Mario's Tennis

Mario's Tennis is a 1995 sports video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Virtual Boy. It was one of five launch titles in Japan and the pack-in game in North America for the Virtual Boy. The first entry in the Mario Tennis series, the player participates in singles or doubles tennis matches, controlling one of seven Mario characters. Its gameplay takes place from a third-person perspective.

Mario's Tennis was co-developed by Nintendo R&D1, the same team responsible for the development of the Virtual Boy, and Tose. It was co-directed by Hitoshi Yamagami and Masao Yamamoto and produced by Gunpei Yokoi. Yokoi's success with the Game Boy, coupled with a widespread public belief that it was too early for the next generation, led the team to design a system that used stereoscopic 3D to display 2D computer graphics. Virtual Boy emerged from the hardware phase, and Mario's Tennis from the software phase.

Mario's Tennis received a mixed reception from critics, with praise for its graphics, controls, and gameplay. Some reviewers were divided on the game's 3D effects and soundscapes, while criticism focused on the lack of multiplayer. Retrospective commentary in the years following its release have hailed it as one of the best titles for the Virtual Boy.