Character Profiles and Doubles Teams
Definitions
Net Play: Playing at the net for volleys and smashes
Baseline: Playing from the back of the court ie hitting after the bounce
Groundstrokes: The shots hit after the bounce (forehand, backhand)
Volleys: Ball is played before the bounce
Smash: Exactly as it sounds
Serve: The opening shot that is in full control of the server.
Slice: Press B button once
Power-Slice: Press B button once to charge up, then press B again to strike ball
Topspin: Press A once
Power-Topspin: Press B button once to charge up, then press B again to strike ball
Lob: Press A, then B to strike the ball
Drop Shot: Press B, then A to strike the ball
Angle: Hit the ball in such a way that it goes so far crosscourt, your opponent can't reach it. You must have a good technique player to do this, and you have to be on the side of the court, not in the middle.
Mario
Style: All-round
In all games, the all-rounder. If you are a pure beginner, use him or Luigi. He can hit every single shot decently. He's never very good or very bad, so if you really want a flexible person for everything, use him. Because of his versatility, be as unpredictable as possible, coming to net sometimes, slicing it wide, then slamming it deep. Be creative. Weapon: versatility. Going against: come to the net and finish him off as quickly as possible.
Luigi
Style: All-round
Basically the same as Mario. He has less power, but he has more reach, so he therefore is better at net play. Come to the net more often than Mario, but use the same type of strategy. Weapon: versatility. Going against: come to the net and finish the point as quickly as possible.
Wario
Style: Power
Rely on your serve and power-shots. If you can get to the net, play the net, but Wario is awfully slow. Weapon: Power-Shots and -Serves. Going against: don't let him get to the net. Hit tons of angled shots and keep him running. Hit left, then right, then left, etc. Go to the net if this doesn't work. But never lob him. His smash is devestating.
Waluigi
Style: Technique
The newest addition to the Mario family, Waluigi has the most reach in the game. His long arms and legs are excellent for his running and net play. You can do anything with this guy. Just try to keep the points short: his little laughs get annoying. Weapon: versatility. Going against: not much can be done if you face Waluigi. He could have just as easily been an all-rounder. So try to figure out his style. Come to the net as often as possible and do big serves. Since he's unpredictable, be unpredictable yourself.
Peach
Style: Technique
Decent speed, awesome control, but very little power. Keep her at the baseline, use the slice a lot, and take advantage of her control. Rely on the slice shot, then once your opponent is off balance, slam a topspin down the line. For her serve, use the slice a lot. She has good reach, so if you are forced to play the net, try to keep the ball deep and end the point as quickly as possible. Weapon: Power-Slice backhand. Going against: drop shot is effective. Don't be afraid to keep the rally going: she doesn't have enough power to finish you off right away. Try to draw her to the net, or just keep her on the run. If possible, slam an ace right by her.
Daisy
Style: Technique
Basically the same as Peach. She has less control than Peach, but has better balance. Rely on your rallies and keep them going as long as possible to wear out opponents. Weapon: Power-Topspin forehand. Going against: same as Peach.
Baby Mario
Style: Speed
He has awesome stats: high speed, high power, decent control. His downside is his minimal reach. Don't get him to play the net at all. Keep him in the middle of the court, a little behind the service line. His excellent speed should be used to cover the court so that no shot can get past. Weapon: speed. Going against: Lob him. As much as possible lob him. Do drop shots too, but don't expect to slam something by this guy.
Toad
Style: Technique
Great speed and control, but no power. You'll only win points by [a] going to the net, or [b] angling the shots perfectly. If you go to the net, make sure that you are in a good position to do so, or you'll get killed. Toad has little reach, therefore, you can't play the net too often. Weapon: Angled Power-Slice forehand. Going against: force Toad to the net and lob him. Or just plain lob him. Both work. Keep him on the run and power-shot all the time.
Yoshi
Style: Speed
Keep running, play the net, and hit as many angles as you can. Stay near the service line, don't go to the baseline. Play the net. Take advantage of your speed. Run around the court, don't be afraid to rally for long periods of time. Best weapon: speed and reach. Going against: draw him to the net and lob, or go to the net yourself and slam a winner right down the line. Never hesitate, because one moment can lose you the point. Get as many aces as possible.
Birdo
Style: Speed
Same as Yoshi for everything. (that was easy, wasn't it?)
Donkey Kong
Style: Power
DK needs to get his serves in and fast. The big serve will always result in a set-up for a smash, so if you lose a service game, you might want to reconsider your character. Weapon: serve&smash combo. Going against: when returning his serve, either stand close to the service line and cut off the angel, or run back and hope that you can catch up. But to return, whatever you do, always slice the service return. If you do a topspin, you may as well let the ball go, because a topspin is smash material. Slice as much as you can and keep him from coming in to the net.
Donkey Kong Junior
Style: Power
Although listed as a power, don't be fooled: he has higher speed stats than any power-player, but less power stats. Use the same tactics as DK, but make sure that, if you do have to rally, you are in control. Work on baseline skills. Weapon: serve&smash combo. Going against: use big serves, counter serves like you would DK. DKjr is faster than DK, so watch out: get lots of angles and slice to avoid his smash.
Bowser
Style: Power
Bowser is the same as DK, but he has more power and less speed. That means that you MUST master the serve&smash tactic, or you'll die. Bowser can run much less than DK, but his shots are more powerful. It's hard to decide between the two. They are pretty much equal. Weapon: serve&smash combo. Going against: same as DK.
Boo
Style: Tricky
Boo has the best serve in the game. Don't work for power: go for position. Use his slice and topspin serves, never the flat power-serve. His slice will go way wide or it will start wide and cut in, any number of combinations. Keep your opponent guessing. As for returning serves, you can play baseline because of his speed, or you can go for net play because, since he floats, you can reach those high lobs. Weapon: slice serve. Going against: move in on his serve. Stay right behind the service line and cut off his angle so that his serve can bounce away from you at the last moment. When rallying, be in control and use lots of power-topspins. Outrun Boo, or outhit him.
Shy Guy
Style: Technique
He can run, he can play the net, and he can hit hard. He may as well be an all-rounder. If you do groundstrokes, stay a few steps behind the service line. For volleys, this little guy can launch himself several feet into the air. Best weapon: versatility. Going against: keep him on the run. Don't give him time to powerup, otherwise, who knows what may happen.
Paratroopa
Style: Tricky
It was labelled tricky for a good reason. Whenever PT hits the ball, a bunch of feathers go flying into the air. Go for angles, placement, crazy serves, net play, anything, this guy has it all. Well, almost all. The thing he lacks is power. Don't overhit. One of his best unique traits is his ability to move around while charging up for a powershot. Because he flies, he can easily float up and smash down any lobs. Weapon: angled cross-court topspin backhand. Going against: not much you can do with this guy. When playing the computer, just wait for his serve and blast a shot past him, because the computer makes this guy seem like a dope. Against human players, try to figure out their style, or, if all else fails, play the net.
Doubles Teams
Techniques: All of these should be discussed with the teammate before hand
Crossover: Teammates switch sides to confuse opponents. Normally used when ball is hit to middle of the court, and the person covering the net comes across, smashes the ball, and the teammates switch sides.
Doubles Serve&Smash: One teammate does a huge serve, then stays back while the other performs the smash.
Defense: Both players play the baseline; used when trying to preserve a lead
Offense: Both players play the net; should only be used when desperate for a point
Front to Back: One player at net, one player back; most commonly used technique
Mario Brothers
Mario and Luigi, the all-round brothers. Both are very versatile. Both can cover the net or baseline. Never use the Offense position though: neither character is fast enough to run back and get a lob. Weapon: versatility. Going against: always hit to the man covering the baseline. If you have time, charge up a topspin and blast it past the net player.
Wario Brothers
Wario and Waluigi. Waluigi is better at the net, and Wario is best with his serve and baseline powershots. Weapon: Wario serve&smash Waluigi. Going against: if Wario is at the net, lob over his head and hope for the best. If Waluigi is at the net, hit a nice angled shot towards Wario. Pick on Wario: he isn't as fast.
Girl Power
As sissy as it may sound, Peach and Daisy make Girl Power one of the best teams. Both are technique, have decent speed, and good reach. Go for crossovers quite a bit: they work well with this team. Weapon: versatility. Going agaist: always hit to the one covering the backcourt. If they are in Offense position, hit in the middle to confuse them, then to one of the sides.
Girlfriend/Boyfriend Teams
Mario/Peach and Luigi/Daisy are great combinations. They work very well. Use the same techniques as you would Mario Brothers or Girl Power.
Power Team
Bowser and DK. A great team. That's it. Go for Offense or both Defense positions, try to stay away from Front to Back. Because they are so slow, Front to Back won't work if the net player misses. Weapon: serve&smash. Going against: don't let them smash at all. Slice back serve returns. Hit hard. Outrun them. Just don't give them too much time to think.
______& Power Team
It's true, anybody with a power man is gonna be good. Try using ShyGuy and Bowser, or Boo and Bowser.
Baby Team
DKjr and Baby Mario make an excellent team. Keep BM at the baseline and DKjr at the net, waiting for a smash. Weapon: excellent court coverage. Going against: two choices: [1] hit to BM, [2] lob DKjr. That's it. Be creative.
Dino Team
Yoshi and Birdo, with their combined speeds, make them a very fast team. Weapon: crossover, speed. Going against: hit to the volleyer if you've charged up a powershot. If not, hit to the baseliner. Try lobbing a bit, mix it up.
Tricky Team
Boo and Paratroopa make one of the best teams available. They have an excellent combo of speed and accuracy. The only thing that makes them not so good is their lack of power. They can play all positions, and since they fly, they can launch themselves into the air for smashes. Because Boo's serve is so hard to return, why not add to the confusion? Make Boo a lefty (when selecting him, highlight him and then hold down L while you select him). Weapons: crossover smash technique. Going against: they're unpredictable, you be unpredictable. Take advantage of their lack of power. That's all I can say.