FAQ / Guide - Guide for Mario Tennis

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A FAQ written and created by Paul Schlabach, a.k.a. sndgarden69 on 8/22/00
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/__//_/ ///_____/\__//_/// /_/  \/_____/____/_/ //   \ \/ / / /
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Thanks for checking out my FAQ.  If you liked Mario Golf, play this game.  
It features some of the same features that made it fun, and a better 
multiplayer mode.  This is my first FAQ, so don’t critique me too harshly.

Version History
8/22/00    V1.0-Created FAQ
8/24/00    V1.1-Created Title art and few minor corrections
8/25/00    V1.11-Fixed title art ‘cause of screwy spacing things
8/28/00    V1.2-Created players ranks and a team
8/31/00    V1.8-Added a few teams and courts and fixed small things
9/12/00    V2.2-Created numbered stats and teams and logos
10/2/00    V2.5-Added my logo and fixed minor things people have been 
griping about
11/7/00    V2.6-Added a few doubles teams after a major break-mostly for 
writing Fallout 2 FAQ
12/10/00  V2.99-Finished everything except whenever I find time to beat the 
star tournaments to confirm max difficulty cheat
12/29/00  VFinal-Finished everything in this thing!  I have freed myself 
from the shackles of the beast!

Contents
      I. Disclaimer
      II. How to Contact Me
      III. Modes of Play
      IV. Court Design
      V. Court Surfaces
      VI. Controls
      VII. Basic Strategies
      VIII. Tournaments
      IX. Bowser Stage Items
      X. Original Characters
      XI. Hidden Characters
      XII. Good Doubles Teams
      XIII. Ranking List
      XIV. Cheats
      XV. Special Thanks

**********
Disclaimer
**********
Do not attempt to copy or recreate this document for anything.  So far this 
FAQ has been posted on:
      www.gamefaqs.com
      www.cheatcc.com
      www.gameadvice.com (linked from gamewinners.com)
      www.gamingplanet.com
      www.cheatplanet.com
      www.cheatcity.com
      www.gamecenter.com
      www.mariotennisFAQ.homestead.com/index.html
If you see this on any other web sites, let me know, and it will be greatly 
appreciated.  This FAQ is copyright 2000 by Paul Schlabach.

How to Contact Me
Please e-mail your constructive criticism, corrections (yes, even I can be 
wrong from time to time!) and/or suggestions to [email protected].  If 
I include something from you in this FAQ, it will be noted at the bottom.  
Please put a subject name on it and I will respond as fast as I can.
Also, I would like to present this one quote to you: ‘great guide it helped 
me at this game when I rented it I liked it so much I am gonna buy the game 
thanks 4 making such a wicked guide!’  (By the way, this was emailed to me 
from [email protected].  Thanks!)  I was just pointing that out because all 
good emails that aren’t about corrections or problems should be like that.  
Time for the FAQ!

*************
Modes of Play
*************
There are a couple different modes of play in Mario Tennis, all of which I 
will explain.

Singles Matches- A one on one match between you and your opponent.

Doubles Matches- A two on two match between 2 teams of players.

Tournaments- There are three tournaments available when you start the game.  
You proceed through the rankings, in either doubles or singles matches.  If 
you win, you get a trophy and move on to the next highest tournament.

Piranha Challenge- Several piranha plants spit balls at you and you must hit 
them past your rival more often than the plants spit them past you.

Ring Shot- While volleying with your opponent, you must hit the ball through 
target rings and win the point to get credit for the rings.

Bowser Stage- While playing on Bowser’s court, aim for the power-up boxes 
which can be used by hitting R.  These items can stun your opponent, which 
usually wins a point.  However, the court also tips where the most weight is 
located, so don’t run too far.

************
Court Design
************

  _________________
  | |  4  |  4  | |
  | |<5   |<3 5>| |
  | |_____|_____| |
6>| |  1  |  1  | |<6
  | |     |     | |
  | |     |     | |
  |_|_____|_____|_|
  | |  2  |  2  | |
  | |     |     | |
  | |     |     | |
6>| |_____|_____| |<6
  | |  1  |  1  | |
  | |<5   |<3 5>| |
  |_|_____|_____|_|
     4     4
NOTE: Numbers represent the line above them except 3,5, and 6 which all have 
an arrow

1-Service return line
  Don’t go past this before the opponent’s serve gets returned, or they get 
the point.  Behind these lines is what is known as the backcourt.

2-Net
  Hit it over this every time.  If you hit the net when serving, it’s known 
as a fault unless it dribbles onto your opponents court in which case it’s a 
let, which has no penalty.  After two faults, your opponent wins the point.

3-Center Line
  This line represents the center of the court.  Stay at the T of the 
service return line and center line while waiting for a return unless you’re 
rushing the net.

4-Serving Line
  You have to serve from behind this line.  Also, if you hit past this line, 
it is out of play and your opponent gets the point.

5-Baseline
  Alternate hitting to these to keep your opponent on the run, but if you 
hit it over them, it is also out in singles play.

6-Sideline
  When playing a doubles match, this is out from side to side.

**************
Court Surfaces
**************
There are many different court surfaces in Mario Tennis, offering a great 
variety of gameplay.  These courts are rated by the ball speed and amount of 
bounce on each court.  Try to use a slice on a weak bounce court, as it will 
hardly bounce at all, while you should try to use a topspin on a strong 
bounce court to force your foe to hurry a shot.

Open Ball Speed Normal
     Bounce Strong
This is the most neutral court you’ll play on, it is only available for 
special matches.

Hard Ball Speed Normal
     Bounce Strong
The surface used in the Mushroom Cup, this court has a higher bounce than 
most courts.  This court favors all-around players.

Clay Ball Speed Slow
     Bounce Weak
The surface used in the Flower Cup, the clay court favors technique players 
with a shallow bounce and a slower ball speed.

Grass Ball Speed Fast
      Bounce Weak
The surface used in the Star Cup, this is Mario Tennis’ Wimbledon.  This 
court will slightly favor power players.

Composition Ball Speed Fastest
            Bounce Normal
This surface is not available in any tournament.  The ball speed being so 
high, technique players will have a field day.

Mario Brothers Court Ball Speed Fast
                     Bounce Weak
A grass court with Mario and Luigi on it, the Mario Brothers Court will 
slightly favor the famous plumber brothers themselves.

Donkey Kong Court Ball Speed Fast
                  Bounce Strongest
This court favors apes like DK or other power players.  Watch out for wide 
shots, as they are harder than ever to return on this court.

Wario and Waluigi Court Ball Speed Slow
                        Bounce Strongest
This court benefits quicker and taller players like Waluigi and Peach.

Birdo and Yoshi Court Ball Speed Slow
                      Bounce Strong
Again, being a slow and bouncy court, it favors players such as Waluigi.

Mario and Luigi Court Ball Speed Fast
                      Bounce Normal
This court is great for a match against friends, with fast paced action 
being the standard.  Use all-around or power players to your advantage.

Baby Mario and Yoshi Court Ball Speed Fastest
                           Bounce Weak
Like the mascots themselves, this is a fast court with weak bounce, favoring 
the speedy players who can get to mostly everything.

Pirahna Court Ball Speed Normal
              Bounce Normal
Only available in Pirahna Plant Challenge, it serves to remind you of the 
test you passed by getting a perfect.

********
Controls
********
Alright, thankfully these controls are easy to learn and not numerous in 
count, but also take a degree of talent to master.
A                Topspin shot
B                Slice
A, then B        Lob
B, then A        Drop Shot
A, then A        Topspin power shot (orange trail)
B, then B        Slice power shot (blue trail)
A or B, then A+B power smash (purple trail)
     On the power shots, get in place and tap the button and you’ll start to 
charge up your shot.  When the ball comes to you hit the desired shot 
combination and it will be powered up.  However, placement comes before 
power, so be careful.

****************
Basic Strategies
****************
Serving
When serving, you can serve it down the middle or ram it up the corner.  
Hitting it to the corner almost guarantees a point when you send the return 
to the opposite side.  However, this is risky, as your serve may go out or 
it will go right to the opponent and they’ll blast one down the line.  By 
hitting it to the middle, your going to be in for a longer volley than if 
you hit wide.  Basically, high risk, high return.  There is one shot that 
will almost guarantee you an ace, though.  If you hit a power serve (A+B) at 
the point of the T of the serving line and center line.  This is the hardest 
serve to accomplish, so it’s really up to you.

Baseline
Without baseline play, you won’t have a successful net game, and without a 
net or baseline game, you’ll lose.  If you stay in the center of the court 
your opponent will have a hard time hitting it by you.  Also, mix it up when 
hitting to the baseline to keep your opponent guessing.  Sometimes, it helps 
to hit one right back at an opponent in the corner when they’ve been on the 
run, because they’ll be scrambling to get to the other side of the court.

Net
If you’re at the net, you have a good chance to win the point, or you’re in 
a defensive mode attempting to stay alive.  There isn’t much strategy once 
you get to the net, unless there is a star on your side of the net near the 
net.  Use an overhead smash (A+B) to bash it down.  You must time the hit 
right, or you’ll tap it in the net and the neighbors will wonder why you’re 
yelling at your controller.

Serve Returning
You have to be able to react quickly when players like Bowser are bashing 
serves at you at speeds up to 108 mph!  Also Boo’s tricky serve will leave 
you on your ass if you’re not careful, as he can steer it through the air.  
This part is VERY important!  DO NOT CHEAT!  Do not take a step to the 
middle if that’s where Bowser has been serving all game because chances are 
he’ll serve it wide and ace you.

***********
Tournaments
***********

     NORMAL TOURNAMENTS

Mushroom Cup
Court: Hard Court
Description: Way too easy.  I certainly hope this is an easy one, as I’m 
afraid I can’t help you if you can’t get past this tourney.  My grandmother 
can beat this one in her sleep.

Flower Cup
Court: Clay Court
Description: A bit tougher than Mushroom, Flower is still pretty easy.  
Don’t be fooled when charging up shots as the clay court can force less 
bounce and speed, throwing off your timing.  Again, shouldn’t be a tough 
one.

Star Cup
Court: Grass Court
Description: This is the toughest of the Normal Tournaments, this can be a 
killer with the crappy players.  For example, if you wish to proceed to the 
Star Tournaments, this is where you may get stuck.  The last one is 
especially tough, as it will occasionally be Bowser, a pain in the ace 
(That’s a pun, get it?  It’s funny) anyways.

     STAR TOURNAMENTS

Rainbow Cup
Court: Hard Court
Description: This is again an easy one.  Much like the Mushroom Cup, but 
with the Handicap/Star feature enabled.  Hopefully, this will not be a 
challenge to those who can reach the Star Tournaments.

Moonlight Cup
Court: Clay Court
Description: Be careful with the charging up again.  Also, the second match 
is a 3 set match as well as the final, I believe.

Planet Cup
Court: Grass Court
Description: The highly prestigous Planet Cup is coveted by all those who 
obtain it.  Or I think so, anyway.  This is definitely the hardest Mario 
Tennis tournament.  The final match is a grueling five sets!

******************
Bowser Stage Items
******************

Much like in Mariokart games, items can be used in the Bowser stage to 
hobble your opponents.

Banana
When a player steps on a banana peel, they will slip on their butts and be 
stunned for 4-5 seconds.  However, with my luck, they dodge through five 
bananas and return everything I hit at them and then I’ll smoke it by them 
and they’ll take out a couple even though they won’t get there.

Koopa Shell
Three green shells shoot out in three trajectories: straight ahead, and to 
45 degrees to either side.  They stun players for 4-5 seconds and are 
stunningly easy to dodge.

Paratroopa Shell
The red shell curves toward its target and stuns them for the standard 4-5 
seconds.  These are also remarkably easy to dodge, althought the CPU 
occasionally has problems with it.

Lightning
This bolt of lightning weakens everyone but you.  This can be good or bad, 
depending on the situation, as it also hurts you partner.  Just be careful 
when using this, and you’ll be okay.

Star
While you are glowing, your character will hit harder and more powerful 
shots.  This is a good thing and is probably one of the best items.

Mushroom
Supposedly this item speeds up your character for a short amount of time, 
although a great speed increase is only evident in the chubby characters, 
DK, Wario, and Bowser.

*******************
Original Characters
*******************
In this section, I will explain the character’s playing style, and 
strategies to use when using the character or playing against the character. 
  I will also rate the players in different categories with 1 being the best 
and 10 the worst.  I will also attempt to recreate the logo on the players 
racket.

Mario
Style: All-Around

    /\  /\
   /  \/  \
  / /\  /\ \
  \/  \/  \/

Like always, Mario is one of the well rounded characters in the game.  Use 
baseline shots to make your opponent mess up.  When playing against Mario, 
he usually won’t hit with much power, so rush the net and smash it in his 
face.

Speed: 6
He’s not too slow but he often gets caught off balance.

Power: 4
His serve can get in triple digits, but he can’t power it past speedy 
players.

Accuracy: 5
It’s hard to hit the baselines with Mario, and I hit it out more than with 
most people.

Net play: 3
This is where Mario is better than the average player, so he can reach a 
good amount of balls and hit it with respectable power.

Overall: 4
         His net play is what boosts him slightly above average.

Wario
Style: Power

/\  /\  /\
\ \/  \/ /
\  /\  /
  \/  \/

As Mario’s stronger and chubbier other half, Wario has the strength but not 
the speed.  If you can anticipate shots, then truck Wario into position and 
charge for a power shot, but always return to the center ‘T’ of the court.  
Watch Wario cheating to one side or the other and blast a shot to the other 
side of the court to smoke it by him.

Speed: 8
Obviously, Wario isn’t speedy, because he is a power player.

Power: 2
Now, I’m not the master at getting high speed serves, but I’ve got Wario’s 
serves up to 108 mph, second only to Bowser.

Accuracy: 3
Wario is a good baseline player, but doesn’t have the speed necessary to be 
the best.

Net play: 5
Obviously, the power gives Wario and advantage in this category, however, it 
takes a while to actually GET to the net, so use caution.

Overall: 3
Wario’s a good baseline hitter and a great power player, however he is not 
the best in either category.

Luigi
Style: All-Around
__
|  |
|  |
|  |___
|______|

Of course he’s practically the same as Mario, with their being brothers and 
all, although he has a bit more of a reach and a tad slower.  However, since 
he is good at everything, he is a good beginners choice and easy to win 
with.  Just keep your foes on their toes and they’ll eventually be worn down 
to the point where they hit a crappy shot.  However, he can also be a very 
challenging opponent, so choose your strong shots wisely.

Speed: 5
Luigi is just as speedy as Mario, but he has better balance, so he can get 
to more.  Plus he has a reach advantange.

Power: 5
Not the most powerful, but just a smidge less than Mario.

Accuracy: 4
Luigi isn’t bad at anything, nor is he great at anything.

Net play: 4
Decent reach gives Luigi an okay net game.

Overall: 4
Sensing a recurring theme with Luigi?  Again, not the worst nor the best.

Waluigi
Style: Technique
______
|  ____|
| |
| |
|_|

The newest addition to the Mario family is Waluigi, Luigi’s evil cousin.   
Because of his long reach, technical skills, and his speed, he is one of my 
favorite characters.  When using him, force the baseline shots and rush the 
net.  With Waluigi’s long reach, it’s easy to smash one down the opposing 
player’s throat.  Speed is of the essence when playing against Waluigi.  The 
key to beating him is keeping him away from the net, so use your character’s 
strong suit.

Speed: 3
Waluigi isn’t the speediest character, but one of the fastest technique 
players, and also he has a great reach.

Power: 9
Waluigi is definitely NOT powerful, but if you rush the net, it isn’t a 
problem.  However, I have heard from [email protected] that Waluigi can 
serve up to speeds of 117 (Perhaps this was in Star Mode)!  I have only 
gotten it up to like 101, so it goes to show how much I suck at serving.

Accuracy: 2
Waluigi IS a technique player, and does not lack in this category.

Net play: 1
Definitely the best net player in the game, rush the net ALWAYS!!!

Overall: 2
Awesome accuracy, net play, and better than average speed, lack of power is 
what holds Waluigi down from being rated a one.

Peach
Style: Technique

  |\  /\  /|
  | \/  \/ |
  |)  ()  (|
  |________|

Peach is better than you might think in this game.  With good speed, decent 
power, and good net play, she rocks the party.  Head for the net, because 
not much will get by Peach.  This also means she is a challenging opponent.  
She lacks the aggressiveness most players have, though, so counter with a 
lob if she pins you in the corners.

Speed: 3
Peach is another speedy technique player.

Power: 9
Peach is very lacking in the power department.

Accuracy: 1
Peach can rock the baselines like you wouldn’t believe.

Net play: 6
She can get to the net, but doesn’t have enough power to get it by most 
people.

Overall: 4
Peach is great if you’re a baseline maniac, however, if you’re not, don’t 
use her unless forced.


Toad
Style: Technique

    ___
   /   \
  /) 0 (\
/_______\
   |   |
   |   |
   |___|

Finally, Toad is playable again!  Anyway, Toad’s serve is better than most 
technique players, so use that to your advantage.  Toad is easily taken care 
of with plenty of topspin shots and a rush to the net.  One kiss from the 
net and this Toad will dead in the water.

Speed: 5
Not fast, not slow is a perfect description of Toad.

Power: 4
Pretty average, but a much better serve than other technique players.

Accuracy: 4
Being a technique player, Toad is accurate, but not as much as other 
technique players.

Net play: 7
Lack of reach keeps Toad from being good at the net.

Overall: 6
Don’t like him much, but he’s decent.


Baby Mario
Style: Speed
  _  ___  ___
| |/   \/   \
|   /\   /\ |
|   ||   || |
|___||___||_|

Thanks to a convenient rip in the fabric of time and space, Baby Mario can 
actually be on the same court as Mario.  Baby Mario is a speed demon, and he 
is one of the few characters who can play well between the baseline and the 
net.  With this advantage, you can easily out-hit your opponents with quick 
returns.  Thankfully, he has weaknesses, and they are his reach and stature. 
  A cross-court lob should rock this baby to sleep.

Speed: 2
Holy cow Baby Mario is fast.  However, on a grass court, Yoshi is faster, so 
no number one for him.

Power: 4
Speed players are consistently lacking in this department, and Baby Mario is 
no exception.  However, if you are perceptive, he is more powerful than DK 
Jr., who is a power player.  Hmmm... how fishy

Accuracy: 4
Baby Mario is rather accurate, although he is by far not the best.

Net play: 6
Baby Mario has NO reach, yet has developed jumping skills rather early in 
life.  However, Baby Mario is better suited to wait for a star and charge up 
behind it rather than rushing the net.

Overall: 3
My appreciation for Baby Mario rapidly increases.  The only major problem I 
have with him is in Star mode he will consistently serve faults by not 
getting it over the net.


Daisy
Style: Technique
    ___  ___
   /   \/   \
  |    /\   |
   \  /  \  /
    \/    \/
    /\    /\
   /  \  /  \
  |    \/   |
   \___/\___/


Who the hell is Daisy, you ask?  Well, she is Luigi’s mixed doubles partner 
and the damsel in distress in Super Mario Land (Thanks [email protected]).  She 
also makes a partner comparable to Peach, so follow the strategies to take 
out the trash.  Her reach is shorter than most characters, so it is 
relatively easy to hit one past her, though.

Speed: 3
Rather speedy, but not the best.

Power: 6
Daisy is the best technique player with power, but that’s still not saying 
much.

Accuracy: 2
Daisy is second only to Peach in accuracy.

Net play: 2
Second only to Waluigi, Daisy is speedy enough to get to the net in time to 
hit it hard.

Overall: 3
Daisy is one of the better players, being in higher than average in almost 
everything.


Yoshi
Style: Speed
    ___
   /0  \
  /   0 \
  \     /
   \0__/

Yoshi has speed like no other when playing on grass.  He lacks in the power 
department, though, so make sure your hits count.  To get Yoshi to bite the 
big one, get him going back and forth and he will eventually commit to the 
net.  Give him a lob or topspin shot to take him out.

Speed: 1
On grass courts, Yoshi is the fastest, bar none.

Power: 8
Yoshi cannot hit it with any type of velocity at all.

Accuracy: 3
He can hit the baselines with regularity, but not the extreme baseline shots 
like Peach.

Net play: 7
Generally speaking, Yoshi is good at the net because he can get there fast, 
but I usually go to far and miss completely.  Also he has and extreme lack 
of power.

Overall: 4
Yoshi’s good, but not powerful enough to get it by opponents.  However, his 
speed helps him get to most shots.

Birdo
Style: Speed
    __     __
   /  \   /  \
   |   \_/   |
   |  \/ \/  |
   |  /\_/\  |
   |   / \   |
   \__/   \__/



Speedy dinosaurs must be the rage at tennis courts, because their ranks have 
doubled from previous games.  As with all speedy characters, chase down 
every ball, and opponents will start to get sloppy.  Once Birdo gives you a 
lollipop serve, smash it down the opposite line.  Once she gets to that, you 
should have time to get to the net and slap it to the court.

Speed: 2
Obviously, there are a few speedy players, and Birdo is more of the same.

Power: 7
Slightly more powerful than Yoshi, Birdo still is no good with power.

Accuracy: 3
Birdo is quite accurate, but doesn’t hit it hard enough to be effective.

Net play: 4
Can get to the net in a hurry, but won’t do much when she gets there.

Overall: 5
Birdo is just not good for me.  Speed, but no power, like the rest of them.


Bowser
Style: Power

(\      /)
( \/\/\/ )
/        \
|        |
|        |
\        /
  \__/\__/


Bowser packs quite the wallop, but is somewhat slow, so you’ll have to 
anticipate shot placement.  Once he gets set, charge up, and smash it back 
over the net.  Just stay in the center of the court when playing Bowser, and 
wait for his first mediocre shot to blast it by him.

Speed: 10
Bowser is the slowest guy in the game and it shows.

Power: 1
Bowser is also the most powerful player, so it balances out.  I’m not the 
best server ever, but I’ve gotten his up to 109 mph!

Accuracy: 6
Bowser can’t really hit baselines with efficiency and I regularly hit it 
out, partially because of his power and partially because I stink when 
returning after I serve it.  But Bowser hits it WAY out, so I think it’s 
more his fault.

Net play: 7
The only reason it isn’t a ten is because when Bowser occasionally gets to 
the net in time, he slams it.  However, usually he won’t make it in time for 
a decent smash.

Overall: 5
This is a semi decent score because of Bowser’s reach, but he is a definite 
powerhouse if you can learn to wield his power well.  If you can’t, however, 
you’re screwed.


Donkey Kong
Style: Power
   __     __   __
  |  \   |  | / /
  | |\\  |  |/ /
  | || \ |    /
  | || / |    \
  | |//  |  |\ \
  |__/   |__| \_\

Donkey is a menace in this game.  His reach is phenomenal (obviously, with 
those simian arms) and has some solid power.  He can’t get around laterally 
too well, so keep your opponent at bay with solid slice and topspin shots.  
To beat the big ape, make him truck across the court and he’ll be toast.

Speed: 8
Being a power player, DK is slow, but I think its so annoying to watch him 
lumber across the court.

Power: 2
DK rocks in this category, and he is a power player, so it should make sense 
it is 2.

Accuracy: 5
DK’s accuracy could be worse, but then, it could be much better, too.

Net play: 6
His power is the only thing that makes this a six, because he is SO slow at 
the net it’s hard to believe.

Overall: 4
DK is the second best power player, so he gets a respectable score here.


Paratroopa
Style: Trickery
     __
    /  |
   /  /\
  |    /
  |   /\
  |    /
  \   /
   \ /
    \


Paratroopa is a blast to play as, because his movement around the course is 
strange at best, and feathers fly when he hits the ball, disguising his 
shot.  He also is rather speedy, so use that to your advantage.  Send Troopa 
scurrying for wider shots to keep his tricks at bay, and you’ll have an easy 
time.

Speed: 4
Good speed for a non-speed character, Paratroopa would’ve got higher if he 
didn’t keep going after he stops.  That factor has made me miss innumerable 
amounts of shots.

Power: 7
This is not a tricky player’s department, and it shows.

Accuracy: 2
Definitely shows some promise here.  On serves, you can make slices go every 
which way, and shake opponents out of their boots.

Net play: 7
Easily needs work here, Troopa can just not seem to hit the ball with any 
sort of authority.

Overall: 4
Tricky characters aren’t my bag, and he is so hard to control.  However, 
once you master Troopa’s steep learning curve, domination is possible.


Boo
Style: Tricky

    /|
   / (
  (   )
   \_/

I have to say, it isn’t too soon to see Boo is a major player in a 
multiplayer game.  Boo has one of the best serves, which you can steer in 
the air when the technique is mastered.  Stay near the serving line to track 
down shots, and everything should be ok.  When Boo is serving at you, move 
closer to the service return line.  Then, the ball can’t move away from you.

Speed: 4
Obviously Boo is not a speed player, but quick.  Would be higher, but Boo 
doesn’t stand still when charging.  This can be bad or good, depending on if 
you are used to it.

Power: 8
Definitely not a power player and it shows.  His serve is mild at best and 
this is obviously not Boo’s strong suit.

Accuracy: 3
For a non-technique player, Boo rocks at accuracy.  This may be part of the 
requirements for a tricky player, but who knows.

Net play: 7
Again, the sliding around while charging is a detriment to Boo’s skill.  He 
is much better than this rating, but not in this category.

Overall: 4
Boo’s sliding is the only bad point, except for power, which is rather rank. 
  He is fun to screw with when friends are over, though.


*****************
Hidden Characters
*****************
Again, ratings, strategy, etc.
Donkey Kong Jr.
Style: Power (Actually I consider him speed since he is much faster than 
other power players and is weaker than Baby Mario)
______
|__   _|
   | |
_ | |
/ \| /
\___/

It may seem hard to believe that a Kong with a first name of Donkey is 
speedy, but I wouldn’t trust a monkey with a racket anyway.  This also means 
DK Jr. won’t overpower anyone with his young, yet slightly underdeveloped 
muscles.  Just run all shots down and take care of your monkey business.

Speed: 4
Speedier than power and technique players, DK Jr. still has that apish lope.

Power: 6
Much too weak for a power player, especially when Baby Mario hits it harder.

Accuracy: 5
He’s extremely accurate occasionally, and other times he will barely hit it 
to one side, so DK Jr. is rather iffy in this category.

Net play: 4
A good jump and slight speed give him the tiniest edge over other 
characters.

Overall: 5
He’s good, but not good enough nor is he good at anything in particular to 
stand out.  However, some people say DK Jr. is their favorite character.  I 
assume that whatever character works for you is best.


Shy Guy
Style: Technique

     _____
    /     \
   / O  O  \
  |   __   |
  |  /  \  |
   \ \__/  /
    \_____/




Shy Guy is not necessarily the best player on the courts, but he does make a 
deserving appearance as a kick-ass player in this game.  Shy Guy does 
everything better than average, and, like Baby Mario, he can thrive between 
the backcourt and the net.  Shy Guy is one tough player to beat.  He does 
return almost everything you hit at him, but he doesn’t have much zip on it. 
  You can rush the net and hit it down unless he has worked his way past the 
baseline, in which case, he’ll hit right by you.

Speed: 4
Not one of the fastest characters, Shy Guy is still slightly speedy.

Power: 5
He’s not a power player, so this is his worst category.  It is only a 5 
because he is dominant.

Accuracy: 2
He is one of the most accurate players on the court.

Net play: 3
The only reason this category is a three is his somewhat small reach.

Overall: 2
What can I say other than Shy Guy rocks the tazbah.

******************
Good Doubles Teams
******************
Wario and Waluigi
With Wario’s superior power and Waluigi’s superior reach, they make a great 
team.  Waluigi can reach almost anything from the back row, and any shot 
Wario can reach will be smoking.  Also, these two can be switched, with 
Wario in back and Waluigi in front.  That way Wario can reach almost 
anything and blast it back in time, and Waluigi can dominate at the net.

Mario and Peach
These two are good as a team as they rock by themselves, and together 
they’re even better.  You can use either as back row or front row and 
they’ll do great.

Luigi and Daisy
Daisy was included just so Luigi would have a Peach.  See above, just switch 
Mario with Luigi and Peach with Daisy.

Birdo and Toad
I’m not sure how good of a tennis team they are, but these two win the prize 
for the strangest looking team.  Actually, I’ve found this team to suck on 
their own, so I don’t recommend using these two.

Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr.
These two compliment each other well, and go together, like Wario and 
Waluigi.  DK’s power will destroy any shot he gets to, and DK Jr. can back 
him up.  Two generations of Kongs, playing together.  Amazing what a game of 
tennis can do for a family.

Yoshi and Baby Mario
These two are both speedy and together they have decent power so they can 
catch up to almost any ball.  Also, you can run more powerful opponents into 
the ground by making them run around more than they can handle and you 
should have no problem.
(Thanks Blake Zahari)

DK Jr. and Yoshi
A great team with all three attributes in place. Yoshi has huge amounts of 
speed, and DK Jr. has good speed and power. It's best to put Yoshi in front, 
although it wouldn’t make much difference in the back.  (Thanks 
[email protected])

Mario and Luigi
If the other team is serving and your character is closer to the net, wait 
till the other team serves, and your partner hits it back, then when the 
other team hits it, hug the net, hit the ball (B is most effective), and 
move the control stick where you want it to go. It's hard to get, but you'll 
get used to it.
If your team is serving and your character is closer to the net, just wait 
for your partner to serve then when the other team hits it do the same as 
above.
If you’re serving, serve the ball. Then just try to keep it away from the 
back of the court. Eventually your partner will hit a Purple Shot and knock 
it out.
If you’re far from the net and the other team is serving, just do the same 
as above.
(Thanks [email protected])

Paratroopa and Boo
Paratroopa and Boo are a tricky combo for opponents.  With pretty good speed 
and power along with two good serves they do well.  With trick shots and a 
mediocre reach they dazzle the court.  To counter this dynamic duo, go to 
the net because this team isn't very tall.
(Thanks [email protected])

Boo and Bowser
With Boo’s hitting skills and speed, he makes a perfect compliment to 
Bowser, a slow powerhouse.  Playing against them is hard, so I’d have to 
imagine most people could dominate rather easily with them.  I’ve played 66 
percent of the time I play doubles in the Star Cup.
(Thanks [email protected])

Shy Guy and Boo
Shy Guy can cover the back court really well and as the computer will
practically be unstoppable! Boo is good for the net because his flying makes 
him sort of "taller" and you can maneuver smashes between opponents.
(Thanks [email protected])

Shy Guy and Waluigi
Shy Guy is just plain good, while Waluigi makes up for his lack of reach. 
Make sure you put Waluigi up front, though, as Shy Guy doesn't exactly 
dominate the net.
(Thanks [email protected])

Paratroopa and Bowser
With Bowser’s power and Paratroopa’s speed and trickiness, these two are 
unstoppable.  That’s about all I need to say!
(Thanks [email protected])

Waluigi and Donkey Kong
OK, I think every power player and Waluigi is a good team, such as Wario, 
Bowser or Donkey Kong, but not quite so much DK JR, because he has less than 
great power.  Anyway, same deal, pure domination.
(Thanks [email protected])

Peach and Daisy
I have found a team of Peach and Daisy is excellent. With their techniques 
combined, they cover the court like a blanket, not letting anything through. 
A good strategy while playing as Peach is to rush the net right away, and 
let Daisy clean up what might get though in the back court. While playing as 
Daisy in this team it is a good idea to stay a little in the back and in the 
middle, Daisy has a little more speed than Peach.
(Thanks Shane)

Toad & Bowser
If you put Toad in front he is rather fast and he can get to almost any shot 
in time in which case him being a technique player comes in handy. Any shot 
he misses can be slammed back by Bowser on the back line. I advise Toad 
stays in the front rectangle and Bowser in the back it always worked for me 
and my brother and we never lost! My brother is also only 7 and he got the 
routine down pretty quickly I advise this double team for anyone from 
beginners to experts.
(Thanks [email protected])

Shy Guy and Bowser
Shy Guy’s speed and Bowser’s power complement each other well.  Shy Guy or 
Bowser will be decent at the net, as well.  Other than that, same strategies 
as other speed or technique/power teams.
(Thanks [email protected])

Yoshi and Shy Guy
Keep Yoshi in the back and charge up as much as you can every time to get as 
much power as you can.  Up front, Shy Guy has awesome smashes and is 
dominant in back as well.  Also, Paratroopa can be substituted for Shy Guy 
if you haven’t gotten him yet.
(Thanks [email protected])

Bowser and Baby Mario
Bowser:
Stays at the base line and hammers back anything that comes in his way.
His is so slow, but seeing as Baby Mario is the fastest, he doesn't need to 
worry.
Baby Mario:
Stays at the net and covers anything between there and the end of the 
service squares (Bowser has the rest). Despite his size, Baby Mario can jump 
real high, so smash everything, and because he is so small, he can smash 
lower shots that others can't.
Overall:
Baby Mario does most of the work at the net and Bowser backs him up. The 
serving isn't bad either, because both can serve 100mph+.
PS
Try not to play on DK's court.  The bounce can ruin B mario's day
(Thanks [email protected])
*********
Rank List
*********
In this section I will rank the players in Mario Tennis to my **OPINION**, 
if they are not your opinions, too bad!  I will first make the list and then 
explain my reasons.

Waluigi
Shy Guy
Baby Mario
Boo
Paratroopa
Mario
Luigi
Wario
Bowser
Donkey Kong
Daisy
Peach
Toad
Yoshi
DK Jr.
Birdo

Waluigi
Waluigi’s speed, combined with his long reach and great net play make him a 
favorite.  Plus that weird sounding cackle always amuses me as does his 
victory strut.

Shy Guy
Shy Guy has the best all-around game.  Plus, his shot arsenal is so vast, 
opponents will have a hard time finding their groove.


Baby Mario
His skills are becoming in higher regard from me with each passing day.  He 
has enough speed to get to most shots, while enough power to hit it past 
out-of-position players.

Boo
Even if you are not a beginner, Boo is fun to use, especially against 
friends.  You can control his serve to get quite a few aces.  Also, it’s 
just fun to use a ghost with a racket.

Paratroopa
It’s too much fun to fly around the court and disguise your shots with this 
little fella.

Mario
Using Mario is just easy.  It’s easy to win in a vast number of ways.

Luigi
Luigi has a dumber winning stance than Mario, so I like Mario slightly more, 
but Luigi is still very easy to use.

Wario
Wario is a power player who is one of the better of the slow characters.  
Just like Waluigi, his cackle is amusing, if not annoying.

Bowser
Bowser is a beast, literally and metaphorically.  With all that wallop 
packed behind his shots, it’s fun to pound the ball past to your opponent 
and roar in triumph.

Donkey Kong
While DK has a better reach than other power players, I don’t like him quite 
as much.  He’s still a fun guy to mess around with though.

Daisy
Daisy is ok, but not the best.  Using her isn’t as easy as Waluigi, but she 
is better than Peach.

Peach
Same as Daisy, but Daisy is higher because she is a much needed change in 
the women’s division.

Toad
Toad doesn’t have enough power to rank higher, but his serve is better than 
Daisy and Peach’s serves.

Yoshi
As you can probably tell, the speedy ones don’t do it for me.  Too often 
I’ve been in a long volley only to not get it over the net.  Frustrating as 
hell, I might add.  Anyway Yoshi is the best speed player.

DK Jr.
As babies go, DK Jr. is much worse than Baby Mario.  He’s speedy but has too 
weird a swing to do it for me.

Birdo
Ah, at last we come to the cream of the crap.  Birdo is the most annoying of 
the speed players and isn’t quite as good as the others.

******
Cheats
******
Use a left-handed player: Hold L when choosing your character

Have handicaps: Hold R when choosing your character.  You have to have 
beaten the Star Cup with that character unless it is DK Jr. or Shy Guy.  
(Thanks [email protected])

Get Shy Guy: Win the Star Cup Singles Tournament

Get Donkey Kong Jr.: Win the Star Cup Doubles Tournament

Donkey Kong Court: Win the Mushroom Cup Singles with DK

Yoshi and Baby Mario Court: Win the Mushroom Cup Singles with Yoshi

Mario Bros. Court: Win the Mushroom Cup Singles with Mario

Mario and Luigi Court: Win the Star Cup Doubles with Mario (Many people have 
had problems with this, but I got it to work, so if you have info, let me 
know!)

Mario/Luigi Castle Court: Win both the Singles and Doubles Tournaments in 
the Star Cup with Mario.

Wario Brothers Court: Win Star Cup Doubles with Wario

Birdo Court: Win the Star Cup Doubles with Birdo (Thanks [email protected] 
for the info)

Piranha Plant Court: Complete any court perfectly in Piranha Plant Challenge 
with any character (The court can only be used in Piranha Plant Challenge)

Star Tournaments: Win all the Singles Tournaments with everyone, even Shy 
Guy and DK Jr.  Press R while choosing your player to access the special cup 
screen.
(Thanks [email protected] for the correction)

Play in Promotional Tournament: If you type A3W5KQA3C in ring tournament 
section of special games you can play a special promotional tournament
(Thanks [email protected])

Get Max Difficulty:  This cheat is only for the hardcore.  Beat the Planet 
Cup (the hardest Special Cup) with ALL 16 characters to play against a MAX 
difficulty CPU in Exhibition Mode

**********
Thanks to:
**********
Expert Gamer, for information
Nintendo Power, for getting me hooked on the game and for info
Camelot, for making such a kick ass game
You, for reading this
cheat code central(www.cheatcc.com), for cheats
Everyone who contributed teams/cheats, your name should be mentioned above, 
but if not, thanks anyways!
Ign.com, for court info and a cheat
The people who noticed my stupidity and told me to finish this damn thing!

_________________________________________________________________
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