Mario Tennis Open is quickly approaching and while it definitely looks like great fun, fans are disappointed that the highly praised RPG mode found in previous handheld versions will not be making the cut.
Magazine Nintendo Power took the chance to ask Hiroyuki Takahashi, co-head of Camelot (his brother being the other), about the exclusion. While it was emphasised the focus this time was on creating a console-quality experience, it seems there was one major reason preventing them from including the feature. He had this to say:
Another reason is that the game’s cast includes Mii characters in addition to characters from the Mario family, which are difficult to work into an [RPG] scenario. It didn’t feel right to have already-existent Mii characters appear in an original storyline. But there are RPG-like elements in the form of costumes. I hope people will enjoy collecting the various costumes to customise their own characters and expand their abilities.
Seems like Camelot could have made it work which is a shame as the RPG mode is seen in many eyes as the highlight of the handheld experiences. However its not all doom and gloom as the online mode will offer leaderboards and doubles. Whatsmore a handful of cool looking mini games will also be included. Plenty to keep you swinging for months to come.
Play as Luigi, Mario, Bowser, Diddy and a whole host of characters
Mario Tennis Open is set for release on May 25th for Nintendo 3DS.
