The 10 best tennis video games ever to play during Wimbledon
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Presumably concerned Game Boy Color owners would throw their consoles out of the window if the company had the audacity to release a normal tennis game on the system, Nintendo crafted Mario Tennis to be closer to a quirky RPG that just happened to have tennis mechanics in place of a battle system.
For this Game Boy Advance sequel, the mash-up was particularly glorious, twinning amusing Zelda-like chats and exploration with high-octane ball-thwacking that was the best on the system. Add in furiously addictive madcap mini-games and you've a title that might not be tennis as you know it, but it does make everything else on this list seem a little dull by comparison.
9) Wii Sports (2006, Nintendo Wii)
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As the Wii arrived, the games industry was roused by a million voices crying out in pain that Nintendo had – shock! – dumbed-down console gaming. Take the tennis bit of Wii Sports: players moved automatically, and you merely swung your controller a bit like a racket, only occasionally accidentally letting go and smashing your TV screen.
The thing is, it was fantastic (apart from the TV-smashing bit). Everyone could get in on the action, rather than having to first master the 'gamepad claw'; yet there was enough nuance for dedicated players to pull off some fantastic moves – even if the little Mii characters looked ridiculous while doing so.
10) Top Spin 4 (2011, PS3/Wii/Xbox 360)
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It's probably sacrilege to say it, but some time in the 2000s, Sega lost its tennis-game crown; Virtua Tennis 3 was an impressive if predictable update, but its sequel was finally eclipsed by the lurking Top Spin series.
In Top Spin 4, the deep coaching system hugely added to the extensive career mode, and the character customisation went so far as to enable you to select different types of grunts and victory celebrations. It was perhaps all a little clinical (besides the bizarre uncanny valley player faces), but fluid player movement, balanced gameplay and detailed, responsive controls combined to make for a rewarding experience for those who persevered.
New balls, please
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If you're thinking, 'Hang on. You've just recommended the game equivalents of Martina Navratilova, Andre Agassi and Roger Federer', that's because there are few newer titles capable of walloping an ace towards your console. Still, if you need something contemporary, there are two solid options.
Top Spin 2K25 (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows) follows up on the last entry in the above list with an iterative effort that nets you a slew of licensed venues and players that look at least 34% less like zombies than they did in the Virtua Tennis days. Tweaked mechanics make for exciting risk vs reward moments during rallies. But you'll grumble at the grind progression system and absurdist virtual currency, which leaves Wimbledon winners with barely enough extra virtual cash for a pair of virtual socks. Tsk.
Unsurprisingly, Nintendo Switch owners get something a mite more bonkers and colourful in the shape of Mario Tennis Aces. This builds on previous Nintendo efforts by fusing arcade gameplay and adventuring, while occasionally acknowledging that, yes, there's a tennis game in there somewhere. Boss battles with tennis rackets can be entertainingly daft, although the single-player mode runs out of steam faster than the average Brit at Wimbledon. The game's chaotic nature is fun while it lasts though.
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Stuff.tv
6 days ago
- Stuff.tv
How Donkey Kong went from arcade brawler to Banana royalty
Nintendo is home to some of the most iconic and beloved characters to have graced a games console, but its first ever mascot, Donkey Kong, is long overdue some proper respect. That may seem a tricky proposition when the gorilla was originally designed as oafish and dumb, but he's come a long way since debuting more than 40 years ago. He's gone from titular antagonist to beat at the arcade, to a playable platforming hero in his own right from the SNES onwards. And while he's had fewer headline outings than Mario, every time he's come back it's always with an inspired reinvention. With the release of Donkey Kong Bananza, the biggest exclusive for the Nintendo Switch 2 to date, it's a good time to look back at the key games that have defined and transformed this lovable ape over the years. Donkey Kong (1981) Looking back now, it's amazing to think 1891's Donkey Kong was originally meant to simply salvage thousands of unsold cabinets for failed Space Invaders clone Radar Scope. Nintendo then tried to license Popeye the sailor man to star in it. What we ended up with was a platformer all about climbing ladders and jumping over barrels, as you attempted to reach the top of a construction site to rescue Pauline from the great ape. The game was an enormous success, becoming the highest-grossing arcade game in the US that year, and was responsible for giving Nintendo its first major foothold in the West – long before the NES would make it a dominant force. Not bad for a game that marked the debut for a plucky young designer called Shigeru Miyamoto. It was of course also the game that introduced the world to Mario, although here the dungaree-wearing hero was simply known as Jumpman. Donkey Kong (1994) Besides home ports of the arcade original, the Donkey Kong franchise actually went dormant for a while after Donkey Kong 3 took things down the shooter route and replaced Mario with an 'exterminator' called Stanley. The Game Boy revival, better referred to as Donkey Kong '94, was more of a puzzle platformer, with over 100 levels for Mario to rescue Pauline from DK across. The gameplay would later inspire spiritual successor Mario vs Donkey Kong on the Game Boy Advance, which was eventually remastered for the original Nintendo Switch. It's also significant for being the game that gave Donkey Kong the signature red necktie sporting his initials, and redesigned Pauline as a long-haired brunette in a red dress. Donkey Kong Country (1994) A far more significant Donkey Kong revival arrived later that year, not from Nintendo but the British studio Rare. Donkey Kong Country reinvented the ape as a playable platforming protagonist who, with his nephew Diddy Kong, sets out to recover stolen bananas from the evil King and his Kremlings. A much trickier platformer than the contemporary Mario games, here you're relying on skill rather than power-ups. It's especially fiendish if you want to nab all the collectibles. What set it apart for many was its groundbreaking pre-rendered 3D models, keeping the ageing 16-bit SNES relevant as the real 3D gaming revolution was beginning elsewhere. David Wise's charming score is meanwhile as catchy and memorable as Koji Kondo's finest for Mario and Zelda. Donkey Kong 64 (1999) The Nintendo 64 was the de facto home of the 3D platformer, having gone stratospheric courtesy of the revolutionary Super Mario 64. It was only a matter of time as to when DK would make his proper 3D debut there. On paper, Donkey Kong 64 sounds like a winner: you get to play an ensemble of Kongs – DK, Diddy, Tiny, Lanky, and Chunky – with different abilities, and developer Rare had already proven its 3D chops with Banjo Kazooie. Unfortunately, while a hit at the time, DK64 is largely looked back on as a tedious slog of a collectathon. The whopping 3,831 total collectibles earned it an entry in the Guiness World Records. It's perhaps no surprise that subsequent DK games have opted to revert to side-scrolling platforming. But hey, at least it gave us the DK Rap. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (2004) Jungle Beat is a niche GameCube release that sees you controlling DK with a pair of bongo drums, which were originally designed by Namco for its rhythm game spin-off Donkey Konga. But it's still an important part of DK's history. This was the first major game in the franchise to be developed by Nintendo in-house after Rare had been sold to Microsoft. It controversially ditched a lot of the elements from Donkey Kong Country (that series wouldn't be revived until 2010 by Retro Studios) including its characters and challenging platforming, though just getting your head around its quirky control system is already challenging enough. A curio for sure, but it's better remembered as the debut of the Nintendo division that would go onto make Super Mario Galaxy. Donkey Kong Bananza (2025) More than a quarter of a century later, DK has finally been given another 3D outing. And who better to right the wrongs of DK64 than the team behind Switch 1 masterpiece Super Mario Odyssey? Bananza is still a 3D platformer but it's less reliant on Country's twitch platforming and more on DK's brawn. You can literally smash up terrain to dig up secrets or carve your own path. There's still plenty to collect, in the form of Banandium Gems – think of them as edible crystal bananas that are much like Odyssey's Power Moons. What separates this from being a mere collectathon is the absolute delight of causing chaos as you explore each layer of this world in your journey towards the planet core. It's not just sheer monkey mayhem, either, as you can also transform into other animals with other powers, like a speedy zebra or a flying ostrich (I know, ostrich don't fly in real life, but let's not interrogate that too deeply). We've already seen the big guy's redesign both in the Super Mario Bros. movie and Mario Kart World, but it's in Bananza where you really appreciate just how expressive his silly face is. Bananza also pays tribute to the great ape's history, so there's not just cameos from the DKC family; it's also got a few secret side-scrolling sequences, Jungle Beat's ability collect to nearby items with a clap, and the DK Rap playing when you have a rest. The biggest reinvention though comes with Pauline, no longer a damsel but a pint-sized tween with a big singing voice that powers DK's transformations. The pair's relationship is surely a nod to Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope, alongside a story with emotional and musical cues that wouldn't feel out of place in a Disney movie. This gorilla's never had a bigger outing and a bigger heart.
Stuff.tv
15-07-2025
- Stuff.tv
The 14 best Mario games of all time: where is your favourite?
It's been well over 40 years since Mario – first called 'Jumpman' in those simpler days – first leapt into our hearts in the original Donkey Kong, and we've savoured nearly every moment since with the loveable action-plumber. He's appeared in hundreds of games now, spanning all manner of genres, platforms, and styles, but Nintendo's impressively mustachioed mascot has an incredible legacy for quality: his core games, in particular, have consistently defined and redefined genres, not to mention single-handedly made pricey gaming hardware into essential purchases. To keep things focused, we're only including Mario platformers here, with all 2D and 3D games considered. If we started factoring in the plumber's love of sport, go-karting, tactical combat and papercraft, we'd probably be here all day. But check out our guide to the best Nintendo Switch games for the entire Mario experience. 14. Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins (1992, Game Boy) Play The original Super Mario Land is a landmark Mario game as the first one to be released on a handheld system. It's still fun to revisit today, but we'd lean towards the wonderfully weird follow-up. Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins was the game that introduced us to Wario, who is the main antagonist here, and can only be fought once Mario has collected the titular six golden coins. With an overworld that lets you tackle the various themed zones in any order, and power-ups such as the Magic Carrot, which turns Mario into Bunny Mario and is every bit as fun as it sounds, Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins is an oddball classic. 13. Super Mario Maker (2015, Wii U) Play True, this isn't a typical Mario game in the sense that creation is the defining element, but Nintendo did a fantastic job of making the process fun, accessible, and totally perfect for the Wii U GamePad. And believe it or not, this is some of the most fun we've had playing classic-flavoured Mario stages in some time. The wealth of player-created challenges can keep you going for some time, and Nintendo's own quick-hit creations are loose, silly, and completely fab. A sequel, Mario Maker 2, was released for Switch in 2019, but we thought this game was at its best when you can tweak your levels on the GamePad. 12. Super Mario Sunshine (2002, GameCube) As the first 3D entry to follow the utterly brilliant Super Mario 64, the GameCube's Super Mario Sunshine couldn't help but be let down by expectations – not to mention the seeming reliance on a weird new gimmick. Yet Nintendo's creativity overcame any concerns, naturally, as the FLUDD water-sprayer – used to clean up gunk around the sunny island – unlocked great new platform gameplay elements. 11. New Super Mario Bros. (2006, Nintendo DS) Play What's old was made new again (obviously) with New Super Mario Bros, which put a modern twist on the classics for the Nintendo DS. By and large, the game stuck to the old playbook: side-scrolling challenges in themed stages, albeit with 3D graphics instead of the old sprites. But newer elements, like the ground pound and super-sized Mario power-up, helped give it a fresh, exciting feel. Follow-ups – including New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe on Switch – have worn the premise a little thinner; the first is still our favourite of these. Read: The 10 best gaming controllers ever – ranked! 10. Super Mario 3D Land (2011, Nintendo 3DS) Play It was Nintendo's task to make the visual depth capabilities of the 3DS handheld seem like more than a mere gimmick, and the company nailed it brilliantly with Super Mario 3D Land. Essentially a blend of the 2D and 3D branches of the franchise, the game nimbly bounces between free-roaming and fixed-camera segments while being a total blast throughout. And the 3D effect not only made the game look amazing, but also informed the gameplay too. 9. Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010, Wii) Nintendo rarely makes direct sequels to its Mario games, but when the idea is as good as the original Super Mario Galaxy it's very much a case of more is more. Galaxy 2 has less of a story focus than its predecessor, but that means it takes less time to get to all the glorious gravity-manipulating platforming Nintendo serves up, and this time Yoshi is along for the ride. This is also a game for the Mario hardcore, with some of the later levels really testing your skills. It's very hard to choose between this one and the original, which we may or may not revisit in a bit, but both Galaxy games see Nintendo at its creative peak, and it's a crying shame that you can still only play the first one on Switch. 8. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995, SNES) To some, Super Mario World 2 will always be the 'whining baby' game – it's the one in which Mario is a little infant being shepherded around by Yoshi, and if he pops off your back, the sobbing and waterworks kick in immediately. Yet there's a totally awesome platformer built around it: a smart, strategic spin on the classic 2D design that feels very different, yet is just as satisfying. And the hand-drawn look is still marvellous. An updated version – technically a separate game but very similar to the original – called Yoshi's New Island was released for the 3DS in 2014. 7. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021, Switch) Play Super Mario 3D World was one of the Wii U's best games, but the Switch port that inevitably arrived later is undeniably the best version of the game. You get a perfect port of Super Mario 3D World, the ultimate realisation of the 2D-meets-3D Mario game design that Nintendo started exploring with Super Mario 3D Land, with deliriously inventive stages that are even more fun in multiplayer, but that's not all. The Switch version also came with a brand new standalone Mario adventure called Bowser's Fury. This remixes 3D World's assets in an open-world environment in which you're being hunted by a Kaiju-sized Bowser. It's a scrappy, fascinating little game that has you hopping between a series of themed islands in any order you like, and could give us an insight into what Nintendo has in mind for its next full-length Mario adventure. 6. Super Mario Odyssey (2017, Switch) Play Given all the hype around Super Mario Odyssey, its 7th place finish here might seem disappointing. But just look at the legendary games that land before it – not to mention the brilliant ones it just topped! Indeed, Super Mario Odyssey is another truly excellent 3D entry in the series, acting as a long-overdue successor of sorts to Super Mario 64 while bundling in an absolute wealth of new ideas. By and large, it sticks to Nintendo's 3D Mario template, but thanks to Mario's new companion Cappy, you can inhabit loads of different creatures in the world. That makes it perhaps the most diverse 3D platformer in the franchise, and every intensely weird bit of it is pretty wonderful. 5. Super Mario Bros. (1987, NES) How do you rank one of the most important and influential games of all time? We were tempted to put it up top, but on a list like this, the competition is stiff (yet so very friendly). Super Mario Bros. essentially defined the platformer template for countless games to follow, with each side-scrolling sprint delivering the right blend of challenge and fun. Later games took the design to new heights, but the original remains utterly essential. 4. Super Mario World (1992, SNES) Released alongside Nintendo's 16-bit juggernaut, Super Mario World was the culmination of the series in its classic state. It took advantage of the new hardware for improved graphics and a superb soundtrack, but also expanded the game design with fresh power-ups, level themes, and everyone's favourite rideable dinosaur, Yoshi. Best of all, it was huge, delivering an engrossing adventure to get lost in with your shiny new console. 3. Super Mario Galaxy (2007, Wii) Play If you needed proof that the Mario platform design can be twisted into pretty much any wild, winning concept by Nintendo's geniuses, then Super Mario Galaxy is it. The outer space theme and globe-like, camera-twisting stages showed that Shigeru Miyamoto and crew could still reinvent the game, and it truly is one of the most joyful, boundlessly creative games we've ever played. Why do we place it above the sequel? Well, Galaxy did the whole planet-hopping thing first, and got nearly everything right. It's a bit more forgiving too. Plus you can play this one easily today in the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection on Switch, which gives the game an HD lick of paint. 2. Super Mario Bros. 3 (1991, NES) Play Can you believe that Super Mario Bros. 3 came out on the same system as the original game (and the weird mess that is Super Mario Bros. 2?). It's such a huge advancement in terms of gameplay design and aesthetic, and the impact was incredible. Some 30 years later, it holds up as a paragon of platform game design, with some of the most memorable stages you'll ever play and creative power-ups aplenty. Plus, it set much of the thematic tone still used in the series today. 1. Super Mario 64 (1997, Nintendo 64) Some might call it heresy to not pick a 2D game for the top slot here, but over 25 years later, we're still in awe of Super Mario 64. It not only brought the most important series in gaming into the third dimension, but once again set the template for the entire genre. And best of all, Super Mario 64 did it with so much infectious and imaginative charm that it still holds up strong today. It's a legendary game in a series absolutely stocked with them. Roll on Super Mario Holographic 8 on the Nintendo 5D MegaBrain VR... Read: Mario: How a plumber inspired today's gamers and creators
Stuff.tv
10-07-2025
- Stuff.tv
Sony PS One at 25 – we remember Sony's first portable console
Sony may be a console giant today, but back in 2000 the company was still figuring out how to take over the world. A major step on that ruthless march to dominance was the release of the PS One. Ah, the PS1 – I loved that thing. The moment when gaming finally became cool! We're not talking about the original PlayStation, which wasn't even called the PS1 back then (well, that would have been wildly presumptuous). This is the PS One – and it was no mere name change. Sony's sleeker, curvier console – half the footprint, a third of the weight – was aimed at a younger, wider audience less obsessed with mean, angular hardware. And you could buy a screw-on 5in screen that arguably made it Sony's first portable console. A portable PlayStation? Were they expecting you to play serious games on the bus? Sort of. Slap on that screen and, boom, instant self-contained portable gaming. Now, obviously you couldn't play it anywhere – unless you had the world's longest extension lead. But it freed the console from the family telly and gave us our first hint of AAA gaming on the go, years before the Steam Deck was a glint in Valve's eye. Plus the car adapter could keep kids quiet in the back, blazing around virtual race circuits while parents – ironically – sat there grumbling in a traffic jam. So did anyone really buy this thing, or was it just for weird 2000s retro heads? People loved it. The PS One crushed the competition in 2000, outselling everything from Sony's own supply-constrained PS2 to Sega's beleaguered Dreamcast. Even with the screen it was a bargain, giving budget-conscious gamers access to a quality machine with a huge library of titles – enough to keep it going until 2006, just before the PS3 arrived. It wasn't flash. It wasn't 'next gen'. But smart decisions ensured it was a stellar success. There's a moral for the games industry in there… Sony PlayStation side quests (hardware edition) The PS One wasn't the only time Sony decided to remix a hit console. Here are four other efforts that found the company wandering off the main PlayStation path. The PS2 Slim: so sharp it could slice cheese. Probably. PS2 Slim (2004): Realising not everyone wanted a console the size of a fridge, Sony slimmed down the PS2, even improving a few bits (beyond reduced heft) while doing so. It was a hit to the degree Sony repeated the trick for subsequent generations. The PS3 even got a 'Super Slim' edition. PlayStation TV (2013): Handheld console games on the big screen? That'll never catch on. Cough. But it was Sony that got there first, with a Vita minus a screen that lived under your telly. Alas, early compatibility issues and general bafflement made this one a rare misfire. Shame. PS4 Pro (2016): If the very thought of 1080p disgusted you after upgrading to a 4K TV, Sony was ready to dangle a PS4 Pro in front of your face. Updated games shone. Older ones pretended to shine due to upscaling. And 4K Blu-rays… weren't supported. Erm. Well, you can't have everything. PlayStation Classic (2018): This dinky plug-and-play retro box went right back to the start, cramming in 20 PS1 classics – but not the ones you wanted, obvs. Sony also cunningly made the controller cables approx. 1cm long. Still, the gamepads could be swapped for something better – as could the games if you risked Sony's ire and modded the unit. Now read: The 25 best PlayStation games of all time
