For a while, I wanted to start a series where I ramble about one minute aspect of whatever thing I'm interested in. Whether a scene from a movie, a level from a video game, or a missed opportunity from a Star Wars story, I'm going to dedicate my time to talk about it.
Unfortunately, I got stuck on what will be my inaugural topic. Do I do a scene from Oscar nominated favorite One Night in Miami? How bout a heart wrenching moment from Nier? Maybe I can put my English minor to use and do a section of Titus?
No, I want to do the Mario Tennis game.
Specifically, Mario Power Tennis on the Nintendo Gamecube which has in my opinion the best opening cinematic in any video game I've played. When I think of opening intros that play before the start screen, I don't think of Super Smash Bros Melee or Persona 5. I think of Mario Power Tennis. It isn't groundbreaking nor do I think inspires discussion on game design. I just find the cutscene immensely charming, and I want to explore why.
Background
Now, Mario Power Tennis isn't the first in the series to have an elaborate opening cutscene. They in fact have one as early as Mario Tennis 64. I could research if they have been apart of an earlier entry, but the less said about the Virtual Boy the better.
Anyway, what's interesting about the intros for 64 and Power Tennis is the through line. That being Wario and Waluigi are shit starters. They could easily join in the tennis tournament normally. But no, they are going to crash the finals.
This premise is practically the same throughout all the 3D Tennis games (except Ultra Smash but the less said about the Wii U the better). In fact, I was shocked upon playing Mario Tennis Aces that Wario and Waluigi are still the main characters and they're still being shit starters. That's nice to hear. It's also nice to hear that the premise for Aces this time around is Wario and Waluigi waking a cosmic god and the game turns into a George Romero zombie/body snatcher story. That's the kind of jumping the shark Im all for.
Anyway, all of this is to say that I deeply admire the effort the developers went into the Tennis series. They would have been justified to just put in the minimal effort. After all, that's the expectation with the sports genre. But no, even something as by product as Mario Tennis deserves the same Nintendo polish as any other game. It's why I can't help but love Nintendo, at least in the earlier eras when nostalgia was new and my young naivety made me wide eyed to video games, warts and all.
The Takeaway
My goal with this series, on top of straight gushing about my favorite things, is to really scrutinize and see if I find something new to appreciate. Ive seen this cutscene dozens of times over the years but not with the critical eye I normally do.
For starters, it's great to see the crude animations of the background characters. Of course, on their own, they look bad. One paragoomba is merely moving up or down with no articulation, and they're a few piantas whose walking animations are stiff. However, that's easy to point out with a YouTube slider. And more importantly, that's not their purpose. They're a seasoning to a dish.
Purpose? That's an term used so often it is taught to elementary school children. You remember right? Purpose is either to entertain, inform, or persuade. It's simple but it is a good starting point in analyzing things.
Obviously, this cutscene is meant to entertain unless you want to stretch Mario Power Tennis as a commentary on illegal enhancements in professional sports. So what means does it entertain?
Right, it does it through some Looney Tune antics as Wario and Waluigi, two beloved Nintendo characters, vandalize a billboard, run from authorities, and commit a terrorist attack. Everything is in support of that.
There is a term called "the devil is in the details." And normally, it refers to the sometimes extreme levels of detail. Bumping the lamp as they say in animation or horse balls in video games. While I appreciate those touches, devil in the details doesn't have to be about polish. Sometimes it can be the littlest thing.
This goes back to the background characters. The detail isn't so much about them having subtle animations. Their detail is adding onto the comedy of Wario and Waluigi being pursued by police. It makes the scene more true to life with onlookers watching the chaos. It makes that scene have that little bit of extra comedy.
This extends to the little quips Wario and Waluigi make. They don't draw attention to it. In fact, you can barely hear what they're sputtering. It's that inattention that makes the quip funnier. Waluigi saying Bowser walks funny probably wouldn't be as funny if said in isolation. But weaved into a scene where Bowser is ominously ambling over to a big switch is the touch that makes the quip have some bite. This is a serious moment, but Wario and Waluigi can't help but still bicker amongst it.
What Makes It Special?
So why this cutscene? Why not Smash Melee or even the DK rap?
I think I find it special because it's a rare instance of Nintendo characters being in their world in such a well produced fashion. This isn't the Donkey Kong Country cartoon or Mario Bros Super Show. This isn't a Hollywood adaption that attempts to translate to American audience. This is a cartoon that oozes the feel of Nintendo.
As a kid whose main obsession was the Super Mario & Donkey Kong franchise, I had an idealistic view in what this franchise deserved in terms of media outside of video games. This opening gave me a taste of that idealistic view.
So that's the end of my first spotlight. Let me know in the comments what I should look at next. And then, I will ignore it to talk about Alvin and the Chipmunks or something.
