Game set fun on Nintendo Switch 2
By Paul Hunter
I grew up with Mario Tennis nights on Nintendo 64 and GameCube where matches would stretch way past when we should have gone to bed, so I was pretty excited when Camelot and Nintendo announced Mario Tennis Fever on Nintendo Switch 2. After putting in a lot of time, I can say this is another excellent entry in Mario tennis series filled with plenty of entertaining modes and match types.
This time we have 38 characters, the largest roster ever for a Mario Tennis game, including favourites like Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi and plenty more. The gimmick this time around are superpowered Fever shots, which have a charge meter and can be unleashed when full, and there are 30 Fever Rackets that unlease crazy powers onto regular rallies. You can keep things simple with straight tennis matches, or go full on Mushroom Kingdom chaos and let hazards and HP damage fly across the court.
What really piqued my interest is just how much content is included, whether that's chipping away at Adventure mode, running a Tournament, climbing Trial Towers, jumping into Mix It Up, goofing around in Swing mode, or hopping into Online with friends, there was always a mode for any mood. So, does Mario Tennis Fever deserves a permanent spot in your Nintendo Switch 2 line-up? Let’s find out!
From there, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Wario, and Baby Waluigi join the Mushroom Tennis Academy to learn how to play tennis again. They undertake a range of lessons and short matches, and it's cute watching them regain skills to earn their way back into academy ranks.
Once the training is complete, the group returns to the island to find a way to turn back into adults. These later chapters put you into courts filled with badies and special rivals. A few boss matches spice things up, including epic rallies against an Ice Chomp and a Lightning Cheep Cheep who gain extra powers after eating Fever rackets. By the time credits roll, I felt like I had seen a full mini tennis story that puts a neat 'spin' on why this Mushroom Kingdom group is back on court again.
As you rally a Fever Meter fills, and once it is ready you can fire a Fever Shot that triggers the racket’s power when it hits the court. A Flame racket can drop burning embers, an Ice racket leaves a slippery patch, a Swerve racket bends your shots harder for a short period, and a Golden Mushroom racket lets you dive for balls you had no business reaching. Every character has a health bar that drops when they collide with hazards, and in singles, empty health slows you down, while in doubles it benches you for a short time and leaves your partner to cover everything.
The huge 38-character roster makes it fun to find a play style, whether that's an All-Arounder like Mario or Luigi, a Power hitter like Wario or Donkey Kong or a Tricky player like Kamek or Boo. In terms of modes, this game is stuffed with content including single-player, couch competition or online modes. Tournament mode handles classic brackets (and it hosted by a Talking Flower!), Trial Towers gives a series of short scenario matches, Free Play lets you choose the rules, Mix It Up throws in game changing Wonder Flower-style twists, Swing mode uses Joy-Con 2 motion controls, and Online lets you go head-to-head against real people. You'll naturally unlock new characters, Fever rackets, courts, and cosmetics as you play, so jumping into matches always feels worth it.
The courts are very impressive and do a good job of keeping matches visually varied. There are basic stadiums with grass, clay, and hard surfaces, and more flavourful courts like Waluigi's neon-light Pinball Arcade or one built on the deck of Princess Peach's Airship. Fever Shots are dramatic, the motion slows down and the camera zooms in on your character, and the Fever Racket effects like fire, ice, lightning, ink and mud all can turn the court into a colourful mess of hazards.
As for the audio, the music shuffles between more relaxed and intense tracks and always keeps rallies pumped up. Shot sounds are crisp and realistic, so you can recognise topspin, slice, and lobs just from the hit noise. Fever Shots and hazards land with satisfying smacks or thuds, and the crowd noise helps elevate your biggest plays. Technically, it ran smooth for me at 60 FPS on Nintendo Switch 2, both on the TV and in handheld mode. Load times are extremely fast, to the point where going from the Home Screen to a rematch felt almost instant. All in all, you can tell a lot of effort was made to make Mario Tennis Fever look and sound its best.
Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Sports
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.
By Paul Hunter
I grew up with Mario Tennis nights on Nintendo 64 and GameCube where matches would stretch way past when we should have gone to bed, so I was pretty excited when Camelot and Nintendo announced Mario Tennis Fever on Nintendo Switch 2. After putting in a lot of time, I can say this is another excellent entry in Mario tennis series filled with plenty of entertaining modes and match types.
This time we have 38 characters, the largest roster ever for a Mario Tennis game, including favourites like Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi and plenty more. The gimmick this time around are superpowered Fever shots, which have a charge meter and can be unleashed when full, and there are 30 Fever Rackets that unlease crazy powers onto regular rallies. You can keep things simple with straight tennis matches, or go full on Mushroom Kingdom chaos and let hazards and HP damage fly across the court.
What really piqued my interest is just how much content is included, whether that's chipping away at Adventure mode, running a Tournament, climbing Trial Towers, jumping into Mix It Up, goofing around in Swing mode, or hopping into Online with friends, there was always a mode for any mood. So, does Mario Tennis Fever deserves a permanent spot in your Nintendo Switch 2 line-up? Let’s find out!
Story and Narrative
Adventure Mode in Mario Tennis Fever is for those looking to dive into a roughly four-hour story. It opens with Daisy falling ill and Wario and Waluigi informing Mario, Luigi, Peach and friends of a magic golden fruit on a faraway island with the power to cure her. The group travels to the island via Peach's airship, but soon enough the crew disturbs a local dark force that transforms them into babies, causing them to lose their tennis skills.From there, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Wario, and Baby Waluigi join the Mushroom Tennis Academy to learn how to play tennis again. They undertake a range of lessons and short matches, and it's cute watching them regain skills to earn their way back into academy ranks.
Once the training is complete, the group returns to the island to find a way to turn back into adults. These later chapters put you into courts filled with badies and special rivals. A few boss matches spice things up, including epic rallies against an Ice Chomp and a Lightning Cheep Cheep who gain extra powers after eating Fever rackets. By the time credits roll, I felt like I had seen a full mini tennis story that puts a neat 'spin' on why this Mushroom Kingdom group is back on court again.
Gameplay and Mechanics
On court, Mario Tennis Fever keeps things simple to pick up with each face button handling a shot type like topspin, slice, or a flat drive, while button combinations give you lobs and drop shots. Holding a button charges the swing, and timing your movements turns rallies into small puzzles of angles and risk. Lofted balls are great setups for overhead smashes, while quick volleys at the net feel great when you slice shots at sharp angles to keep your opponent on edge.As you rally a Fever Meter fills, and once it is ready you can fire a Fever Shot that triggers the racket’s power when it hits the court. A Flame racket can drop burning embers, an Ice racket leaves a slippery patch, a Swerve racket bends your shots harder for a short period, and a Golden Mushroom racket lets you dive for balls you had no business reaching. Every character has a health bar that drops when they collide with hazards, and in singles, empty health slows you down, while in doubles it benches you for a short time and leaves your partner to cover everything.
The huge 38-character roster makes it fun to find a play style, whether that's an All-Arounder like Mario or Luigi, a Power hitter like Wario or Donkey Kong or a Tricky player like Kamek or Boo. In terms of modes, this game is stuffed with content including single-player, couch competition or online modes. Tournament mode handles classic brackets (and it hosted by a Talking Flower!), Trial Towers gives a series of short scenario matches, Free Play lets you choose the rules, Mix It Up throws in game changing Wonder Flower-style twists, Swing mode uses Joy-Con 2 motion controls, and Online lets you go head-to-head against real people. You'll naturally unlock new characters, Fever rackets, courts, and cosmetics as you play, so jumping into matches always feels worth it.
Presentation and Audio
On the visual side, Camelot and Nintendo go all in on a bright and colourful presentation, with some impressive Fever special effects to boot. The full roster looks great, with plenty of personality built into their swings and little victory gestures.The courts are very impressive and do a good job of keeping matches visually varied. There are basic stadiums with grass, clay, and hard surfaces, and more flavourful courts like Waluigi's neon-light Pinball Arcade or one built on the deck of Princess Peach's Airship. Fever Shots are dramatic, the motion slows down and the camera zooms in on your character, and the Fever Racket effects like fire, ice, lightning, ink and mud all can turn the court into a colourful mess of hazards.
As for the audio, the music shuffles between more relaxed and intense tracks and always keeps rallies pumped up. Shot sounds are crisp and realistic, so you can recognise topspin, slice, and lobs just from the hit noise. Fever Shots and hazards land with satisfying smacks or thuds, and the crowd noise helps elevate your biggest plays. Technically, it ran smooth for me at 60 FPS on Nintendo Switch 2, both on the TV and in handheld mode. Load times are extremely fast, to the point where going from the Home Screen to a rematch felt almost instant. All in all, you can tell a lot of effort was made to make Mario Tennis Fever look and sound its best.
The Verdict
After a lot of time with Mario Tennis Fever, I came away thrilled with how it turned out. The tennis gameplay is easy to learn yet has tons of strategic depth, especially when you play with Fever Rackets that can turn courts into chaos. There are modes for every setup and mood, so whether you're into a fun story adventure, intense couch competitive matches, or want to test your skills against players around the world, there's a mode here for you. As if that weren't enough, this is the best presentation yet for a Mario Tennis game, and the action stays smooth at 60 FPS even when the screen is full of hazards. All considered, this has become my new go-to sports game on Nintendo Switch 2.Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Mario Tennis Fever details
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Sports
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
A key was provided by the publisher.