 1, 2023). Instagram. Retrieved December 1, 2023.[dead link]
- ^ October 2000. Electronic Gaming Monthly issue 135. Page 180.
- ^ Japanese logo
- ^ 瑪利歐歷史｜超級瑪利歐兄弟 35週年｜任天堂. Nintendo HK (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ Supper Mario Broth (January 9, 2019). With 1948 triangles, the model for the Menu Toad in the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Tennis is one of the most complex character models on the system. In fact, a typical doubles match with four characters will be less hardware-intensive than simply rendering the Menu Toad.. X (English). Retrieved June 25, 2024.
External links[edit]
- Japanese website (Nintendo)
- Japanese website (Camelot)
- American English instruction booklet
- Japanese instruction booklet
| Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Playable characters | Default | Mario • Luigi • Princess Peach • Princess Daisy • Toad • Wario • Waluigi • Bowser • Donkey Kong • Yoshi • Birdo • Baby Mario • Koopa Paratroopa • Boo |
| Unlockable | Shy Guy • Donkey Kong Jr. | |
| Transfer | Alex • Nina • Harry • Kate | |
| Non-playable characters | Lakitu • Koopa Troopa • Bob-omb • Bob-omb Buddy • Piranha Plant | |
| Courts | Open Court • Hard Court • Clay Court • Grass Court • Composition Court • Mario Bros. Court • Baby Mario & Yoshi Court • Wario & Waluigi Court • Donkey Kong Court • Mario & Luigi Court • Birdo & Yoshi Court • Super Mario Court • Peach Court • Yoshi Court • Wario Court • Waluigi Court • Bowser Court • Piranha Court | |
| Cups | Mushroom Cup • Flower Cup • Star Cup • Rainbow Cup • Moonlight Cup • Planet Cup | |
| Miscellaneous | Gallery • Multimedia • Staff • Waluigi's Foot Fault | |
| Nintendo 64 games | |
|---|---|
| Super Mario franchise | Super Mario 64† (1996) • Mario Kart 64† (1996) • Mario no Photopi (1998) • Mario Party (1998) • Mario Golf (1999) • Mario Artist: Paint Studio* (1999) • Mario Party 2 (1999) • Mario Artist: Talent Studio* (2000) • Mario Artist: Communication Kit* (2000) • Mario Tennis (2000) • Paper Mario† (2000) • Mario Artist: Polygon Studio* (2000) • Mario Party 3 (2000) • Dr. Mario 64† (2001) |
| Donkey Kong franchise | Diddy Kong Racing (1997) • Donkey Kong 64 (1999) |
| Yoshi franchise | Yoshi's Story† (1997) |
| Crossovers | Super Smash Bros.† (1999) |
