Mario Tennis Aces (Nintendo Switch) Preview

Mario Tennis Aces doesn't launch until 22nd June, but for those eager to hit the court early Nintendo has boldly opted for a pre-launch tournament to demo the game to the masses, which took place between - 3rd June offering offline and online modes. This is seemingly becoming a standard approach for Nintendo multiplayer games as Splatoon and ARMS received similar treatment.

Graphically, Mario Tennis Aces doesn't look that far removed from Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash on Wii U, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. While Ultra Smash received strong criticism, its graphics and character models were highly praised. Unfortunately, its lack of modes and limitless features cemented the game as the worst in the series. Surely the only way is up then… right?

The pre-launch tournament gets those elbows warmed up for whacking rallies and aspiring aces, with four characters available to choose from, including the all-rounder Mario, the technically gifted Peach, the powerhouse Bowser, and the speedster Yoshi. Progressing through the demo, players can unlock up to nine characters, each with their own specialty traits, including adding Tricky and Defensive to the aforementioned abilities.

Skills can be sharpened in practice mode, with the standard basic shots, which return from the previous games, ranging from top-spin to a Leap Shot. Camelot has gone all out to bring a new array of advanced shots that are dependent on the new 'Energy Meter.' The meter gradually fills during rallies but also builds when charge shots are used, or trick shots are executed. Trick Shots are fundamentally the fastest way to fill the energy gauge and have acted as last chance desperation act during the preview process to get to the ball, which highlights its risk/reward element.

The energy gauge can be traded off to complete Zone Shots, Zone Speed, and Special Shots, all of which have their own benefits. Zone Shots are pinpoint shots that are unleashed onto the opponents' side of the court; Zone Speed allows your Mushroom Kingdom superstar to enter 'bullet-time' and slow down the world to catch up to the ball; and, finally, Special Shots are potentially one-hit kill shots that can be unleashed at the expense of a great amount of energy.

Perhaps one of the more controversial additions to the Mario Tennis series is racket breaks, which cause an instant loss. Racket breaks happen when a player attempts and fails to return one of the energy gauge shots listed above. It does take some getting used to but, if executed correctly this makes the difference between winning and losing a game. A simple rules match can be played with the energy meter off for those not wanting to over complicate matters.

The controls feel great, although online lag has been experienced, which can severely dampen the experience considering how fast and fluid this needs to play; perhaps a temporary blip in an otherwise good demonstration.