The Mario Tennis series never really caught my attention. It’s a solid entry into the Mario sports genre, but aside from the Wii’s motion controls in Mario Power Tennis, which felt fresh and exciting at the time, the novelty of the motion controls has definitely worn off since then.
After a huge response to the Nintendo Switch, the next title, Mario Tennis Aces, returned to a more traditional sports game on the hybrid console and introduced a story mode. These games never really appealed to me, other than the novelty added every few generations, so when Nintendo invited me to a special preview event for Mario Tennis Fever, I went in with an open mind.
Little did I know that this game is packed with different modes, courts, and tennis rackets with special powers, making it a Mario Party-like experience. In my hour and a half hands-on session, I only scratched the surface of everything this game has to offer.
Games, Sets, Fever!
The first thing you’ll notice is that the game looks incredible. There were some great looking games on the Switch 2, but this is one of the best looking first-party titles the studio has offered. The first round of the game consisted of a single player round where you were free to choose a character and matching power racket from a large roster. Donkey Kong was my first choice along with his banana racket (yes, that’s literally a racket made of bananas).
Credit: Nintendo
After completing the tutorial and learning how to use the Fever Racket and its power-ups, the first round set a blistering pace. The AI opponents were tough and presented an unexpected challenge. Fever really starts to shine when competing fever effects start flying back and forth with the coat’s built-in elements (depending on which one you choose).
tools of trade
Fireballs, banana peels, and falling blocks are scattered all over the court, disrupting play and sometimes causing you to miss a crucial lob shot.
Adventure mode returns, offering a complete single-player campaign. This time, you play as baby versions of the characters Mario, Luigi, Waluigi, and Wario, traversing a Super Mario-style map that offers a variety of challenges and abilities to help you return to full form.
The fever racket adds a new style to this. You can choose the type you like. All of these are unlocked in this preview, and once you’ve filled up your fever gauge, you can unleash your craziness on the court, sometimes gaining the upper hand, sometimes backfiring and losing points.
The Bullet Bill racket was my favorite (especially when beating my opponent in a doubles match). Having four characters on the court gets crazy and injects the kind of fun and whimsy that this series is known for.
Credit: Nintendo
There are several types of coats, and some are inspired by Nintendo titles, such as Donkey Kong’s Jungle Coat and the Wonder Coat, which was inspired by the latest Super Mario Bros. game.
There are motion controls here, but they feel subdued enough to be an option rather than a necessity to play the game. This is in “swing mode”, where you attach Joy-Con 2 to your wrist and swing a tennis racket. The character will move around when turned on. It’s mostly responsive (but not always!), but it adds a Mario Party-like fun to the game.
Thoughts so far
Mario Tennis Fever looks like the next big step forward for the series. With the addition of a huge roster of 28 playable characters, Fever Racket and gorgeous graphics to the Nintendo Switch 2 system, we can’t wait to pick up the Racket again and cause even more mayhem with it when Mario Tennis Fever is released later this month.
Mario Tennis Fever will be released on Nintendo Switch 2 on February 12, 2026.
Featured header image provided by Nintendo.
