Mario Tennis Used to Be a JRPG, and I Miss Those Days

The Super Mario franchise is famous for being delightfully strange. Beyond the already unusual premise of an Italian plumber jumping on bizarre creatures to rescue a princess from a dragon-like villain, many Mario spin-off games feel like they were created with a random idea generator. It’s ironic, then, that some of the most unexpected Mario adventures involve surprisingly ordinary activities – like playing sports.

It seems typical for brothers to play tennis or baseball, but what happens when characters from the Mario universe join in? These games playfully imagine how Goombas would play baseball without arms, or why a golf course might have lava! While known as fun party games blending real sports with Mario’s world, there are also surprisingly engaging single-player story modes hidden within. Though not long-lived, the Mario Tennis and Mario Golf games developed by Camelot Software Planning for Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance are unique and memorable pieces of Mario history.

Mario Meets the Prince of Tennis

Sports games are usually best when played with friends, and Mario games really helped establish that idea. Starting with Mario Golf on the Nintendo 64, the Mario sports titles became a go-to choice for multiplayer fun when Mario Kart wasn’t available. While older Game Boy versions did offer multiplayer, it was tricky because each player needed their own system and game. Still, the Game Boy sold well, proving Nintendo that simple sports games like tennis and golf would be popular. Without easy multiplayer options, these games wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable. Even Pokemon had a good single-player mode to encourage sales to players without link cables. So, the developers, Camelot, decided to include a story mode in these Mario sports games as well.

The original Mario Tennis and Mario Golf games for handheld consoles were unique for two reasons: they let you build up your character’s stats like in a Japanese role-playing game, and the story didn’t follow Mario and his friends. Instead, you played as a talented young athlete attending an academy to become a top golfer or tennis player. You’d work your way up the ranks, and while Mario and the others were waiting to compete against the eventual champion, most of the game focused on a brand new cast of teenage characters.

The Game Boy Advance games, Mario Tennis: Power Tour and Mario Golf: Advance Tour, directly continue the stories from the original Game Boy titles, creating a connected experience. However, while charming, the Royal Tennis Academy and Marion Clubhouse feel more like they belong in a sports anime than a Mario game. There are a few nods to the Mario universe before the main character appears – the GBA versions included some sweet *Mariothemed minigames and courses – but it’s hard not to think Camelot might have been developing a separate game before Nintendo asked them to include the famous plumber.

The stories in this game aren’t very complex, and many of the new characters don’t play significant roles. In Mario Tennis, your doubles partner changes depending on your character’s gender, but they lack personality beyond their movements on the court. The characters from the older Game Boy Advance games are better developed, and their connections to previous versions make you feel more invested when they mention the few memorable characters from the original games.

These four games all feature straightforward stories about a newcomer working their way to the top in either tennis or golf. However, the games are visually appealing with well-designed characters and enjoyable conversations. They follow typical sports anime storylines, but with a touch of Mario’s charm. Ultimately, people don’t play sports games – or Mario games – for a complex story; they play for the gameplay.

Mario Sports Games Developed by Camelot! Software Planning

The Secret Third Mario RPG Series

The original Mario Golf and Mario Tennis games had decent stories for their single-player campaigns, but they really stood out thanks to the gameplay features added by the developers of Golden Sun. These games included a leveling and stat system where players could improve specific abilities after winning matches or completing challenges. Interestingly, if a stat wasn’t upgraded for a while, it would actually decrease over time. What’s impressive is how these stats realistically impacted gameplay, going beyond simple power or speed boosts.

If you’re new to tennis or golf, don’t worry – the games will teach you what you need to know. Both include helpful guides that explain the basics of each sport. This helps you pick the right equipment, like a racket or golf club, based on the playing surface – whether it’s the type of tennis court or the sand on a golf course.

Camelot put effort into making the sports games feel realistic, but they’re still clearly Mario games. Though you won’t see many familiar Mario characters until the end, the games are full of quirky fantasy elements in the minigames and overall design. Mario Tennis starts off fairly normal until after the main tournament, but Power Tour and the Golf games quickly establish themselves as taking place in the Mario universe through their stories and descriptions. The Game Boy Advance versions really embrace the Mario theme with their improved graphics, especially in the training minigames and course designs. Power Tour even adds special, over-the-top tennis moves – inspired by the Prince of Tennis series – that defy physics, adding a classic JRPG-style ‘limit break’ feel to the gameplay.

A Brilliant Idea… That Nintendo Has No Reason to Replicate

The new Mario Tennis Fever for Nintendo Switch has been well-received by critics, though many note the single-player experience isn’t very deep. Fans of the classic Mario Tennis and Mario Golf games on handheld systems might feel the same way. While the story modes are charming, the series has always been about multiplayer fun. With Wi-Fi making it easier to play against others, developers Camelot and Nintendo have rightly focused on that aspect. Even simpler games like Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash were enjoyable with friends. Since the core appeal of these games is playing with others, there isn’t much reason to invest in more complex single-player options.

The Royal Tennis Academy and Marion Clubhouse would still be happy to see new and occasional players. Ideally, a future Mario sports game would offer both robust single-player and multiplayer options. However, it’s unlikely these characters will return anytime soon. While Super Mario Odyssey surprised us with New Donk City and its human inhabitants, the Mario sports games prioritize the multiplayer experience. Both series have tried story modes, so even if they now focus on the main Mario characters, we might see those classic tennis and golf players make a brief appearance someday.

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2026-02-15 21:06