It’s hard not to love the Nintendo Switch 2 and everything it does. I love the weight, the form, and the additional graphics capabilities it offers. The original Switch was and remains no slouch, mind you, but playing games designed for Switch 2 always is a pleasure.
Such is the case with Mario Tennis Fever, the first instalment in the franchise built for Switch 2.
Here’s the logline: Join Mario and friends for some Mushroom Kingdom style-tennis! Use topspins, slices, lobs, and other familiar shots—along with other fancy footwork and new defensive maneuvers—to outpace your opponents on the court. Keep a rally going, build up your Fever Gauge, and unleash powerful Fever Shots that can be augmented with special effects by equipping Fever Rackets.
For anyone familiar with Mario Tennis, you know what you’re getting in many ways, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In the case of Mario Tennis Fever, you’re getting some new innovations, such as Fever Rackets, which give you unique Fever Shots, along with a new Adventure story mode and 30+ characters. Rather than reinvent the wheel, the developers have essentially given gamers more.
It’s worth noting that for me, Adventure mode was absolutely ridiculous and not really a selling point, but for younger gamers (who this is no doubt designed for), they’ll find a lot to love in this story:
Experience a story in which Mario and friends, encountering monsters on a remote island, find themselves transformed into babies! Help them relearn their tennis skills and defeat the monsters to return to normal.
Whether you’re a newcomer or veteran, the controls on Mario Tennis Fever are incredibly easy and intuitive, which makes this the definition of a pick-up and play title; you won’t spend much time figuring out how to make the cool shots; it comes pretty naturally.
For Nintendo lovers, Mario Tennis Fever is pretty much an essential purchase on the Switch 2, in the same way Mario Kart World is. Rather than breaking ground, both titles build on the games on the original Switch and, again, just add more to their experience. If you have the previous Mario Tennis game and continue to play it regularly, you don’t necessarily have to upgrade, but you’ll enjoy this new installment if you do. And for anyone who never owned a Mario Tennis game, Mario Tennis Fever is the one to get.
Now, swing away!
