New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis Review

I'm a little torn. On the one hand, I want to rip Nintendo for doing a cheap and easy cash-in title – this game is nothing more than a slightly enhanced port of the old GameCube title with motion controls. On the other hand, the Wii is drowning in poorly made ''casual'' titles that provide neither the depth of an actual game nor the family fun promised on the back of the box. While it's disappointing that this is a retread and not a proper new Mario Tennis title, Nintendo knows how to craft a quality game.

I've always been a fan of the Mario Tennis series, and I am impressed by the responsive motion controls. The basic swing works well, and by swinging in diagonal motions you can apply top and back spin. Special shots are performed by holding A or B and quickly flicking the remote up or down. Players can select from four different difficulty levels, allowing them to make some functions automatic for novice players. This is one of those rare cases where the motion controls add something fun to the experience, rather than detracting from it. After playing so many Wii games with horrid response times, I wish Nintendo would share whatever secret it has with other developers.

The game doesn't have much new content. A few new courts and characters won't attract anyone who's spent serious time on the GC version. Still, I couldn't help but find myself getting wrapped up it the game again, even if I had the nagging feeling that this version seemed a little easier than it had before. But let's be honest: I'd rather have leftovers of last night's steak dinner than today's lunchroom goulash.