"Mario Tennis Aces, the new king of multiplayer games
20.6.2018
Translation: machine translated
If even those who don't like tennis are enthusiastic about 'Mario Tennis Aces', it's because Nintendo must have done something right. One of the main reasons for its success? Its new baby is also one of the best (local) multiplayer games around.
What, a new "Mario Tennis"? I must have missed the first announcement back in January. A little birdie told me a few weeks ago that "Mario Tennis Aces" is out on June 22 for the Switch. "Tennis" was one of my favourite games on the original Game Boy. The liberating "poc!" that followed the ball toss still makes me smile. Back then, Mario was just a referee. He's been wielding a racket himself since "Mario Tennis" on the Virtual Boy, but fortunately I didn't have enough money to buy that console, which certainly didn't help the eye health of its fans. I've also missed out on subsequent versions, but I intend to remedy the situation and give "Mario Tennis Aces" a try.
A single-player campaign as an appetiser
"Mario Tennis Aces" is a fairly comprehensive game. As well as various multiplayer modes, it also offers you the chance to use a Wii-like remote control. Let's start with the single-player mode instead. Not only do you take on Yoshi, Waluigi or Peach in tournaments, but you also have access to a campaign called Adventure, which serves as a tutorial. The story is so juvenile that a five-year-old would get bored of it, and it doesn't add much. Nintendo could have done better.
Whatever, you travel to different countries and encounter numerous opponents, complete challenges and take part in the eternal boss fights. The games are rarely conventional tennis, but always have a twist: they take place on a boat with a mast in the middle of the court, on which the balls bounce, or you have a snowball fight with the Maskass from the roof of a train, using their own balls. The difficulty level varies a lot; some opponents who anticipated every bullet and some tedious challenges really annoyed me.
Nintendo makes it a little easier with experience points to collect to boost your speed or energy with each level passage. Trials get easier the more you repeat them. You also collect various rackets that improve your game.
Surprising depth of gameplay
At first, I thought I could play simply with a touch . I don't know what possessed me to imagine that... No, you need ALL the keys. "Mario Tennis Aces is surprisingly technical. The A, B, X and Y keys are used for lifts, slices, forehands, lobs and cushion shots. You can choose the direction of your shots with the right-hand analogue stick. You can load your shots by pressing a button for a few seconds or by simply pressing a shot button as soon as possible. However, your character stands still. Take a good look at where your opponent's ball will land before choosing your special shot. These charged shots and ball changes increase your energy. You can use this energy to slow down time, target your shots, work out exactly where the ball will land and send a special shot even harder and faster. You can counter targeted and special shots, but only with good timing. If you go too fast, you'll break your racket. Besides, you have a limited number of them. After that, it's game over.
And then there's the magic shot for which your character soars, like an acrobat, several metres into the air while still managing to hit the ball. Timing is really everything. If you play too late, your shots will be weak or even go off-course. And if your opponent really goes for it and you don't respond properly, the gap will get wider and wider. In fact, the game also contains real fights.
The system makes matches require tactics, which surprised me. You always have to consider all your options before serving. The right shots (slice, lift, etc.) will come to you after a good dose of experience, not before. I often chose the forehand, because it's faster than the others.
Multiplayer mode as the main course
Good luck explaining all the moves and tricks to your mates in multiplayer mode, the star of the game. In doubles, you can play with up to four players locally. It's a merry chaos that will put everyone in a good mood. You can also play in pairs, on a Switch or on two consoles if everyone wants their own screen. The online version only allows two players.
At launch, the game offers you 16 characters characterised by their individual strengths and weaknesses. More, like Koopa Troopa, are set to follow. Boo hits the most curved balls, but he's not the fastest. Bowser Jr. is very mobile on his contraption, while these shots are pretty weak.
The game features several courts, balls and modes. It's intuitive enough that you can play straight away and have fun without having to know all the techniques from the start. Our duels quickly got heated. If I'd had direct neighbours, I'd have been worried. That's always a good sign. 😉
Wii fans can rejoice
If you don't fancy memorising thirty-six key combinations, you can use the popular motion-recognising remote like the Wii's. In fact, it offers far more depth than "Wii Sports". You can hit the ball with special movements. Depending on the timing of your shot, you can choose to hit backhand or forehand to the left or right corner. In live mode, your character moves towards the ball on his own, but you can also use an analogue stick to help.
In contrast, real mode contains no special moves or slow motion. Overall, it's a little less complex than with the regular controller, but it's a welcome option, and not just for those who don't like controllers. This mode also requires a little more dexterity than "Wii Sports".
Summary: long live tennis! Er, what?
I'd a thousand times rather watch a second league women's football match - long live FC Winterthur Frauen 😉 - than stuff myself with a tennis match, but "Mario Tennis Aces" really appealed to me, probably also because it's not a simulation, but more of an arcade game. And yet, despite the special moves and all sorts of wacky characters, this game is more tactical than it looks. Anyone can play it, and even break a sweat with the remote control. There's plenty for strategy fans too. The only thing that really irritated me was the repetition after each ball change. You can skip them, but it's like the Migros self-checkout, it just takes too long. Especially when I'm losing in my campaign. AAAARGH! But apart from that, Nintendo has delivered a really fun game. It has dethroned "Mario Kart" as the benchmark multiplayer game in my mind.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
