Mario Tennis Fever — A Fun Party Game Let Down By Its Solo Adventure

Mario Tennis Fever possesses the spirit of a GameCube title. Its over-the-top interpretation of tennis is most effective with four friends gathered on a single couch. For the first time since that era, developer Camelot has released an installment that feels complete from its first day, packing in the most distinct characters, modes for both solo and multiplayer, and amusing gimmicks seen in the series. This does not mean all the content is valuable. The single-player adventure is once again woefully inadequate in its length and quality. Yet, when playing with others locally or online, the game’s tight, responsive controls and wild abilities create a chaotic party experience that provides significant fun in brief periods.

The main new feature this time is the collection of powerful Fever Rackets, which heavily influence the gameplay. There are 30 different rackets to select, and each one possesses a unique special ability capable of turning the match in your favor. These powers are triggered by executing a Fever Shot after a gauge is filled. The effects range from offensive actions, like placing a rotating Fire Bar from Super Mario Bros. on the opponent's side of the court, to defensive ones, such as creating a shadow duplicate to cover more area. They can also obstruct your view with ink, scatter banana peels across both sides, or provide temporary buffs, like making your shots curve more for the next 20 seconds.

The Fever Rackets are a blast to experiment with, and they add a different flavor to each match.

— Logan Plant, IGN

Experimenting with the Fever Rackets is enjoyable, and their presence gives each match a unique character. At their best, they compel you to consider all the special quirks currently active. If I place a slippery sheet of ice on one quadrant of my rival’s turf, we both know I’m probably going to try and hit my next shot right at it to force them onto the uncomfortable terrain. Or perhaps not. Shot placement in tennis involves psychological games, and the transformative effects of the Fever Rackets enhance this dynamic. There are also counters and balances for each racket that are satisfying to discover.

The Bullet Bill Racket turns the ball into an extremely fast line drive that seems overpowering initially, until you discover it can be neutralized by playing close to the net. When both players use this racket, it can lead to a comical, fast-paced Bullet Bill rally that often concludes with a discouraging body shot. Trying different combinations of rackets to see the results is a great part of the experience. This makes it particularly bothersome that there is no way to randomly select a Fever Racket for either human or computer opponents. Random selection is available for characters and courts, but not rackets, which seems like a feature that could be added in a future update.

Certain Fever Rackets are clearly more powerful than others, but Mario Tennis Fever includes a clever mechanic to provide some balance. When a player activates a Fever Shot, most offensive effects do not occur until the ball touches the ground. This creates a tense volley where both players desperately attempt to return the ball before it bounces. You must be confident in your choice of racket and the timing of its use, as a poor decision could result in your opponent sending your own powerful shot back at you.

Conversely, Fever Rackets can sometimes make outcomes feel more dependent on luck, particularly in doubles matches. With four separate powers in play, courts can become entirely covered in mud, fire, and unregulated chaos, similar to playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with all items set to their maximum level. When your health reaches zero, forcing you to sit out in doubles or move slower in singles, it often feels unrelated to your own actions because of how unavoidable taking damage becomes. Even a doubles partner’s Fever Shot can cause you harm. This isn't inherently negative; Fever simply leans more into its party game aspect than its predecessor, Mario Tennis Aces, which had mechanics resembling a competitive fighting game.

To accommodate the mayhem introduced by the Fever Rackets, the core tennis gameplay is somewhat simplified. The overall speed is slightly slower and the ball feels floatier. Last-second dives are more forgiving of mistakes, and the court is slightly smaller, making it easier to reach cross-court shots and extend rallies. I understand this decision: combining the intense pace of Aces with the increased chaos of Fever would likely be too much to manage. On one hand, I miss the more hardcore version of tennis Aces provided. That game held my interest online for years due to its high skill ceiling and rewarding mechanics. On the other hand, Fever is much more enjoyable for a casual game night with friends because it is easier for new players to learn. It is a less competitive tennis game but a better party tennis game. Additionally, most modes allow the use of a high-speed ball that creates a more energetic rhythm.

The game still feels excellent when you anticipate the ball’s trajectory, position yourself correctly, and unleash a fully-charged topspin shot, accompanied by great, punchy sound effects. Camelot has spent decades refining the same control scheme of drop shots, lobs, and angled smashes, and it remains fun to play. The computer-controlled opponents provide a solid challenge on higher difficulties, and the game features the largest roster in the series' history, with 38 characters to choose from. Each character has its own statistics and unique characteristics. Newcomer Baby Waluigi has become popular online, but I have found myself drawn to the overlooked Baby Wario, whose powered-up topspin shot helps me control the pace of each point.

The character models are arguably the most visually impressive part of Fever, featuring detailed clothing and facial animations, such as the texture on Luigi’s shirt or the increased number of bristles in Mario’s mustache. However, it does not stand out visually as a Switch 2 exclusive. Its cartoonish art style is appealing, as is typical for Mario games, but it doesn't represent a significant technological advancement. The game targets 60 frames per second and generally achieves it, though I observed a few dips in splitscreen doubles matches before the serve. The performance is consistent during the most critical moments of a point, even with all the wild Fever effects on screen.

In keeping with Fever’s GameCube-like feel, many characters, rackets, courts, and special costumes must be unlocked by completing specific challenges, playing a certain number of matches, and making progress in the Adventure mode. Recent Mario sports games have tied progression to online play, so it was a welcome discovery to see that Fever offered plenty of unlockable content without requiring an internet connection. This feeling changed upon starting the Adventure mode. If you are primarily interested in Mario Tennis Fever for its single-player campaign, I must report that it is the most underwhelming part of the package.

The plot involves Mario, Luigi, Peach, Wario, and Waluigi being transformed into babies, and Mario must relearn his tennis skills to save everyone. It begins with promise, featuring a few beautiful early cutscenes that place the characters in unexpected scenarios. Camelot maintains its reputation for creating surprisingly good cinematics, but the Adventure mode declines from there. The first 90 minutes of the disappointingly short three-and-a-half-hour campaign are spent at a tennis academy, where Baby Mario endures painfully slow and simplistic tutorials.

Adventure mode is filled with drawn-out tutorials and one-note minigames.

— Logan Plant

You complete simple minigames to improve your stats, read through text that reiterates each shot type, and participate in extremely easy qualification matches. You are also quizzed on basic tennis knowledge. This portion is clearly designed for young children playing their first Mario Tennis game and would have been more accurately named "Tutorial" than "Adventure." The experience might have been more enjoyable if the writing were clever, but the characters deliver bland lines that only serve to teach game mechanics. You eventually leave the academy and traverse a comically small world map. This part of the adventure strongly resembles the campaign in Aces, where you use tennis skills to defeat bosses and solve simple puzzles. There are a few challengers to find, but there is a surprising lack of actual tennis matches. Just as the action seemed to be increasing, it ended.

Tournament mode is a series staple, and this is unfortunately one of its weaker iterations. Playing through three brackets to win trophies is adequate, but Fever introduces an announcer, a Talking Flower from Super Mario Bros. Wonder, who provides nonstop commentary. He reacts to every shot, and his lines become repetitive very quickly. It is grating, and it is hard to imagine even children enjoying the constant chatter. The Talking Flower is enabled by default in all modes but can be disabled everywhere except in Tournament and Adventure modes. The best single-player mode by a wide margin is Trial Towers, a new addition reminiscent of Super Smash Bros. Melee’s Events. Each trial presents a specific scenario, and it is up to you to figure out how to win a short five-point match. There are also difficult optional achievements for completionists. Working through each challenge is enjoyable.

As is typical for the series, Mario Tennis Fever excels in multiplayer, which offers considerable flexibility. You can compete online in ranked matches, with options for singles or doubles, and with or without Fever Rackets. The online experience in the hours before launch was smooth. In addition to local play for up to four people, you can bring two players from one console into a private online lobby for casual matches. When you want a change from standard tennis, you and your friends can choose special matches like the motion-controlled Swing Mode or the traditional Ring Shot mode.

Other options include a pinball-themed court and a court that incorporates Wonder Effects from Mario Wonder, such as floating hippos. These modes range from decent diversions to uninteresting. Even the best special modes become repetitive quickly, and I soon returned to standard tennis matches. That primary mode has enough variety thanks to the large roster and racket selection, but it ultimately feels like too much of a single good thing. After 20 hours, I feel I have experienced all it has to offer. I see it as a fun distraction for a few minutes rather than a game that will command serious playtime.