The Mario Tennis series never really caught my attention. While it’s a solid entry into the Mario sports genre, aside from the Wii’s motion controls, Mario Power Tennis felt new and exciting, but the novelty of the motion controls has definitely worn off. 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.
Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect and I ended up being more frustrated than excited and no longer coming back. So when I launched Mario Tennis Fever, I approached it with an open mind. I had no idea that the game was packed with different modes, courts, and tennis rackets (called fever rackets) with special powers, creating an experience similar to Mario Party.
After playing all of the several single-player and multiplayer modes, I can confidently say that this is the most addictive and fun time I’ve had with a Mario sports game. Mario Tennis Fever is arguably the ultimate Mario tennis title.
amazing adventure
You start in Adventure mode, playing as Baby Mario, and progress through a series of mini-games that are obviously tennis-related (the jury’s still out on that one!). Once you’ve completed the mini-games, head to the Academy building and take a tennis quiz consisting of three multiple-choice questions, then return to the actual tennis match to complete the level.
Your guide through the lessons will be none other than Super Mario Wonder’s talking flowers. As you walk through the Tennis Academy, a series of lights will point you in the direction of the next door to tackle your next task.
After spending several painstaking hours clearing this mode, you “graduate” from Mushroom Academy and move on to another map that resembles a Mario Party board with more intense minigames, but without much actual tennis.
The good news is that aside from Adventure mode, the rest of the game is very stable. The regular tournament mode allows you to rise through the ranks by facing off against a variety of characters, each with their own rules and qualifications to continue. The most interesting addition to this game is the Trial Tower. Play different challenges to clear the floors and help move to higher floors of the tower. You must try this three times and start over if it fails.
There are various special match modes that you can play to add more variety of challenges while playing tennis. Ring Shot mode allows you to score points by passing the ball through the ring. Pinball mode turns the court into a makeshift pinball machine as flippers, bumpers, and springshots all appear on the court, causing insane levels of chaos. Additionally, multiple balls are fired, further increasing the intensity of the game.
Racket Factory Match allows you to switch fever rackets during a match. There’s nothing like the intensity of using a shadow racket and switching to Bulletville for a competitive edge. My personal favorite of these is the Wonder Coat, which takes inspiration from the Super Mario Wonder games. As you collect Wonder Seeds, you can use them to shake things up and watch your court transform with different effects.
Are motion controls back?
Swing mode allows for optional motion control and is completely optional. Attach Joy-Con 2 to your wrist and swing to hit the ball. Your character moves around the court automatically, so you don’t need to control your character with the thumbsticks.
The motion controls were mostly responsive, but the character’s movement around the court wasn’t as precise as it would have been if I was in control (well, that’s what I tell myself anyway). This mode is great for kids or anyone who wants to move around in a more party-like mode.
Ranked matches are back in online multiplayer, allowing you to pair up with online players of the same level. This helps keep things fair, and scores go up and down depending on whether you win or lose a round. These rounds are scored out of 7 and do not follow the traditional tennis scoring format. At launch, it was easy to find other players, most of whom were at the same level as me. You can also play locally with couch co-op or link other Switch 2 consoles to play with friends.
Mario Tennis Fever has a large roster of 38 characters at launch, and while not all characters are unlocked at the start of the game, they are unlocked as you play. The usual Mario suspects are here: Luigi, Yoshi, Princess Peach, Rosalina, and Pauline.
There are also more obscure characters such as Luma, Shy Guy, Koopa Troopa, and Dry Bones. Not all main characters have hands. Incredibly adorable characters like Piranha Plant, Goomba, Petey Piranha, and Chain Chomp all have tennis rackets in their mouths. The way he wiggles around on the court is so adorable. Some wigglers have the best victory dances and reactions when they score points.
final thoughts
We’ve seen some great-looking games on the Switch 2, and this is one of the best-looking first-party titles Camelot and Nintendo have delivered. Each character is lovingly animated, and some beautifully animated cut scenes at the start of Adventure Mode show just how far the studio has come with this series. The addition of character costume details is very noticeable in this game with the new consoles. The spectators in the stands use their heads to follow the ball being played, and their reactions are fun to watch.
The fever racket adds a new style to this. You can choose your favorite type according to your character, play style, and opponent, and the power granted to each type is different. You can then build up your Fever Gauge and unleash your craziness on the court, sometimes gaining the upper hand, but sometimes backfiring and costing you points.
The Bullet Bill racket was my favorite (especially when beating my opponent in a doubles match). Shadow Racket creates a copy of your character and gives you easy access to the full court. Having four characters on the court makes it really crazy and injects the kind of fun and whimsy that this series is known for.
Mario Tennis Fever is simply a huge step forward for the series. A large roster of 28 playable characters, the addition of Fever Racket and gorgeous graphics on the Nintendo Switch 2 system, and integration with Mario Party games provide more variety and accessibility for all players. It’s no surprise that Camelot and Nintendo have managed to deliver the best Mario Tennis game ever.
4 stars (out of 5)
Highlight: Huge character roster. Take inspiration from games like Super Mario Wonder and Mario Party to smash tennis. gorgeous graphics
Cons: Adventure mode is lacking and feels unrelated to the main game.
Developer: Camelot
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on Nintendo Switch 2 using a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
Featured header images are provided by the publisher and additional images are taken from in-game footage.
