Video Games

I’ve never really gotten along with tennis. Ask my high school gym teacher: He made an effort to catch the comedy hour that was my group’s attempt to keep the ball in play and get a volley going.
Perhaps that’s why I have fond memories of playing “Mario Tennis.” It counted as playing a sport, right? But, “Mario Tennis: Open,” the 3DS offering, feels a little light on the Mario, and isn’t the ace I had hoped for.

Not since Retro Studios rebooted the dormant “Metroid” franchise has a seemingly lost Nintendo series been reinvented with such care, craft, and charm. It’s been 20 years since gamers have seen Pit and the “Kid Icarus” series, and “Kid Icarus: Uprising” has not only redefined the series, but has given gamers one of the best original Nintendo titles on the 3DS yet.