Mario Tennis Open Rom

In Mario Tennis Open, the blue circle on your side of the court is a cue to play a slice. Step inside that Chance Area and press B to give the return extra power. The slice travels slowly and stays low after the bounce. If the circle is purple, press Y from inside it to smash. You can let X choose the shot for you at the cost of a little power.

If you get into position before the ball arrives, you can charge the shot to put more power behind the return. Charging limits your movement, so it pays to read the bounce before you commit. Press L to cancel if the ball is heading past you. A ball just beyond your racket is a good time to try the jump shot with R.

Short balls and deep returns

Set up a one-set Exhibition match to practice placing the ball. When your opponent comes forward, press A, then B to lob it over their head. If they retreat to the baseline, B, then A sends a drop shot just over the net. Pay attention to where they recover between shots. A deep lob can make them back up far enough to leave the front of the court open on the next return.

Before serving, you can press R to cycle through the touch-screen layouts. The six-panel layout gives shots like the lob and drop shot their own touch panels, so you can tap them directly while learning the button sequences. For a faster serve, time the swing for the top of the toss. A “Nice!” above your character confirms the timing.

Super Mario Bros. from the baseline

In Special Games, Super Mario Tennis puts a scrolling Super Mario Bros. stage on the wall at the far end of the court. Hitting enemies or blocks buys you time. Aim for a Goomba or Koopa as it crosses the screen. On stages with a flagpole, hit it with the ball to finish the level.

Ring Shot brings the net back into play. The rings appear over it while you rally, and the smaller ones are worth more points. If you keep missing a small ring, aim through a wider one until you have a feel for where the ball crosses the net.