If you have been waiting for the definitive Mario Tennis experience, it is time to dust off your sweatbands. Mario Tennis Fever has landed exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2, and after putting some serious hours into the court, I can confidently say this is the franchise refresh we have been craving.
While Mario Tennis Aces was a solid entry, it sometimes felt like it was missing that special ingredient to keep us coming back for months on end. Fever doesn’t just find that ingredient; it serves it up with a topspin that will catch you completely off guard.
The Fever Racket Revolution
The new Fever Racket system is the hero. In previous titles, you were often locked into specific characters because their inherent abilities were simply better for competitive play. Now, character selection and playstyle are happily divorced. With a massive roster of 38 playable characters (the biggest in series history) you can finally pick your favourite (yes, even the newly debuted Baby Waluigi or a Goomba) without sacrificing tactical advantage.
Instead, your strategy comes from equipping one of 30 distinct Fever Rackets. This system feels less like a gimmick and more like a genuine evolution of the gameplay loop. Think of them almost like Mario Kart items but for tennis. You might choose the Flame Racket to unleash fiery chaos, or the Golden Dash Racket to close the gap on impossible shots.
Balance is the true beauty. These rackets have active and passive abilities that interact in wild ways. If an opponent uses a racket to litter your court with bananas, you could counter with a Tornado racket to clear the deck. It adds a layer of rock-paper-scissors strategy that makes every match feel dynamic. Building up your Fever Gauge to unleash a special Fever Shot is satisfying, but the real tension comes from the “reverse” mechanic, hit a Fever Shot before it bounces, and you send the effect right back at them.
Adventure Mode: Small Heroes, Big Journey
For first timers and solo players the Adventure Mode is back, and it is a delightful throwback to old school RPG-style story modes. Mario and the crew have been turned into babies and must relearn their tennis skills to reclaim their former glory.
Playing as Baby Mario, you navigate a sprawling overworld, chatting with NPCs and tackling challenges. It is not just about grinding matches; you complete mini-games that feel ripped straight out of Mario Party to level up your stats. It’s a fantastic way to master the mechanics while enjoying a genuinely funny narrative, narrated by the chatty Talking Flower from Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
The campaign (like Baby Mario) is short but sweet, but as a tutorial for the game it works extremely well.
Modes for Everyone
Beyond the story, the package is stacked. Trial Towers offers a gauntlet of challenges that force you to experiment with different racket combinations, perfect for honing your skills. For those who prefer a more physical game, Swing Mode returns with intuitive motion controls that are great for family gatherings.
Multiplayer is where Fever will likely find its long-term legs. Online options range from casual custom lobbies to Ranked Matches for the hyper-competitive. A huge win for local play is the GameShare functionality, allowing four players to jump into a match with just one copy of the game. It is a consumer-friendly move that Nintendo deserves credit for.
Verdict
Visually, the game pops on the new hardware. The courts are vibrant, the new “jumbotron” scoreboard adds a stadium atmosphere, and the performance is buttery smooth.
Mario Tennis Fever feels like a celebration of everything that makes arcade tennis fun. It strikes a brilliant balance between chaotic party energy and deep, competitive mechanics. Whether you are in it for the nostalgia of the RPG mode or the sweat of the ranked ladder, this is a grand slam for the Switch 2 lineup.
