Mario Tennis: Power Tour is the Game Boy Advance tennis RPG by Camelot and Nintendo. This guide covers the GBA game and its Wii U Virtual Console re-release. It does not use rules from Mario Tennis on Nintendo 64 or Game Boy Color, the GameCube Mario Power Tennis, Mario Tennis Aces, or later Mario Tennis games.
Power Tour Mode asks you to build a student at the Royal Tennis Academy, switch between Singles and Doubles, improve through matches and training, and eventually handle Power Shots. Clean returns, court recovery, partner balance, and smart stat choices make the flashy moves safer.
Essential Tips
1. Pick a Stat Plan Early
Power Tour lets you shape your student, but trying to make every stat equally strong can leave the character ordinary everywhere. A safer beginner plan is to choose a clear identity and keep three priorities healthy instead of spreading every level-up thin.
Power creates pressure. Control keeps shots useful instead of feeding the middle. Side Spin bends angles. Speed keeps rallies alive when you are pulled wide.
2. Balance Your Doubles Partner
Power Tour is built around Singles and Doubles, and the home area lets you move between those paths. Do not build both partners with the same weakness unless you enjoy losing the same kind of rally twice.
If your player is fast but not very powerful, let the partner become the hitter. If your player hits hard but struggles to cover court, give the partner enough speed and control to clean up returns. A balanced doubles team survives longer than two identical players with the same coverage problem.
3. Learn the Five Basic Shot Choices
The GBA controls give you more than one return. A handles topspin, B handles slice, A+B makes a flat shot or smash, A then B creates a lob, and B then A creates a drop shot. R with A or B adds Offensive or Defensive Power Shots once those are available.
Topspin is a good default for stable pace. Slice changes shape and angle. Flat shots and smashes punish openings. Lobs challenge net positioning. Drop shots force a forward sprint. Beginners improve quickly when they stop mashing one button and start asking which ball the court position needs.
4. Recover Before You Charge
Charged shots are stronger, but a charge is not free if it leaves you stranded. After every return, move back toward a position that can answer both sides of the court. If you have time, charge. If the opponent has already opened an angle, take the safer ball and recover.
5. Use Lobs and Drop Shots as Changes of Pace
Lobs and drop shots are most useful when they punish position. A lob can beat an opponent who has stepped too close to the net, but it becomes risky if a fast opponent is waiting deep. A drop shot can work after a Power Shot return pushes or disrupts the opponent, or when you need to pull a baseline player forward.
Do not treat either shot as a trick to repeat. Use them to make the opponent cover the full court, then return to safer topspin, slice, or flat pressure.
6. Treat Power Shots as Tools, Not Finishers
Power Shots arrive later in the academy climb, with offensive and defensive versions serving different jobs. Offensive options create pressure and can push or disrupt opponents. Defensive options help reach balls that would otherwise be difficult.
Attach Power Shots to a rally plan. Use offense when the opponent is stretched or open space is available. Save defense for points where reach matters more than style. Some Power Shots suit power builds, while others work better with side-spin or efficiency, so match the move to the character you are building.
7. Train for EXP and PS Points Deliberately
The training center matters because not every minigame rewards the same thing. Wall Practice and Tennis Machine award EXP. Other minigames can award PS Points tied to Power Shot development.
For Wall Practice, keep your positioning controlled instead of sprinting after every panel. Staying around the back-middle area gives you time to respond. Lobs can slow an awkward return long enough to reset, while careless drop shots can drag you into trouble. For Tennis Machine, aim for the target area instead of swinging at maximum pace every ball.
8. Adjust to Court Speed and Bounce
The GBA game uses different court types, including academy courts and later venues with different speed and bounce behavior. A fast court gives opponents less time but also punishes your late recovery. A slower or weaker bounce changes when you should step in and when a drop or lob becomes safer.
Give each new court a few rallies before forcing your favorite tactic. If your usual ball comes back comfortably, change height, angle, or pace.
9. Exploit Weaknesses Instead of Forcing Aces
Opponents and teams can have weaknesses. Some struggle with power, some with movement, and some with angled play. You do not need every point to be a clean ace. Make them hit uncomfortable balls until the opening appears.
In Doubles, cross-court shots and down-the-line changes can stretch a pair. In Singles, alternate depth and angle so the opponent cannot stand in one safe place. This is especially useful before your Power Shot options are fully developed.
10. Keep the GBA Scope Clear
Power Tour is not the GameCube Mario Power Tennis with handheld graphics. It has its own academy RPG structure, Clay/Ace setup, stat building, training center, and GBA multiplayer support. Mario characters are part of the broader game, but the academy climb is the main learning path.
If you are returning from a later entry, relearn these controls. Power Tour rewards clean shot selection and stat planning more than modern meter systems or Switch-era timing habits.
Stats and Partner Builds
For a first run, think in pairs of responsibilities. One player should reliably reach balls, and one should punish weak returns. In Singles, your build needs enough movement and control to survive. In Doubles, your partner can cover the role your player handles less well.
Power plus Control gives you direct pressure. Speed plus Control gives you consistency. Side Spin plus Control lets you attack angles without losing placement. If one stat becomes the weak point, build the rest of the team around protecting it.
Do not change the plan after every loss. If a match exposes poor movement, add speed and use safer shots. If rallies last forever without pressure, add power or better placement. If opponents stand comfortably in the middle, work side spin and angle changes into the rally.
Shots and Court Position
Shot choice should follow position. When both players are neutral, topspin and slice keep rallies controlled. When the ball sits high or the opponent is late, a flat shot or smash can attack a corner. When the opponent crowds the net, lob. When the opponent is pushed back, drop.
Court recovery makes every other tip work. After hitting wide, move back toward a spot that covers the next return. If you are forced to lunge, send a safer ball and recover instead of trying to end the point from a bad stance.
In Doubles, avoid stealing every ball from your partner. Let the front player handle net chances and the back player cover depth unless the point demands a switch. Good spacing prevents both players from chasing the same return.
Training and Power Shots
Wall Practice and Tennis Machine build match fundamentals while giving EXP, so use them to fix the problem costing points. If you miss deep balls, practice depth. If you panic near wall panels, practice controlled pace. If targets are awkward, train placement instead of speed.
PS Point minigames are the route toward Power Shot growth. Because Power Shots can be offensive or defensive, do not unlock or equip only for spectacle. A power-focused player may want a direct attacking option. A slower player may benefit more from a defensive save. A side-spin player can value shots that amplify angles.
Once a Power Shot is available, test it in easier matches before relying on it late. Learn how much room it needs, whether it helps from bad position, and whether your partner can cover the next ball.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Do not level every stat without a plan - A character with no clear strength can struggle when academy matches get faster.
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Do not build your partner as a copy - Doubles works better when each player covers a different role.
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Do not mash one shot button all match - Topspin, slice, flat shots, lobs, and drops solve different court positions.
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Do not charge while out of position - Recover first when the next return can go either direction.
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Do not spam lobs against fast opponents - A lob is strongest against net pressure, not against a player already waiting deep.
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Do not waste drop shots from neutral rallies - Pull opponents forward after you have pushed them back or disrupted them.
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Do not use every Power Shot as soon as possible - Offensive and defensive options should match the rally situation.
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Do not ignore Wall Practice and Tennis Machine - They build EXP and teach the same placement habits you need in matches.
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Do not import rules from other Mario Tennis games - This is the GBA academy RPG, with its own controls and progression.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Stats | Pick three priorities and build a clear player identity |
| Doubles | Let your partner cover your weakest role |
| Shots | Choose topspin, slice, flat, lob, or drop based on court position |
| Recovery | Move back into coverage before charging the next ball |
| Training | Use EXP and PS Point minigames to fix specific weaknesses |
| Power Shots | Match offensive or defensive choices to your build and rally plan |
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6 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Mario Tennis: Power Tour.
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