New Mario sports games usually come once in a generation. So getting a new installment of tennis with a deep character roster so early in the Switch 2’s life cycle is exciting. And after getting a chance to play Mario Tennis Fever before it’s official release on February 12, the franchise’s best entry however may be just a few weeks away.
Once again, Mario Tennis Fever it relies on the standard mix of topspin, slice and flat (power) shots used in previous games. The main new mechanic of this title is that instead of Zone Shots from Mario Tennis Acesyou can equip each character with a different racket, similar to how you can choose from a list of vehicles Mario Kart. Every racket features a different special ability that you can charge by hitting back and forth. When the gauge is full, you can unleash Fever Shot from potentially fatal effects.
Fever Shot is one of the special abilities from 30 different rackets available in Mario Tennis Fever. (Nintendo)
For example, the Fire Racket turns the ball into a fireball that leaves a lot of embers on the court. If your opponent is on fire, they will slowly lose health, which will slow them down or knock them out (but temporarily) if you double play. Alternatively, the Pokey Racket can summon a giant cactus monster named after it onto the field, which not only blocks your view but gets in the way as you run the shot. And like the game’s large stable of characters (38 in total), there are almost as many different Fever Rackets (30) to choose from.
What I really like is that compared to the special shots in previous titles, Fever Shots has built-in counterplay. Zone Shots from Mario Tennis Aces sometimes make it look like you’re playing a fighting game as people fight to save the meter, while the signature comes in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash they often turn into default points. If someone sends you a Fever Shot, you can reverse it by simply returning the ball before it bounces. This naturally sets up a weird sequence as the characters try to bounce back and forth without letting the ball hit the ground to prevent the Fever Shot from working on their side of the field. This is exactly the kind of chaos that makes Mario Tennis so much fun – it feels more balanced now.
Pokey is here to be a thorn in your side. (Nintendo)
That said, if you prefer a different kind of mayhem, there’s the new Court of Surprises match, which borrows the blue flower seeds from Mario’s latest 2D platformer. This game mode changes Fever Rackets in favor of changing the rules of the game on the fly in strange and unexpected ways. Don’t be surprised if you have a hard time hitting the seed with your shots to activate amazing effects while spike balls are thrown at you or a piranha show decides to have a party over the net.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t play Mario Tennis Fever’s Adventure mode, which is a bit of a shame as I’ve heard it’s deep and meaty. This is a welcome improvement from the somewhat limited single-player campaign it is based off of Aces. Thankfully, the game still supports motion controls for younger players or anyone who would rather swing a virtual racket instead of mashing buttons. I also appreciate that Nintendo makes it easy to get into multiplayer matches, as the game supports both online matches (ranked and unranked) and local wireless (LAN) connections. Finally, you can use Switch 2’s Game Share feature to send a title to other nearby systems for people to try Mario Tennis Fever them, even if they don’t have a copy.
Wonder Court Matches is another new way to level up the rules of Mario Tennis. (Nintendo)
So if you’re like me and have always loved explosive sports games instead of reality, Mario Tennis Fever ($70) constitutes a real grand slam. Pre-orders are live now ahead of the title’s official release on February 12.
