Mario Tennis Open To Have Online Play, StreetPass Features, and QR Codes

Nintendo has revealed some more details about this month’s upcoming Mario Tennis Open for the 3DS – in that the game will include online play, a new competition mode called Ink Showdown, StreetPass features, and a plethora of QR code based unlockable characters.

Firstly, Mario Tennis Open will support online matches between players. You’ll be able to build up your match standings, compare yourself to others on the monthly leaderboard, and acquire victory medals for each challenger you decimate…or get creamed by.

Much like hitting real tennis balls against a real wall, the new “Ink Showdown” competition mode will have you smacking ink balls spat at you by Piranha Plants from the back of the court. Your goal is to destroy the ink balls before they splatter, while simultaneously hitting tennis balls away from your opponent.

Hope you can multitask buddy.

Mario Tennis Open will also make deep use of the 3DS’s StreetPass functionality, in that players can show off their Mii tennis players, who can be customized with outfits and accessories that are won on the court, and can play in competitive and cooperative matches with A.I. controlled versions of StreetPass owners they encounter. You’ll be able to build up a StreetPass winning streak to show off to your friends.

Seeing as how the computer is doing all the work in your pocket when you bristly walk past someone — StreetPass competitions come off like a fancy version of Rock, Paper Scissors to me.

Finally, like any good multiplayer game, there’s unlockable characters. While characters are unlocked traditionally by playing the actual game, additional characters like Luma, Baby Mario, and Dry Bowser can be unlocked through special QR codes.

Where you’ll get these codes and how is unknown at this point, but we’ll be sure to relay that information when it’s bestowed upon us by the Big N.

In other news, real tennis is boring – so look forward to this game.