Mario Tennis 64 is my favorite tennis game of all time. Underneath its giga-cute presentation is an extremely diverse game that's surprisingly realistic. The movement was certainly float-y, but the various ways you could hit the ball and the different angles you get with various positioning really impressed me. Plus, I just had a blast kicking the crap out of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and the gang with my powered-up Shy Guy. Mario Power Tennis builds on the groundwork laid down by its fantastic predecessor, but has a much different feel due to numerous additions that make it more of an arcade game and negate the sim aspects. It's great fun -- particularly multiplayer games -- for Cube gamers whether they're into the sport or not.

As I mentioned earlier, Mario Power Tennis takes the same basic game mechanics of the last game and builds on them. The amount of shots you can hit is really impressive; slice, topspin, flat, lob, and drop shots are all in there. Your position helps determine where you can hit the ball and can often make the difference between you winning or losing the point. The biggest addition to the game is power shots, hence the name of the game.

My main girl Daisy shows off her flower power.

Each character has an offensive and defensive power shot that can be utilized when their racket is glowing. The former helps you dictate the point and often results in an outright winner if used properly. The latter lets you reach balls you'd never be able to get to normally. The power shots are accompanied by a short yet elaborate cinematic that I found to be distracting initially, but got used to after a few hours of play. The cinematics are full of dazzling and comical effects that might make some players lose track of the action, but most will get used to it. The addition of power shots is one of two reasons the game feels very different from the original.

The gimmick courts are another great addition to the game and also change its feel. Accompanying the traditional hard, clay, and grass courts are a slew of themed courts that add a healthy dose of wackiness to the game. The Wario Factory Court has two sets of conveyer belts on each side. The net has directional arrows that change the direction of the conveyer belts. The Delfino Plaza court has three spots on each side and Piranha Plants shoot sludge on the spots. You can touch switches that wash the sludge away. These are just two examples of courts that add another factor to worry about in addition to hitting the ball well and winning the point. Overall, I really enjoyed the gimmick courts, particularly the Gooper Blooper Court and its moving panels.