A Grand Slam for the series

Of all Mario's sporting outings, the one Mario Tennis games have been some of the most consistent. Except for occasional missteps like the Wii U's Mario Tennis: Ultra Smashmost of them Mario Tennis game delivers fun, arcade tennis action with plenty of signature Super Mario franchise charm. Mario tennis fever is the latest Mario Tennis game, and it delivers exactly what you'd expect if you've played any of the previous games, but does so with more polish and substance than its predecessors. Considering all it brings to the table, Mario tennis fever is potentially the best game in the series to date.

Mario tennis feverThe core tennis game is fast, exciting and easy to pick up and play, with simple controls that have players pulling off drop shots and top spins in no time. It can be played as a completely “normal” tennis arcade game, and you can easily lose dozens of hours playing it that way, but like other games in the series, Mario tennis fever is full of wild gimmicks that help it stand out from other sports games.

This time, Mario and friends can equip special fever rackets that can cause absolute chaos on the court. For example, there is a spinning fireball racket that, when players succeed with a fever shot, creates the classic Super Mario Bros. danger wherever the ball lands. This creates an obstacle for players to deal with when trying to return balls, forcing players to shake up how they move on the court if they want to survive the ordeal. Other fever rackets include one that covers the track in ice and another that forms a small tornado, but those are just the tip of the iceberg.

Mario tennis fever's Fever Rackets is a fantastic addition that makes every tennis match that much more exciting and unpredictable. The rackets are not exclusive to any members of Mario tennis fevers rosters either, so players are free to mix and match however they like. Purists may not like the fever rackets, but luckily they can be turned off. Personally, I enjoy the havoc they cause, and while they may seem overpowered, matches still boil down to skill as Fever Shots can be sent back across the net and inflicted on the other team. For particularly competitive games, a Fever Shot rally can be incredibly tense, as whoever fails will have a much harder time making a comeback.

Mario Tennis Fever is $70, but don't worry, you'll get your money's worth

Mario tennis fever has perfected the franchise's core gameplay, and honestly that would be enough to make it an easy recommendation, but what really puts it over the top is the sheer amount of content available. Mario tennis fever has a sizable roster of characters from Super Mario franchise, and even features the long-awaited debut of Baby Waluigi. The Mario tennis fever the roster has a total of 38 characters that can be matched with 30 fever rackets, ensuring great variety in any given match.

Instead of giving players access to all characters, rackets and courts out of the gate, Mario tennis fever smart withholds most of its content as unlockables. The requirements to unlock any given Mario tennis fever character or racket are clearly written, so players know exactly what they have to do to unlock what they want, whether it's a simple matter of playing a certain number of tennis matches or completing its tournaments.

Mario tennis fever has some special tournaments that players can complete in exchange for rewards, plus it has Trial Tower gauntlets for players to really put their skills to the test. Those looking for a more casual experience will likely want to turn their attention to the mini-games found in the Mix-It-Up mode. All of these modes are playable in local multiplayer, and while some things are limited to two players, most modes support up to four. The Switch 2 already has plenty of excellent local multiplayer experiences thanks to games like Kirby Air Riders and Mario Kart Worldbut now Mario tennis fever can easily be added to the list. If you're looking for a fun local multiplayer game that you can sink into for hours on Switch 2, Mario tennis fever is a no-brainer.

Of course, Mario tennis fever has online multiplayer as well, and it works great in my experience. There's casual multiplayer and a ranked option, and I've found the matchmaking to be fast and the performance to be rock solid. I still like games like that Mario tennis fever really excel when playing locally with friends, and while online may not be as extensive as some other sports games, what's here works and is still a lot of fun.

Mario Tennis Fever's Single-Player Mode is disappointing

Almost all modes in Mario tennis fever is amazing, and the constant stream of unlockables ensures that players always feel like they're performing something regardless of what they do. It's the best Mario Tennis game so far, but there is a flaw that keeps it from reaching even greater heights.

Mario tennis fever has a single player adventure mode that is an absolute grind. It's hardly more than a glorified tutorial, and while it has some fun, well-animated cutscenes, it's mostly a bore. The main part of it is spent at a tennis school, learning different strokes, and when the actual “adventure” begins, the game is practically over.

The good news is that it's at least mercifully short, so Mario tennis fever players can get the unlocks tied to it without wasting for a lot of time. I managed to complete it in about three hours, but if the obvious padding was removed it would be a much shorter game. For example, at the academy, players talk to Toad in the middle of the building, follow Super Mario Bros. Wonder Talk Flower to a minigame, do the minigame, go back to Toad, then go to another minigame. Had it been structured a little differently, where players could beat out one minigame after another, it would have been at least a little more tolerable.

Mario tennis fever has optional motion controls. They are functional, but a significant downgrade from the standard control scheme.

Speaking of the talking flower, Super Mario Bros. Wonders fingerprint is over Mario tennis fever. The Talking Flowers are dotted around Adventure Mode, and they also act as commentators during matches. One of the Mix-It-Up mini-games is too Super Mario Bros. Wondertheme, with players activating Wonder Flowers and collecting Wonder Seeds in the middle of tennis matches. As a big fan of Super Mario Bros. WonderI definitely appreciated the nods to the excellent 2023 platformer.

Mario tennis fevers single player is disappointing, but the overall package is fantastic. The game looks great, has catchy music, has a variety of fun game modes, and most importantly, it absolutely nails the core gameplay. Mario tennis fever is the best Mario Tennis game yet, setting a high bar for future Mario sports games on Switch 2.