Mario Tennis Aces Review: Gameplay Videos, Impressions and Esports Appeal

Nintendo continues to serve gamers with must-have hits for the Nintendo Switch. The latest offering in the Mario Tennis series, Mario Tennis Aces, which releases on June 22, is a smash hit every Switch owner needs to play.  

Mario Tennis Aces isn't just a nostalgic trip for fans of Nintendo 64, as it also delivers a major leap forward for the franchise. Its Adventure Mode, multiplayer (both local and online) and advancements in strategic gameplay offer endless value for competitors and spectators.

Gameplay and Presentation

As gamers have grown accustomed to, Nintendo's quality polish is sprinkled throughout.

To start, there's barely any loading time. In seconds, you can get into the main menu, its different modes and the matches, which is essential to a smooth experience.

The game looks and sounds fantastic on the Switch's handheld screen and on a television screen. The colors are vibrant, the usual Mario-esque quirky sounds are there, and the environmental details in the courses enhance the game, which were missing a bit from the recent installments in the Mario Tennis series. The crowd and surrounding areas of the courts are more detailed to make it feel like you're playing at a real sporting event or a lived-in world, depending on the court.

The courts are memorable, and most have fantastic obstacles to provide a fun, arcade-style feel. For example, there's a mast in the middle of a court that will redirect the ball if hit. This is a great test of the gamer's reflexes and will give gamers fits, in a fun way, during local and online play. It's a simple but genius add to create a more unpredictable, strategic and dynamic match. That's just one obstacle on one course; there's different variations to spice up the courts, but there's also a court without obstacles for purists.

Most importantly, the gameplay is phenomenal. The added wrinkles of energy and different types of shots makes this more like a chess match than ever before. There are trick shots, slice, topspin, flat shots, lobs, charge shots, drop shots and more. If players are abusing you up front at the net, get them back with lob shots over their heads. If they're playing deep, try to throw them off with drop shots.

Kotaku's Ian Walker even likened Mario Tennis Aces to a fighting game because of these added elements, and it's difficult to disagree when dissecting the variables.

As rallies continue, players can build and store energy to unleash vicious hits, such as Star Shots when they enter a Star Point on the court, that can decrease the opponents' racket health if they don't time and block their return correctly. If a player's racket breaks and he or she has no rackets remaining, then that player will be KO'd and the match will end on the spot. For those having trouble with difficult enemies, this is a strategy worth employing.

If you're having trouble with the timing, then you can use stored energy to unleash Zone Speed (hold down the R button) and slow down the speed of game to try to nail the timing. The player could also use fully stored energy to let loose a Special Shot (L button) and guarantee a return by placing the ball at a certain location, within a certain time limit. Watch out for the time, though, because it goes quickly, and you could easily mess up your guaranteed return. The Special Shots have a unique animation for each character that fits his or her personality. They look awesome. 

However, strategy comes into play with Special Shots because of their guaranteed nature. If both opponents have Special Shots available, then it's best to wait for your opponent to use theirs first so you can immediately use yours to counter. Each player will develop his or her own strategies, which is a big reason Mario Tennis Aces is so great.

Mario Tennis Aces isn't just fun—it's intense and immersive with high risks and high rewards. Your adrenaline will be pumping during your matches, and just like with Mario Kart, a player is never out of a match because of the different options to take over a match.

Adventure Mode

Without going into spoilers, the story is everything you'd imagine a Mario Tennis story would be. Mario is your hero, and it's on you to take down a mighty foe, this time in tennis, of course.

After a quick tutorial to start your adventure, Nintendo does a great job keeping the mode fresh as you progress. The bosses offer a unique and specific take on tennis and the gameplay to separate themselves from the normal matches you'll encounter on your way. There's also a mix of challenge modes during the journey that are optional but worth your time. They're more advanced versions of the tutorial sections but offer more chances to level up Mario.

That's right, there's RPG elements in a Mario Tennis story mode. After each match, Mario will gain experience and will increase certain attributes at each level. Mario will improve his shot speed, run speed and agility. Mario can also obtain different rackets during the journey, which will improve attack, defense and durability.

What's nice about the progression system is that you gain experience whether you win or lose the match or challenge, so you're always closing in on the next level to receive a boost. You'll receive fewer experiences points and payoff as you progress, but there's still something to be had at each level I encountered. This helps the gamer feel rewarded as he or she takes on some of the more difficult challenge modes, especially early on when still looking to become more comfortable with the controls and how to best incorporate different in-match gameplay options. There's also no need to worry about which attributes to put your experience toward—it all upgrades automatically.

It took several hours to get through the Adventure Mode, with many losses on the road to the end credits. The difficulty picked up toward the end, but it never felt impossible. Each gamer will develop his or her own strategy, though it'll be vital to understand the different strategic mechanics offered. It's a worthwhile mode to play through, and it'll likely have many gamers wondering what an Adventure Mode would look like for other Mario spin-offs such as Mario Kart, Mario Golf and more sports titles if new entires make their way to the Nintendo Switch.

Online and Offline Tournaments

Outside of Adventure Mode, players can participate in offline tournaments. They weren't challenging until the final round of the last cup but will serve as a good introduction to get your timing back between sessions. Toad has fun commentary during and after the match, but you can turn off the in-match commentary and music in the menu settings. However, you can't turn off the replay option after each point. It only takes a second or two to skip past it, but it would still be nice to have the option to turn replays off to speed up the pace of play.

Mario Tennis Aces runs as smooth as one would expect, and no performance hiccups were spotted. Based on the demo, your online experience will vary based on connection, like any online experience. Rest assured, a patch is expected to be ready for release "that improves many aspects of the game, including online matchmaking and tournaments," according to Nintendo. Those who experienced lag during the demo will be happy to hear that the patch is expected to relieve those concerns as well.

Considering how much fun and intense the online demo was for Mario Tennis Aces, there will surely be lots of enjoyment to be had online, especially since you can switch it up between singles and doubles play.

With Nintendo introducing its new online service in September, Mario Tennis Aces should be a cornerstone for the service because the gameplay is so fun, fast-paced and addicting.

Esports Appeal

Accessible and strategic.

Mario Tennis Aces is easy to grasp for a viewer since it's simply an arcade tennis match, but it'll be the high level of skill from competitive players and the plethora of strategies that will keep gamers and possibly non-gamers hooked on matches. Matches are like chess matches, and it's fun to watch when the players use their power shots or slowdown skills.

Perhaps most importantly, matches can be either quick, depending on the skill level, of course, or intense drama-filled marathons. These nail-bitters are nearly impossible to turn away from because the action moves so quickly. Players can skip replays quickly and move on to the next serve almost instantly.

It'll also be interesting to see how the community splits, as gamers have the option to use simple controls on the gamepad or Wii-style motion controls. That in itself will offer diversity and intrigue, as seen during E3 when Reggie Fils-Aime battled Geoff Keighley:

Of course, Mario Tennis Aces has something going for its that few other games can boast: the most recognizable video game character in Mario and a cast of lovable characters many gamers gravitated to during childhood. The roster is enticing. It's awesome to see Nintendo already announce the addition of Koopa Troopa and Blooper in July and August for free.

The dream, of course, would be for Nintendo to implement even more DLC characters from other Nintendo (or even non-Nintendo) franchises like the Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. franchises, but it's difficult to complain about the varied roster available. 

With several iconic characters and easy-to-understand gameplay, Mario Tennis Aces should be a massive hit on the esports scene.

Conclusion

Mario Tennis Aces is just about everything a longtime fan of the series could hope for with its introduction to the Nintendo Switch. For newcomers to the series, it's the perfect entry point because of its varied roster, excellent mix of basic and advanced gameplay options, Adventure Mode and multiplayer modes (local and online).

Nintendo has a phenomenal platform ripe for additional characters and courses to be included over the years, should it decide to go that route. With the longevity of the Switch, Mario Tennis Aces would be perfect for Nintendo to treat like it does Smash by introducing more characters and courses over the course of the next year or two.

Taking the Splatoon formula, Nintendo included something for gamers who also want a fun and enticing single-player story mode. For gamers who only want to play competitively, that option is there and should be the focal point of the game. Once gamers complete the Adventure Mode, there's endless matches to be had online.

Perhaps most importantly for Nintendo and its gamers, Mario Tennis Aces should help expand the esports scene for gamers and even to non-gamers. This game is as engaging to watch as it is to play, especially when taking into account the expansive in-match strategic options to increase the pressure and intensity.

Mario Tennis Aces should be a cornerstone for Nintendo's competitive, multiplayer gaming portfolio and deserves to have its spotlight in center court of the esports scene.