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Ages 6+
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(C) 1995 Nintendo of America Inc.
Page 01
Thank you for selecting the Mario's Tennis(TM) Game Pak for the Nintendo(R)
Virtual Boy(TM) System. Please read the instruction booklet thoroughly to
ensure maximum enjoyment of your new game. Save this booklet for future
reference.
/!\ WARNING
¯¯¯
This product MUST NOT be used by children under the age of seven (7) years.
Artificial stereo vision displays may not be safe for such children and may
cause serious, permanent damage to their vision.
Before using the Virtual Boy, carefully reed the Virtual Boy Instruction
Booklet and the Consumer Information and Precautions Booklet. Make sure
before playing that you correctly adjust the hardware, including the IPD
and FOCUS. Do not play if you are feeling tired. Discontinue use immediately
if you feel dizzy, nauseated or tired or if you eyes hurt or become
strained. Do not use unlicensed or counterfeit games. Failure to follow
all instructions could injure you and cause serious damage to your vision
or hearing.
For additional copies of the Virtual Boy Instruction Booklet, call
1-800-255-3700.
CHOKE HAZARD - SMALL PARTS
NOT FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF THREE YEARS. Babies and young children could
choke on the Virtual Boy Game Pak cover. Keep the Game Pak cover out of reach
of small children.
Page 02
Contents
*On the Court ............................................................. 3
*Adjustment for Virtual Boy ............................................... 4
*Controller functions ..................................................... 8
*How to play ............................................................. 13
*Characters in the game .................................................. 19
*Mario's Tennis School ................................................... 23
Page 03
On the Court
There has never been a tennis game like Mario's Tennis. Mario, Yoshi, and a
whole cast of your favorite characters move freely around a completely three
dimensional tennis court. If you move to the net, and your opponent lobs, the
ball seems to actually fly over your head. There has never been a game that
was able to so realistically create the feeling of depth on the court. You'll
find yourself trying to turn around and check the line when your opponent
slams a passing shot down the line. it's time to prove that you can serve,
volley and rally with the best of them!
Page 04
Adjustment for Virtual Boy
Before Starting the Game
When using the Virtual Boy, several adjustments must be made before starting
the game. For your health and safety, be certain to perform these adjustments
each time you play. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, be sure to wear
them while using the Virtual Boy.
Insert the Game Pak into the Virtual Boy, then turn the POWER switch located
on the front of the controller to the ON position. When the screen pictured to
the right appears, continue with the IPD and FOCUS adjustments.
Press the START button to display the "IPD and FOCUS adjustments screen." Both
adjustments are made using this screen.
Page 05
IPD Adjustment
This adjustment sets Virtual Boy to the distance between your eyes (the Inter
Pupil Distance).
While looking at the adjustment screen, turn the IPD dial located on top of
the Virtual Boy until you can see a mark in all four corners of the screen, as
shown in the following illustration:
The best adjustment may allow you to see only three or four marks. When you
have completed the IPD adjustment, proceed with the FOCUS adjustment.
Page 06
Focus Adjustment
This adjustment makes sure that you see the game image in the Virtual Boy
display clearly.
Move the FOCUS slider to the CENTER POSITION as on the housing. For most
people, the center position should give you the clearest image. If the image
is still fuzzy, then adjust the FOCUS slider right or left until the image is
sharp and clear.
Page 07
Automatic Pause Function
All Virtual Boy Game Paks contain an automatic pause function. After
completing the IPD and FOCUS adjustments, press the START button and the
screen pictured at right will appear. The automatic pause is preset to the ON
position. Nintendo recommends that you ALWAYS set the automatic pause to ON.
To override the setting, use ( or ) on the L + Control Pad, then press the START
button to begin the game.
*The Auto Pause function in Mario's Tennis will activate every 10 minutes.
Please take a break and give your eyes some rest. After your rest is
completed, press the START button to restart the game.
Note: The Auto Pause will not activate in the middle of a shot.
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Controller functions
L +Control Pad
*Move the player
*Control shot placement
*Move through selections
A Button
*Hit the ball (solid shot)
*Toss the ball
*Register a selection
*Move to next point
Select
*Press during PAUSE to access the adjustment screen
Start
*PAUSE the game
*Advance to next screen
B Button
*Hit ball (soft shot, lob)
*Toss the ball
The R +Control Pad and the L & R Buttons are not used
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Game play
*Moving the player
Use the L + Control pad, and your player moves forward, back, left and right.
*Serving
(1)Move the player to the left or right.
(2)Press either the A or B Button to toss the ball.
(3)Press the A or B Button again to serve. If you time your swing correctly,
the serve will be good.
(The A Button hits a hard serve, and the B Button hits a soft serve.)
*Hitting Groundstrokes, Lobs, Volleys and Smashes.
Press the A Button to hit normal, strong groundstrokes. If the ball is above
your head, you will automatically do an overhead smash. When near the net,
you automatically volley.
Press the B Button to Lob.
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*Using the L +Control Pad
The L +Control Pad is used to control the placement of your shots in the
court. If you press the L + Control Pad at the same time that you hit the ball,
you can direct the shot as follows:
-UP on L +Control Pad -- long backcourt shot
-DOWN on L +Control Pad -- short frontcourt shot
-LEFT, RIGHT on L + Control Pad -- shot toward sideline
More Controller Functions
*Speed up between points
Press A Button between points to speed up the action. Your character will run
to the service line, and point information will not be displayed on screen as
long.
*Pause
Press START at any time to Pause game play. While the game is paused, you can
adjust the Virtual Boy IPD and focus. If you want to
Page 11
make adjustments, press SELECT (while paused) to access the IPD and focus
screen. After making adjustments, press START to return to the pause screen.
Press START again to go back to game play.
NOTE: You cannot access the Auto Pause ON/OFF selection by pausing the game.
*Reset
If you press START, SELECT, the A, B, L and R Buttons simultaneously, the
game will reset.
Low Battery Indicator
When battery power is low, you will see a flashing battery indicator in the
corner of the screen. The indicator is pictured at the right. Please change
the batteries as soon as possible after the indicator appears.
Page 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Controller function table
The table below shows the use of each button during game play.
+-----------+----------------+-----------------------+
| | Service | Ball in play |
+-----------+----------------+-----------------------+
| |*Toss |*Ground stroke |
| A Button |*Fast serve |*Volley (near the net) |
| | |*Overhead smash |
+-----------+----------------+-----------------------+
| |*Toss |*Lob |
| B Button |*Slow serve |*Overhead smash |
| | | |
+-----------+----------------+-----------------------+
|L +Control | | |
| Pad |*Shot placement |*Shot placement |
| | | |
+-----------+----------------+-----------------------+
Page 13
How to Play
Title screen
At the title screen, select between SINGLES and DOUBLES with the L + Control
Pad, then register the selection with the A Button.
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Game settings screen for SINGLES play
At the screen pictured on the right, select either 1P vs. COM of TOURNAMENT
with the L + Control Pad. Next, select the difficulty level and length of the
match. Use the L + Control Pad to select your player character, and press the A
Button to register your selection. Then, select your opponent with the
L + Control Pad and press the A Button.
Game settings screen for DOUBLES play
At the screen pictured on the right, make the selections as indicated for
SINGLES play, though you can select your player character, your partner and
your two opponents.
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Tournament Play
If you select Tournament, the screen pictured at the right is displayed, and
your opponent is randomly selected. During the tournament, the outcome of
matches other than your own is decided by the computer. Enter the tournament
by pressing the A Button.
Be sure to select the difficulty level and the length of the match before
selecting the player characters.
If you press START before selecting player characters, Mario plays Donkey Kong
Jr. in the SINGLES mode. In the DOUBLES mode, the teams are set as Mario &
Yoshi vs. Donkey Kong Jr. & Toad if you do not select the players.
Page 16
Court screen
Opponent
Court
Notice that the net is decorated with hearts. The court is used for both
SINGLES and DOUBLES mode.
Lakitu
Lakitu is the Chair Umpire (high above the court) and score keeper for all of
the matches. There is no complaining about line calls allowed with this judge!
Your player character
Your player always appears at the bottom of the screen. Watch the facial
expressions of the different characters!
Page 17
Results Screen.
Except for tournament matches, the screen shown below is displayed at the end
of every match. This screen gives you the chance to see how well you played in
the match by displaying various statistics. Press the A Button to return to
the title screen.
TOTAL PTS. Total of points won
BASELINE PTS. Points won from the backcourt
NET PTS. Points won at the net
ERRORS Total of unforced errors
SERVICE ACE Total aces served
1ST SERVE % Percentage of good first serves
DOUBLE FAULT Number of double faults
Page 19
About Difficulty Levels
Study the following chart, so that you will select a difficulty level that is
appropriate for you.
+----------------------+-------+--------+----------+
| | Easy | Normal | Hard |
+----------------------+-------+--------+----------+
| Ball Speed | Slow | Slow | Fast |
+----------------------+-------+--------+----------+
| Racquet contact area | Large | Large | Standard |
+----------------------+-------+--------+----------+
| Opponent power | Weak | Strong | Strong |
+----------------------+-------+--------+----------+
| Player's body can | No | No | Yes |
| obscure ball | | | |
+----------------------+-------+--------+----------+
| Player speed | Slow | Slow | Fast |
+----------------------+-------+--------+----------+
**The ball won't hit the player character's body.
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Characters in the game
MARIO
He is an average player whose court speed and leg strength are solid. His
racquet contact area is average, and he relies on his skillful groundstrokes,
though he will approach the net occasionally.
LUIGI
His skill level and court strategy are similar to Mario's. He has better court
coverage, though, due to being faster than Mario.
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PRINCESS TOADSTOOL
The princess is slow, but her racquet contact area is large. She doesn't like
to approach the net, preferring to instead rally from the baseline.
YOSHI
He is the fastest of all the players, but his racquet contact area is small. He
plays an aggressive type of game by rushing the net at every opportunity.
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TOAD
Toad is quite quick on the court, but his racquet contact area is not very
large. Like Yoshi, he tries to approach the net often. Though he is strong, he
has great court coverage because he can lunge at tough shots.
KOOPA
Being a turtle, basically, his court speed suffers. He has a large racquet
contact area, though. He likes to rally from the baseline, and he also can
lunge at tough shots like Toad.
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DONKEY KONG Jr.
He is slower than all the other players, and also has a smaller racquet contact
area. He is, however, understandably the most powerful of all the players. His
strong groundstrokes allow him to win many points from the baseline.
*The racquet contact area only changes when playing on the HARD difficulty
level.
*The racquet contact area affects the player's ability to return balls that are
far away or to close to the player. On any level, faster players are faster,
and powerful players hi strong shots.
Page 23
MARIO'S TENNIS SCHOOL
Techniques to improve your play
*Service
When serving, check your opponent's location on court. Use this to select the
placement and depth of your serve. For the easiest serve, use the B Button
without the L + Control Pad.
*Return of serve
Watch where the opponent stands during service, and try to effectively place a
solid return of serve. If an opponent rushes the net just after serving, make
sure that you use your lob.
*Groundstrokes, volleys, and smashes
Timing is very important on these shots. If you press the L + Control Pad too
early, your player character will move and you may miss the shot.
Page 24
MARIO'S TENNIS SCHOOL
The placement of your shots can be affected by the timing of your swing of the
racket. If you swing early or late can change where your shot goes. For
example, if you press the L + Control Pad and swing early while trying to hit a
ball to the left, the ball will fly more sharply to the left. Being able to
correctly time the swing of your racquet can directly affect your success on
the court.
*Doubles positioning
When playing Doubles, do not stand directly behind or in front of your
partner. In Doubles, maximum court coverage requires you and your partner to
cover the sidelines effectively.
Page 25
MARIO'S TENNIS SCHOOL
Rules of tennis
*Points
The basic unit of scoring is the point. Points start from 0 (Love) and the
first point scored is called 15, the second point is called 30, the third is
40, and the fourth point won wins the game. If the game reaches 40-40, it is
called Deuce. The next point won gives that player the Advantage. If that
player wins the next point, they win the game. If they lose the point, the
score returns to Deuce, and play continues until one side with the Advantage
wins a point.
Page 24
MARIO'S TENNIS SCHOOL
*Games
A game is normally the first to win four points, unless the match goes to
Deuce. The first player to win six games wins a "set," though the winner must
beat the opponent by at least two games. If each side wins six games, there is
a special game played called a Tie Break to determine who wins the set.
*The Tie Break
As mentioned, a Tie Break is played when the score is 6-6. In the Tie Break,
the first person to win seven points, and win by two points, takes the set.
The score for the set is recorded as 7-6.
*Sets
Real matches are normally the best-of-three sets or the best-of-five sets. In
Mario's Tennis, there is no best-of-five set match. So that matches can be
quickly played, you have a choice between a one set match or a best-of-three
set match.
Page 27
MARIO'S TENNIS SCHOOL
Tennis terms used in the game
*Out
If your shot lands outside the court, you lose that point. A sign appears
telling you when a shot is out.
*Net
If your shot hits the net, and lands on your side of the net, you lose the
point A sign indicates when your shot hits the net and lands on your side.
Page 28
MARIO'S TENNIS SCHOOL
*Fault
If your serve does not land in the service area, you "fault." If you fault
twice in a row, it is called a "double fault," and you lose the point. During
the game "FAULT" and "DOUBLE FAULT" will be indicated. The service area is the
square that is near the net, and in front of where your opponent is standing
prior to serve.
*Let
If your serve hits the net and falls in service area, it is called a "let,"
and you get to serve over again. Let will be displayed on screen. If your
serve hits the net but falls outside the service area, it is a fault.
Page 29
MARIO'S TENNIS SCHOOL
*Serve
The server stands behind the baseline outside the court, tosses the ball and
then hits it into the service area on the other side of the court. The
service area is the square in the frontcourt ahead of your opponent. A serve
must bounce before it is returned. Service lasts for one game, and it
alternates between players.
*Groundstrokes
Hit the ball back to your opponent after it has bounced once.
*Overhead smash.
Hit the ball as it flies overhead. The overhead smash is a very fast, powerful
shot.
Page 30
MARIO'S TENNIS SCHOOL
*Volley
While close to the net, hit the ball before it bounces.
*Lob
Hit the ball over the head of an opponent who is at the net.
Try to use the shots and information detailed earlier to your full advantage.
Learning the terminology and rules will get you into the great game of tennis.
Now it's time to hit the court!
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[SCORE CARD]
Page 32
IMPORTANT:
WARNING: Copying of any Nintendo came is illegal and is strictly prohibited by
domestic and international copyright laws. "Back-up" or "archival" copies are
not authorized and are not necessary to protect your software. Violators will
be prosecuted.
This Nintendo game is not designed for use with any unauthorized copying
device. Use of any such device will invalidate your Nintendo product warranty.
Nintendo (and/or any Nintendo licensee or distributor) is not responsible for
any damage or loss caused by the use of any such device. If use of such device
causes your game to stop operating, disconnect the device carefully to avoid
damage and resume normal game play. If your game ceases to operate and you
have no device attached to it, please contact your local authorized Nintendo
retailer.
The contents of this notice do not interfere with your statutory rights.
This manual and other printed matter accompanying this game are protected by
domestic and international copyright laws.
The rental of this game without permission of Nintendo or its licensees is
strictly prohibited.
For further information or assistance, please contact:
Nintendo Consumer Assistance Hotline
1-800-255-3700 (U.S. and Canada)
Or your local authorized Nintendo retailer.
Page 33
[WARRANTY]
