What holiday season would be complete without an appearance from Nintendo's portly plumber? In truth, Mario Power Tennis can't be considered a real Mario Bros. sequel, but rather a new installment in the overused spinoff genre. Still, when it comes to spinoffs, Mario-themed games are some of the best—really Nintendo IP's in general—and this latest tennis offering is no exception. Don't expect Top Spin (who would?), but Power Tennis actually offers a fairly robust and strategic tennis simulation. Yes, it's really just an updated format of the original, but why reinvent a game that was already successful? The new power moves and Gimmick Courts can be distracting, but the staggering number of familiar and specialized characters is thoroughly attractive. If you've got a friend or three lying around and a GameCube setup, you really can't go wrong with Mario Power Tennis.
