Mario Tennis Fever, A Fun Enough Game If You Have Friends to Play

Tennis on virtual courts has long since entered a somewhat exotic category. From time to time, a new title appears, such as TopSpin 2K25, but then we are already talking about noticeably smaller budgets compared to other sports games. Unfortunately, the quality of virtual tennis often does not reach an enviable level either. The entire segment of sports games has been reduced to a safe rotation: FC, NBA 2K, Madden, and F1, year after year.

Once popular skateboard, snowboarding, or tennis titles have been pushed to the margins. Even Rockstar Games once managed to surprise us with a table tennis simulation. Today? Well, you have tennis in GTA Online!

The only remaining bastion of virtual sports outside that “popular quartet” has moved into the arcade camp, under the safe shelter of Nintendo. Nintendo Switch Sports, Mario Tennis Aces, Mario Strikers: Battle League, and Mario Golf: Super Rush are just some of the titles you can play on Switch consoles. All of them are characterized by top-tier couch fun with friends – but also by a chronic lack of depth in the competitive and single-player segments. Not surprisingly, the new Mario Tennis Fever is exactly like that.

Want to play something with a completely different vibe? Check out our Ebola Village review!

Mario Tennis Fever Controls Breakdown

Right at the beginning of Mario Tennis Fever, I was greeted by a short introduction to the basic types of shots. A regular forehand, slice, lob, drop shot, powerful shot down the middle, smash… Essentially, everything you would do on a real court. The controls are fairly simple – one or two buttons simultaneously to execute a shot. Timing is, of course, crucial, as is choosing the direction. The biggest novelty compared to previous installments is the so-called Fever rackets. By actively playing and returning shots, you fill the Fever meter, and then with a special move (the X button) you activate a Fever attack.

And the Fever attack? It depends on the racket you choose. The Star racket, when the ball lands on the opponent’s side, drains part of the opponent’s energy, while your character briefly becomes invincible, just like when you collect a star in classic Mario platformers. The Banana racket scatters peels across the court, ready for the opponent to perform an unwanted ballet. The Bullet Bill racket turns the ball into a projectile that chases the rival mercilessly. The idea is simple but effective – tennis briefly becomes pure chaos.

Risk, Counterplay, and Sudden Momentum Swings

It is important to emphasize that a Fever shot does not automatically guarantee activation of its effect. The opponent can return the ball before it touches the ground, and the effect will only activate upon the first bounce on someone’s side. This means the situation can turn in a second, regardless of who activated the attack. The result is a tense approach to the net and frantic point-saving while the court becomes a minefield of bananas and projectiles.

The game contains 30 different rackets, which is more than enough for varied gaming evenings. Each match can feel different from the previous one. Unfortunately, the balance is not ideal. Some powers are noticeably stronger than others, so already in online matches, only a few meta choices are circulating. It is a pity, because the concept on paper could have ensured long-term freshness.

As for multiplayer, we return to well-known Nintendo foundations. Local play for up to four players works excellently, whether with classic controls or by swinging Joy-Con controllers in Swing mode. Yes, the jokes about the name Swing mode and late drunken hours in a larger group practically write themselves, but we will remain polite.

The online portion, on the other hand, feels fairly stripped down. Ranked matches are available only in a 1-on-1 format, without any serious depth, seasonality, or advanced ranks. Occasionally, the system will match you with players with weaker connections, and then everyone suffers due to pronounced input lag. It is not a catastrophe, but it is far from the standards of serious competitive titles.

Mario Tennis Fever Visual Analysis

Single-player offers several classic modes as well as one new, story-driven Adventure Mode. There are single and doubles tournaments, towers with special rules, Free Play with adjustments, and Mix It Up – a series of matches with bizarre rules, such as courts shaped like pinball machines or those with rings that speed up the ball.

Adventure Mode intrigued me the most, but in the end, it left only a lukewarm impression. The story merely serves as an excuse for several hours of play: a mysterious force turns Mario, Luigi, Peach, Wario, and Waluigi into their baby versions, and the solution, of course, lies… in attending tennis school! Because why save the world with epic transformations when you can serve an ace? I did not expect a memorable script, but I did expect at least a few hidden sections or a more creative design. Instead, I got a linear sequence of tutorials with only a few charming boss matches.

Mario Tennis Fever looks colorful and cheerful, that is to say, typical for Mario games. However, it is difficult to speak of an impressive leap compared to its predecessor. Character models, animations, and textures have not advanced dramatically as you might expect when the game is exclusive to the Switch 2. The courts have a bit more personality, but nothing revolutionary. A novelty is the chatty flower in the role of commentator who does not have a huge range of lines, but at least manages to break the monotony and add a touch of charm.

From a technical standpoint, single-player runs smoothly at 60 frames per second, even in split-screen. Larger issues appear exclusively in online multiplayer, where the quality of the experience depends on the stability of both players’ connections, tnx Nintendo.

In Conclusion

And so we return to the beginning. As with most Nintendo sports games, do you want a deep, long-lasting single-player experience? You will not get it from Mario Tennis Fever. A serious competitive system? Only the basics are here. However, do you have extra controllers and a group ready for a bit of friendly teasing? Then this is a bullseye. The gameplay is fast, fun, and created for moments when your friend deliberately bumps you just as you execute a Fever shot for match point.

Count your group. If you have at least three people ready for an evening of tennis chaos, you know what to do. Otherwise, I do not see that you will enjoy the new Mario Tennis too much.

Rating: 7.4/10

It delivers highly entertaining local multiplayer and creative chaos mechanics, but lacks depth, balance, and robust online features.

Recommended age: 7+ 

The mechanics are simple, the tone is light and cartoonish, and there is no inappropriate content, making it suitable for younger children with basic coordination skills.

Gemini AI summary:

Mario Tennis Fever is an arcade-style tennis game for Switch 2 that focuses on chaotic, power-up-driven multiplayer fun. While it excels in local couch play with creative Fever rackets and smooth performance, it lacks depth in single-player and competitive online modes. The Adventure Mode feels shallow, and balance issues limit long-term competitive appeal, but it remains an entertaining option for families and groups seeking accessible, fast-paced sports action.