Serving up plenty of fun.

Mario in sports games is the most ridiculous idea that has worked for decades. Everything from Olympic events to volleyball the idea of bringing this infamous character to every sport imaginable has worked. The highlights have always been Golf and of course Tennis. After an extremely disappointing outing on the Wii U, Mario Tennis returns. This time packed with a lot more content, a story mode, and a cast of characters unmatched.

Let’s discuss the elephant in the room right out of the gate. Mario Tennis Aces has a full-on single player mode with plenty of things to unlock and skills to learn. There is an RPG-style progression system and even a host of mini-game designed to test your patience. The board looks like something out of Mario Party with each dot representing a different challenge. Not all are required to move forward and the boss battles take advantage of the intricacies of the new control scheme. Boss battles required me to implement specific shot types, which is a great way to learn all of the mechanics.

MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Switch
Price I’d Pay: $49.99

Adventure mode is however extremely challenging. I was getting wrecked on the third or fourth challenge. It ramps up quickly. For a game that feels designed for casual play, some of these challenges require dedication and proper use of all the different mechanics. It can be defeating at times and it sucks that a lot of the course and characters are locked behind these. So anyone wanting to just jump in with friends will have limited accessibility to these items.

In addition to the Adventure mode there is also a tournament mode. While I prefer the structure of this mode it reaps zero benefits outside of practice. No matter who I beat it with I got the same end screen and no unlockables. That makes this a nice place to practice my skills and nothing more.

Multiplayer is where this game shines though. Pairing up with or against friends either online or locally is where I spent the bulk of my play time. Sadly, when playing locally the game forces a split-screen perspective. This isn’t bad for normal play, but when special shots start raining down it becomes an issue. I wish they would allow players to disable it as I have never had a problem with the single-screen tennis perspective.

Online is where the best play happens as it allows for tournaments among friends. I could see myself really diving into this mode and waging war against friends. At least until they start charging for online and half my team just drops entirely. Sadly there is no customization for any of this. No new rackets or things of that nature to keep the drip feed coming. There are a nice variety of courts though, each bringing their own unique tweaks and hazards.

The game play in Mario Tennis Aces is spot-on. While these games are mostly tied to casual play, advanced players can really do some damage. There are several shot types and underlying mechanics mixed in with the unique traits each character has. It almost feels like a fighting game at times as the mental chess match ensues. Some characters are better counters to others, and it makes it a wonderful mix of mind games. The racket-breaking mechanic is also wonderful. It can easily swing matches one way or the other and is a nice addition to the strategy.

Nintendo continues to pump out good looking games on its console. Mario Tennis Aces is sharp and colorful. It runs fantastically and the variety of characters and course look stunning in HD. The overall presentation just looks and feels clean, which is a staple of a Nintendo-developed title. It can never be overstated how good the design team really is.

Mario Tennis Aces is a fine addition to the series and a far cry from the bare-bones offering from the Wii U. The single player mode offers up plenty for solo players while the online and local play will keep me coming back.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Great tennis game play
  • Plenty of characters and courses
  • Single player mode
Bad
  • AI is too good in the story mode
  • Tournament mode feels shallow
7
Good
Written by
Ken is the Editor-in-Chief of this hole in the wall and he loves to troll for the fun of it. He also enjoys long walks through Arkham Asylum and the cool air of Shadow Moses Island. His turn-ons include Mortal Kombat, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft.