==============================================================================
_ _
| | |_|
| |_ __ __ __ _ __
| |/_ | \| \| |/__|
| --| __| | | | | |__ |
\__|___|_|_|_|_|_|___|
==============================================================================
Tennis
by Spatvark (
[email protected])
==============================================================================
/ =============================== \
< [01] Introduction >
\ =============================== /
It's Tennis. On the Gameboy. No, seriously. It is. While this game is
incredibly simple, it is also very fun, especially when played against a human
opponent.
/ =============================== \
< [02] Disclaimer >
\ =============================== /
Listen up you mangy lot, this bit is important. You are free to use this FAQ
for personal reference but if you plagirize any sections, well... I'll have to
come up with something evil to do to you...
The only place allowed to host this FAQ is:
GameFAQs -
http://www.gamefaqs.com
If you see it anywhere else, please contact me at:
[email protected]
You can also contact me with any questions that pertain to Tennis that AREN'T
answered in this FAQ, or any corrections to mistakes I've made (this does not
include typographical errors; I'm not THAT anal retentive about my work).
Also, do not bother to email me and ask whether you can host this FAQ on your
site, the answer is no. GameFAQs is the only place I particularly feel like
trusting, while sites that have to go soliciting for FAQs strike me as
desperate to get a reputation even a tenth of that GameFAQs has. So don't
bother, I won't even reply to your emails.
/ =============================== \
< [03] Version History >
\ =============================== /
v1.10 - Updated the copyright. [09/01/09]
v1.05 - Just a change to my email address
v1.00 - It's not like there's a whole lot that can be done with a FAQ/
Walkthrough for this kind of game, and I think I've got it all down
here.
/ =============================== \
< [04] Contents >
\ =============================== /
**>Introduction -------------------------------------- [01]
**>Disclaimer ---------------------------------------- [02]
**>Version History ----------------------------------- [03]
**>Contents ------------------------------------------ [04]
**>Controls ------------------------------------------ [05]
**>The Basics of Tennis------------------------------- [06]
**>Characters ---------------------------------------- [07]
**>Walkthrough --------------------------------------- [08]
==>Tips and Tricks ------------------------------------ [08a]
==>Level 1 -------------------------------------------- [08b]
==>Level 2 -------------------------------------------- [08c]
==>Level 3 -------------------------------------------- [08d]
==>Level 4 -------------------------------------------- [08e]
**>Thanks -------------------------------------------- [09]
**>Legal Stuff --------------------------------------- [10]
**>Next Version -------------------------------------- [11]
**>Working On... ------------------------------------- [12]
**>Goodbye! ------------------------------------------ [13]
/ =============================== \
< [05] Controls >
\ =============================== /
D-Pad = Movement/Aim
A = Ball Toss/Serve/Stroke
B = Ball Toss/Serve/Lob
Start = Pause
/ =============================== \
< [06] The Basics of Tennis >
\ =============================== /
Just in case, I'm going to explain tennis. It's fairly simple, but bear in
mind that these are the rules of the real game. They're slightly different in
Mario Power Tennis.
The idea of the game is to hit the ball over the net in such a way that your
opponent can't return it. You are not allowed to use any part of your body to
touch the ball, excepting your hand whilst tossing it up for the serve, and
can only touch the ball with your racket.
The court looks something like the diagram below:
_________________________
| | | M|
| | Deuce Advan- | O|
| | tage | R|
| | | E|
|T |___________________| |
|R | | | T|
|A | | | R|
|M | | | A|
| | | | M|
| | Net | | |
|=========================|
| | | | |
| | | | L|
| | | | I|
|L | | | N|
|I |_________|_________| E|
|N | Service Line | S|
|E | | |
|S | Advan- Deuce | |
| | tage | |
|__|___________________|__|
Base Line
The match is split up into sets, games and points.
The point begins with serving, which always starts on the right hand side of
the court, otherwise known as the Deuce court, and goes across the court into
the opponent's Deuce court, in the area between the Net and the Service Line
(The small boxes by the net -See the diagram below). If it doesn't, then this
is a "fault"; the server will get another try to get the serve right, or else
he "double faults", losing the point. If his serve hits the net and goes over,
still landing in the correct part of the court, this is called a "let", in
which case, the server can try serving again with no penalty.
_________________________
| | Returner | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |___________________| |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | Target | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|=========================|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| |_________|_________| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
|__|___________________|__|
Server
Once the serve has been successfully completed, the point truly begins, and
will not end until one of the following has occured:
» The ball goes out of the court, without bouncing inside of it. In singles,
the tramlines are counted as out of bounds, but are in play during doubles
matches. The player who struck it out loses the point.
» The ball hits the net and doesn't cross over it. The player who struck the
net loses the point.
» The ball strikes a player. The player struck loses the point.
» The ball bounces twice inside one player's court. The player whose court it
bounced in twice loses the point.
When the point ends, the server moves into the Advantage court, and tries to
serve the ball into the opponent's Advantage court, following the same
statutes as the previous serve did, and the next point begins.
The points are as follows:
Love = No points
15 = One point
30 = Two points
40 = Three points
To win a game, a player must have four or more points, and have two more than
their opponent. If the players are at 40 - 40, then they are at Deuce. Say for
example, Roger Federer is playing Andy Roddick and they are at Deuce in a
game. If Federer gets the next point, it becomes "Advantage Federer." If he
were to win the next point, he would win the game. However, if Roddick wins
it, then it goes back to Deuce. To win the game, you must win the point when
it is your advantage.
Once a game is over, the service changes so that the player who had been
serving is now the receiver, and vice versa. In doubles, however, it can be a
bit confusing. Say Roger Federer and Andy Roddick are playing Lleyton Hewitt
and Mario Ancic, and Roger Federer served first. Lleyton Hewitt would serve
the next game, and then Andy Roddick, then Mario Ancic, and then back to Roger
Federer.
Every six games, the players change ends.
The score is always called with the server's points first, e.g. 15 - Love,
Love - 30.
To win a set, a player must have six or seven games, and two more than their
opponent, e.g. 6 - 2, 7 - 5. If both players have six games each, then a
tiebreaker is used to decide who wins the set. It starts with the person who
served first in the set, and they serve for one point. Then the other player
serves for two points, and they then keep switching service every two points,
and changing ends every six. In doubles, service switches the same way as it
does during normal games, but still on every two points. To win a tiebreaker,
you must have seven or more points, and two more than your opponent.
Obviously, the winner of the tiebreak wins the set.
To win a match, a player must win either two or three sets, depending on
whether the match is three or five sets long. In most tournaments, matches are
three sets long for both men and women, and tiebreakers are possible in all
sets. However, in the four Opens (The Australian Open, The French Open - aka
Roland Garros, The US Open, and the British Open - AKA Wimbledon), women play
three sets and men play five, with tiebreakers not allowed in the final sets.
There are many different types of shot in Tennis, and I would try to explain
them all, but some are impossible without having proper pictures or something
to show you exactly what I mean. ASCII diagrams will not suffice for this XD I
will explain some of them though:
Volley: When you hit a ball before it bounces.
Smash: When you hit a ball that is above you head down towards the ground.
Lob: When you lift the ball up high above your opponents head.
Drop Shot: When you do a soft touch on the ball, just enough to let it drop
over the net and into your opponents court.
Flat Shot: When you put no spin on the ball at all.
/ =============================== \
< [07] Characters >
\ =============================== /
Player - It's you, obviously.
Computer - Your opponent.
Mario - It's a me, the umpire! And no, you can't hit him with the ball.
/ =============================== \
< [08] Walkthrough >
\ =============================== /
<---[08a] Tips and Tricks--------------------------------------->
Serve and Volley:
Serve the ball out as wide as you possibly can, and charge into the net,
hitting the return into the open court with a Volley.
Work the Sides:
Hit every shot to alternating sides, to make your opponent have to dash
after every ball. Sooner or later, he won't reach it in time.
Mixing up the Shots:
The computer often has problems switching from types of shots. If you work
the sides but it keeps returning, mix in a shallow hit, or maybe even a Lob to
catch your opponent off guard.
Patience with Lobs:
Take your time getting into position when returning deep Lobs. If you
swing too early, you'll attempt a Smash, which will either not clear the net,
or you'll miss completely, and not be able to recover in time to hit a ground
stroke in return.
Always Win Service Games:
Toss the ball up and then step directly underneath it. Do not swing your
racket, and when the ball hits the ground, you'll get the point!
<---[08b] Level 1----------------------------------------------->
General Play:
Level 1 is painfully slow, which can actually serve to catch the Player
out quite often. However, since the Computer moves really slowly, working the
sides will make it very easy to beat it.
Player Serving:
- Deuce Court
Take a step to the right and then toss the ball up. Serve with A while
holding left as the ball appears lower than the Service Line, and you should
Ace the opponent every time.
- Advantage Court
Move as far to the right as you can, then toss and serve with A, holding
right, hitting the ball with the same timing as the Deuce Court service. Run
into the net and Volley the Return into the open court.
Computer Serving:
- Deuce Court
Take one step to the right and wait. If the ball is served wide, step
forwards and hit a Stroke while holding Up to hit a Return Winner most times.
On the rare occasion he serves to the inside, hold Right as you hit a stroke
into the open court.
- Advantage Court
This is exactly the same as the Deuce Court service, just with Right
switched to Left.
<---[08c] Level 2----------------------------------------------->
General Play:
Level 2 has an injection of pace, and a change in tactics. The Computer
likes to charge the net, making it very susceptible to deep lobs. Draw it in
by working the sides with strokes, and hit a high one over its head. Watch out
for its zippy volleys though.
Player Serving:
- Deuce Court
Step to the right and hit a wide serve to the Left. Move about a third of
the way up from the Base Line and closer to the center of the Court. Hit the
Return with a wide Stroke to the Right.
- Advantage Court
Reverse of the Deuce Court service.
Computer Serving:
- Deuce Court
Return every serve with a Crosscourt Lob, and then charge the net to hit a
Volley into the open space.
- Advantage Court
Same as the Deuce Court service.
<---[08d] Level 3----------------------------------------------->
General Play:
While Level 3 is faster still, it is actually probably the easiest of all
four difficulties to beat, if you know how. Be warned though, the Computer
gets faster in the second set, so try not to get caught unawares.
With the higher power you now have in Level 3, you can hit Smashes from
behind the Service Line, very useful when you're caught in the middle of the
court.
Player Serving:
- Deuce Court
For the first Set, take a step to the Left and hit the ball with A as it
drops below the Service Line, while holding Left. If you do it right, you'll
Ace it every time.
For the second Set, repeat the serve, but follow it up by moving into the
center of the Base Line, and hit the Return with a Crosscourt Stroke.
- Advantage Court
For the first set, take a step to the Left and hit the ball with A as it
drops below the Service Line, this time holding Right. Correctly done, and
you'll score an Ace with every serve.
For the second set, reverse the First Set Deuce Court service, to get an
Ace every time.
Computer Serving:
- Deuce Court
If it serves Wide, hit a Crosscourt Lob and follow it into the net,
hitting a Volley into the open space is the Computer hits a Stroke, or a Smash
down the line if it lobs. Inside serves, on the other hand, should be hit with
a Right Stroke to send it up the line.
- Advantage Court
Reverse of the Deuce Court Return.
<---[08e] Level 4----------------------------------------------->
General Play:
The toughest of the four levels, this opponent is really difficult to beat
in open play. Your best bet is to get into the net as quickly as you can and
work the sides with Volleys. Also, don't be fooled if it misses Volleying your
lobs, it'll chase the ball down and hit a blazingly fast ground stroke past
you if you're not prepared.
Player Serving:
- Deuce Court
Take a step to the Left and Serve with A while holding Right to hit the
serve straight down the middle. Charge into the net, and Volley the Return
into the open court. Don't worry if the Computer goes for a crosscourt passing
shot, it almost always puts it wide.
- Advantage Court
Reverse of the Deuce Court Service.
Computer Serving:
- Deuce Court
Unlike the previous three levels, do not move from where you start, to
give yourself enough time to reach the ball. Hit all of your Returns as
crosscourt Lobs, following up by charging into the net and Volleying into the
open court.
- Advantage Court
Same as the Deuce Court Return.
/ =============================== \
< [09] Thanks >
\ =============================== /
This list is gonna be pretty short methinks =P
My Brother - for introducing me into the world of emulators six years ago, in
the form of VGB, a Gameboy emulator, along with a few roms
including Tennis.
DJellybean - for clueing me in for the basics of FAQ presentation.
Phoenix 1911 - I stole the copyright stuff from him coz' it sounded all
professional and stuff XD
GameFAQS - for hosting this FAQ.
/ =============================== \
< [10] Legal Stuff >
\ =============================== /
This unofficial document is protected by the international Copyright law. All
content within is created and owned by Peter Carter. Absolutely no profit must
be made from this work; it may not be reproduced, in part or in whole, and/or
altered in any way or under any circumstances without the prior consent from
the author, except for personal and private use. All copyrights and trademarks
contained within are owned by their respective holders. No copyright
infringement was intended during the creation of this document.
Copyright 2005-2009 Peter Carter.
/ =============================== \
< [11] Next Version >
\ =============================== /
Well, to be honest, I'm not sure if there will be a next edition of this FAQ,
being that it is virtually complete. It really depends on what you guys and
girls think SHOULD be in here that I've missed out. Mweh...
/ =============================== \
< [12] Working On... >
\ =============================== /
Fallout 1.
/ =============================== \
< [13] Goodbye! >
\ =============================== /
And that's all for now folks!
