Mario sports games have been hit and miss, pun intended, in the era of Nintendo Switch. Mario Tennis Aces didn’t quite ace the assignment. Mario Golf: Super Rush lived up to its subtitle. Barebones, rushed experiences that, whilst do have glimmers of creativity from developer Camelot, are a shallow affair.
These games felt like watching the a top seeded player demolish a quivering wildcard opponent at Wimbledon. A fun spectacle to witness, but ultimately over far too soon. Queued early for a ticket and it’s quickly time to devour a punnet of overpriced strawberries and an early train home.
The plumber and his pals return for another heated session in Mario Tennis Fever, kicking off a new season of Nintendo Switch 2 sports endeavours. A chance for Camelot to take the series back to its roots and deliver more meat to the Mario Tennis bones. Can the studio strike an ace this time round, or is it more of a double fault?
When the series made its debut with Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64, it defined how to create a party-like sports game but with plenty of depth in its deeper mechanics. New players could easily get into a rally and seasoned tennis fans could go the distance in tournaments. Simply replicating the same thing again and again in sequels could have put the series at risk of becoming one of those sports franchises. Camelot fleshed out the experience in handheld games – Mario Power Tennis on the GameBoy Advance being the pinnacle of solo campaign design with a lengthy RPG mode.
Two decades and a mixed bag of games later, Camelot returns with Mario Tennis Fever. On paper it sounds like it could be a return to the mix fans have craved for years. Adventure Mode is a single player campaign that re-introduces a tennis academy with mini-games, lessons and a wackier story segment post-graduation. Where Power Tennis (GBA) and it’s Game Boy Colour predecessor succeeded was a sense of progression. Players stepped into the shoes of their own character, starting from scratch, with a goal to meet Mario at the end. A reward for all the hard work. Neat.
In Fever it’s not quite the same, unfortunately. So close, Camelot, so close. Adventure Mode instead sees you take on the fixed role of Mario, with Luigi as a doubles partner. It starts with the gang setting out to find a cure for Princess Daisy, who’s feeling under the weather. A wild monster appears, casts a spell and turns the crew into hapless babies. Toad’s proposed solution to revert the curse? Tennis, of course. Why not? The now baby brothers need to re-learn their tennis skills to be strong enough to take on the baddie, enrolling at the academy. It sounds a little odd and leads to a handful of ranks to climb.
Each rank brings about different tennis shot-making lessons through mini-games, quick quizzes and training matches. There’s a good mix of challenges – from catching falling balls for footwork to spinning doubles partner trials and batting away Cheep Cheep fish. It all culminates in a tricky mini tournament to earn the tennis cap and gown. It feels very much like Mario Party minigames with a tennis slant – accessible, fun and not taking itself too seriously. There is a surprising amount of variety in this opening half, too, taking around two hours before setting off to face the big bad.
The second half leans heavily into the story, with the crew landing on the monster’s island and a series of small stages to beat before the final boss. Fend off piranha plants, solve a not-as-fun ice maze, a set of bosses and more – honing tennis skills and partnering with a few familiar faces along the way. Whilst good fun, this is where the mode just ends. It ends rather abruptly, too. Without spoiling too much, there’s dialogue about returning to the academy and competing in tournaments. Excellent! Could this be where players can finally pick a character, train and compete? No. The credits roll. There is no post-credits feature, just a save slot before the final showdown. It is an enjoyable mode, but plenty of missed opportunity to flesh out the experience. Other playable characters, character creation and co-op could have elevated Adventure Mode further. It feels Camelot simply ran out of steam.
But how about the tennis itself? Despite content depth being mixed throughout the Mario Tennis series, the mechanics have remained constantly strong throughout. The same applies to Fever. Those familiar timings on when to strike a ball are very much in place, with easy access to different shot types and fluid movement to keep things accessible for newcomers.
Where it does differ this time round is that the hitboxes appear a little larger, as does the ball. It still feels like playing a round of Mario Tennis, but it does seem easier to get balls back into play at least. Mileage on whether this is a good or bad move will vary on how complex you want the game to be mechanically, but there are still opportunities to showcase your tennis prowess.
Special moves and rackets also make a return, dubbed “Fever Shots”. No, these are not cheap drinks in a student bar but are moves that are charged up during rallies, unleashing stage hazards if they connect on the opponent’s side of the court. Fireballs, ice patches, bullet bill, thwomp and more. It does sound gimmicky, but from matches played – aren’t overused too much. Fever Shots do shake things up and, surprisingly, not in a detrimental way for the most part.
Aside from the standard tournament and quick matches, there are also additional modes to tackle. Trial Towers is a gauntlet with specific fun challenges, perfect for two players to tuck into together and feels very much like Event Matches from Super Smash Bros. Melee. Minigames also make a return, from the series staple Ring Shot to more gimmicky takes – including a Super Mario Bros. Wonder inspired court that really does feel like you’re mid… fever. Speaking of which, the talking flower from Wonder volunteers to offer commentary – which, well, is something. Online matches – both ranked and casual rooms – are quick to jump into, with a fair few options available to go granular on the type of match and rank rules. Ranking drops when losing are quite brutal, as this reviewer found out – the hard way – but oddly addictive to try and recover.
Mario Tennis Fever is a colourful trip back into the Mushroom Kingdom – it does have the usual Mario quirk and charm, especially in courts where there’s plenty going on in the background to make things feel a bit more alive. There’s a healthy roster to unlock, too, each with varying stats and feel – some learning toward power, others more skill and speed. Unlocks won’t take particularly long, but, together with different rackets and a list of achievements, extend the game’s longevity for solo play.
