Mario Tennis Aces

 Switch
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 605 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 321 out of 605
  2. Mixed: 170 out of 605
  3. Negative: 114 out of 605
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  1. Adrylek
    Jun 22, 2018
    4
    This game's lack of content is so major that it would be a scam if the game was $20, let alone the $60 Nintendo sells it for.

    The adventure mode is nothing but a very few amount of gimmicky levels put together that severely lack the fun that simple matches offer. The first hour is an unneeded bunch of tutorial levels, given there's a built in tutorial already. The pacing's horrible,    This game's lack of content is so major that it would be a scam if the game was $20, let alone the $60 Nintendo sells it for.

    The adventure mode is nothing but a very few amount of gimmicky levels put together that severely lack the fun that simple matches offer. The first hour is an unneeded bunch of tutorial levels, given there's a built in tutorial already. The pacing's horrible, since every time you enter a level you get a slow rundown of what the level will be that can be summarized by the line that details the objective when you load the level. Same thing when you exit or lose a level, and slow restarting is never good. There's no real story or goal within this mode, and every level is either long and boring, incredibly easy, or obscure and inconsistent. Too many of them are timed levels, so the first time you might be doomed by simply trying to figure out what you actually need to do. The points system that raises your stats at the end of a level feels entirely irrelevant.

    Aside from it, there's no real other single player mode. You start with every character unlocked, so all you'll do will be playing against CPUs. The swing mode is ridiculously bad it feels like you're playing Wii tennis. The character variety is decent, however some characters revolve too heavily on a gimmick; if you're playing against boo or rosalina, you're not playing the same game anymore, you're playing against their slices and trying to get around them.

    This game could be salvaged by a good online system, since the game mechanics are pretty good aside from the improvable racket breaking system, but Nintendo strongly fails to deliver on that too. There's no ranking system. You can't play 2v2s with friends against other people, only against CPUs, which is laughable (you can locally.) You can only play games, not sets, including against friends, and you can't even select the stage to play on. It takes a while to find people to play against, there are lag issues, and the matchmaking is region locked. The tournament mode (the demo's only mode,) is the highlight of the game, and it'll be a miracle if you don't get tired of it two days after you've bought the game.

    I repeat that Nintendo intends you to buy this game for $60.    … Expand
  2. USSVagrant
    Sep 14, 2018
    4
    A tennis game with solid gameplay underpinnings, but woefully in need of some QA.

    Essentially Mario Tennis Aces can deliver on a fast and fun tennis experience, but the lack of QA and time spent on development really shows. There aren't many options for online play, and variety is sorely lacking. Additionally, some characters are incredibly underpowered, and others are extremely    A tennis game with solid gameplay underpinnings, but woefully in need of some QA.

    Essentially Mario Tennis Aces can deliver on a fast and fun tennis experience, but the lack of QA and time spent on development really shows. There aren't many options for online play, and variety is sorely lacking. Additionally, some characters are incredibly underpowered, and others are extremely overpowered in their capabilities, to the point where you can almost never win against them.

    Additionally, the story mode has almost no difficulty curve -- it's either super easy, or stupid kinds of hard, with very little in between. And what little there is of a "story" couldn't be a bigger MacGuffin quest if you tried.

    In the online competitive formats, there are several glaring issues on top of how powerful the characters are. The "physics" (if you can even come close to calling it that) don't make a whole lot of sense -- A "lob" shot can fly higher and land sooner than a flat, depending on how the ball is hit. Additionally, some of the mechanics are very easy to abuse, with many players electing to use levitating characters and constantly using max-charge lob shots that are very difficult to stop. The matchmaking system is pretty bad, and doesn't afford you the option to exclude certain characters that are overpowered.

    The free play mode offers a wide variety of maps and playstyles, but unfortunately also suffers in the QA department. Simply put, the menus are annoying and difficult to navigate and use, and sometimes your options are severely lacking. The online freeplay serves almost no purpose, as it was not integrated into the other online format. Finding a match is completely random, and skill levels will be completely random.

    That said, the gameplay can be fun and get your heart racing, especially when a rally can get quite intense. Sometimes it feels like the controllers have a mind of their own, but overall the core gameplay is good.    … Expand
  3. pandemmick
    Mar 27, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. all of these positive reviews are steaming hot piles of lying garbage. this game has a great first appeal with its vibrant colors and interesting gameplay. then it persists to give you the most repetitive gameplay you have ever seen. and that is just the minigames. oh, you beat the first minigame that required 600 points? HERES ONE WITH 1200 POINTS. THEN 1600. ETC. now lets get into the matches against computers. for a little while its not bad, and it seems like they're actually giving you a chance. you can actually beat some of the later opponents in the game, but can you do it before breaking your rackets? or controllers? it seems like this game gives the computers so much of a ridiculous advantage it makes me furious. don't get me started on the double jump mechanic, it completely destroys the entire aspect of how you're actually supposed to win a tennis match.

    i waited for this game to finally go on sale for 40 dollars, and i am so mad that i even spent that much on it. play at your own risk. (also haven't tried the multiplayer consider the campaign drove me up a freaking wall.)    … Expand
  4. bretthoss
    Jul 15, 2018
    0
    This game is not worth $60.
    It is unpolished and lacks a lot of features.
    Unless a patch is released to fix many of the problems that users are complaining about, you should avoid this game at all costs.
  5. Hamsum
    Jul 10, 2018
    2
    This game is really bad, very boring "story mode", no quality of life considerations whatsoever, online is very laggy and matchmaking is no existence. Played a few games with friends immediately felt bored. Can't even have a local tournament mode with friends, with tennis rules.
  6. chaunceygf
    Jul 8, 2018
    2
    Grindy, repetitive, lacking in variety, and, ultimately, just not very fun. This game has almost no middle ground between mindlessly easy and so difficult that it feels like pure luck when you succeed. The story mode is a dreary, repetitive, personality-free grind at the best of times, and at the worst it's an exercise in joyless frustration. The free play and tournament modes are onlyGrindy, repetitive, lacking in variety, and, ultimately, just not very fun. This game has almost no middle ground between mindlessly easy and so difficult that it feels like pure luck when you succeed. The story mode is a dreary, repetitive, personality-free grind at the best of times, and at the worst it's an exercise in joyless frustration. The free play and tournament modes are only marginally better: characters are barely distinguishable in how they play, and CPU difficulty jumps straight from "you win every point" to "you only win when they feel like letting you do so" with no ramp-up or warning. The multiplayer is decently fun at first but gets repetitive very quickly.

    This would have felt like a forgettable but inoffensive purchase for 1/3 what they charged for it at release. As it stands, it's one of the worst rip-offs Nintendo has offered in years.    … Expand
  7. koolaidman486
    Jul 12, 2018
    2
    I'm sorry, I just can't...

    The games mechanics are solid, but the racquet breaking aloke ruins the entire experience, supers are literally instant wins, it's less about actually playing the opponent (which is actually a decently solid experience) and more "whoever can charge a meter faster wins" gameplay. The rest of the game plays fairly well, though could use some balancing (where    I'm sorry, I just can't...

    The games mechanics are solid, but the racquet breaking aloke ruins the entire experience, supers are literally instant wins, it's less about actually playing the opponent (which is actually a decently solid experience) and more "whoever can charge a meter faster wins" gameplay.

    The rest of the game plays fairly well, though could use some balancing (where speedy and tricky characters are more or less useless, at least in my playtime), though could benefit from a cancellation mechanic for charging your shot if you make a mistake. Simple mode is an option for a sort of remedy for my primary complaint, but at that point, I'd rather play something like Wii Sports or just go back to Power Tennis on GCN, which only really had the inability to cancel charging. Also, the ability to get hit by the ball is a stupid mechanic, your swing should cover that if you would've otherwise hit the ball.

    I would enjoy this game, but the only way to get around only a few major flaws is by gutting the Mario Sports Games' best features, which is the more outlandish gameplay.

    I'd either wait to see if some of the things are addressed or skip this game entirely, which sucks because there is really good stuff in here, but it's just ruined by a cloak of stupid design.    … Expand
  8. Pockles
    Jun 25, 2018
    4
    This game is....frustrating. Not having retries on the various challenges and having to receive dialogue that can't be skipped and waiting for load times every time you fail is super annoying, especially for anyone that actually values their time. I also think the general additions of the trick shot and zone shots were completely unnecessary. It adds complications to a game that make itThis game is....frustrating. Not having retries on the various challenges and having to receive dialogue that can't be skipped and waiting for load times every time you fail is super annoying, especially for anyone that actually values their time. I also think the general additions of the trick shot and zone shots were completely unnecessary. It adds complications to a game that make it even more frustrating.

    Super disappointing game from Nintendo.    … Expand
  9. xenoxinius
    Jun 25, 2018
    0
    DO NOT BUY before they fix core gaming sins.
    horrible adventure mode, some levels rely on pure artificial difficutly (go check the reddit, EVERYONE hates adventure mode)
    online roster is broken, if 99% of players pick the same 2 characters you know you have a bad designed game.

    wait to buy until they fix or this game will be death within months
  10. hiphoptherobot
    Jul 23, 2018
    0
    It's a tennis game trying to be a fighting game, but winds up being neither. This is a love it or hate it game. Demo it somewhere before you buy it. You'll know right away if you're going to hate it. Either way, it's really overpriced at $60. Wait for it to go on sale.
  11. Tscolaro1
    Jun 23, 2018
    3
    This game is a great game mechanically, all of the animations are smooth and the game flows really well. However, some of the design choices are very questionable and make this game frustrating.

    There are no real customization options which were present in the more recent mario titles, the adventure mode has challenges which do not feel rewarding, rather they feel taxing and a burden    This game is a great game mechanically, all of the animations are smooth and the game flows really well. However, some of the design choices are very questionable and make this game frustrating.

    There are no real customization options which were present in the more recent mario titles, the adventure mode has challenges which do not feel rewarding, rather they feel taxing and a burden that you just want to finish. Most importantly, the online tournament mode does nothing to address any skill gaps. You are thrown into the tournament with every other player from your region, regardless of the ranking difference. With the learning curve that this game has, you very rarely have a close or exciting game, rather it is an endless cycle of winning or losing convincingly.

    Despite the smooth gameplay that this game offers, there are flaws make for a frustrating experience and will significantly effect the lifespan of this game if not addressed.    … Expand
  12. Shiverfox
    Jun 22, 2018
    0
    This game is missing integral features that make the game enjoyable for multiplayer.

    The Mario Tennis series has always been a standby for my friends and I as a game we can pick up and play however we like. Denying us the ability to set the length of a match or even pick the level is baffling - why remove these features which have been present in prior installments? It's such a small    This game is missing integral features that make the game enjoyable for multiplayer.

    The Mario Tennis series has always been a standby for my friends and I as a game we can pick up and play however we like. Denying us the ability to set the length of a match or even pick the level is baffling - why remove these features which have been present in prior installments? It's such a small thing, but it ruins the game completely. The mechanics are okay, but they don't improve the game significantly over previous installments, and the controls are overly complex for the dull mechanics they implement.    … Expand
  13. fortinbras911
    Jun 22, 2018
    0
    If you are thinking of buying this game for local multiplayer, please rethink your purchase for the following reasons:

    - You cannot choose a map.
    - You cannot choose the length of a match
    - Forced splitscreen

    I have no idea what the developers were thinking, but this is not worth $60. The most basic features imaginable in a multiplayer game are not present.
  14. Pih700
    Jul 8, 2018
    2
    This game is clunky and odd (and not in a good way). From body shots to special moves this hardly feels like a tennis game. KO's punish you for trying and priority quickly becomes about filling a gauge over strategically timing your hits.

    Other parts of the game are just annoying. There are far too many replays. Being able to challenge calls is a strange feature in a video game and    This game is clunky and odd (and not in a good way). From body shots to special moves this hardly feels like a tennis game. KO's punish you for trying and priority quickly becomes about filling a gauge over strategically timing your hits.

    Other parts of the game are just annoying. There are far too many replays. Being able to challenge calls is a strange feature in a video game and while a little fun it is ultimately disruptive. You will also be plagued with a constant stream of too early/too late messages which stand as a reminder that this isn't really a tennis game.

    Swing mode is less responsive then wii sports, and it feels more like motion control as a button than actually motion control. Also you can't hit the ball in the air.

    Menu, setup and controls all are a bit too buggy. Not at all up to Nintendo standards, who signed off that this was ready to go.

    The graphics are fun and cute.

    Overall this game was deeply dissatisfying. I regret renting it for three days rather than one. And am thrilled a didn't buy it on whim.    … Expand
  15. AidanNintendo
    Nov 30, 2018
    3
    Mario Tennis Aces may be the worst game I have ever played. There is almost no single player content in the game other than adventure mode, which can be 100% in 3 hours or less. The story is very boring, and the game just repeats the same challenges. Of course, this is mostly a multi-player game so this shouldn't matter right? Wrong. The online is worse than the single player. It isMario Tennis Aces may be the worst game I have ever played. There is almost no single player content in the game other than adventure mode, which can be 100% in 3 hours or less. The story is very boring, and the game just repeats the same challenges. Of course, this is mostly a multi-player game so this shouldn't matter right? Wrong. The online is worse than the single player. It is completely dominated by bowser jr. and waluigi, and using other characters means you will lose. The ranking system is point based, and people can avoid fighting the good players and just get free points. The other modes are a waste of time.

    Updat: Balance patches improved game along with costume events bringing slightly more features. One more point for this.    … Expand
  16. Billu
    Jul 11, 2018
    0
    This game is very bad, the gameplay is boring and the adventure mode is short. The lobby system doesn't work for streamers. Its mario tennis ultra smash repainted and with a boe on it. Bad game.
  17. RealGameCritic
    Jul 12, 2018
    4
    The game is a scam, less than 3 hours of a story mode, combined with the poor lack of content throughout Aces’ solely relying on online play is absurd. The gameplay mechanics are great, but as a $60 game this is not worth the hefty price tag. Wait until it is $20.
  18. khayfa
    Jun 22, 2018
    3
    The core gameplay is really good but I have two MAJOR issues with Mario Tennis Aces:

    1. There is no option for customizing the match length in local multiplayer! How can a tennis game only include a 3-game match or a tie-break?? They should patch this immediately and give players the ability to play 6-game sets (1, 3, or 5 sets). 2. Local multiplayer forces split screen. I understand    The core gameplay is really good but I have two MAJOR issues with Mario Tennis Aces:

    1. There is no option for customizing the match length in local multiplayer! How can a tennis game only include a 3-game match or a tie-break?? They should patch this immediately and give players the ability to play 6-game sets (1, 3, or 5 sets).

    2. Local multiplayer forces split screen. I understand that the special shots require first-person aiming, but at least give players the option to turn this off when playing in the Simple Rules mode!

    I have no clue how this game was released with these issues...Completely killed the competitiveness for me when playing locally with friends.    … Expand
  19. DocAmes
    Jul 8, 2018
    0
    The Kamek rally challenge is WAY too hard. I'm on like my 70th attempt. What were they thinking. Glad I didn't pay for this game. Artificial difficulty to mask the lack of content.
  20. Copper5672
    Jul 11, 2018
    0
    Its almost like they made it bad on purpose, tourneys are just bjr. Bad job
  21. benrankel
    Jun 24, 2018
    0
    This game is garbage. Which is too bad because I really wanted to like it. Instead of a fun tennis/sports game you get these weird “fighting game” mechanics that throw away smart tennis game play focused on court position and shot choice for some special-meter-charging-special-shot-racket-breaking junk that isn’t fun. The single player is boring and frustrating and the worst offendingThis game is garbage. Which is too bad because I really wanted to like it. Instead of a fun tennis/sports game you get these weird “fighting game” mechanics that throw away smart tennis game play focused on court position and shot choice for some special-meter-charging-special-shot-racket-breaking junk that isn’t fun. The single player is boring and frustrating and the worst offending point is that you can’t retry failed challenges (and you’re going to fail a lot: the game gives the COM opponents every advantage, trick shot save and magical full meter possible) without rewatching a bunch of dumb character convos wasting tones of time. Give this game a miss.… Expand
  22. chicoramon
    Jun 22, 2018
    0
    Simply put, this game is broken. I repeat, this game is completely broken. There is no way on earth, you release a game of tennis, intended for players of all ages, where your only option is to play a best of 3 games match. 3 GAMES!!! 1 SET, 3 GAMES!! Are you kidding me? Or have I mistakenly bought a game intended for players 5 years and under? Not even a mode titled "CLASSIC TENNIS" givesSimply put, this game is broken. I repeat, this game is completely broken. There is no way on earth, you release a game of tennis, intended for players of all ages, where your only option is to play a best of 3 games match. 3 GAMES!!! 1 SET, 3 GAMES!! Are you kidding me? Or have I mistakenly bought a game intended for players 5 years and under? Not even a mode titled "CLASSIC TENNIS" gives you the ability to play a friggin' classic game of Tennis? AND it forces you to play in splitscreen, even in CLASSIC mode?

    Oh wow. Before a patch immediately fixes the the 3 games limit, this game can be considered unfinished. Breath of the Wild is 60$, and this is 60$? Hahahahahahahahahahhaha    … Expand
  23. faci
    Jun 26, 2018
    1
    Dissapointing. The only word that can discribe it. Adventure mode is terrible, boring, plain and has random difficulty spikes. Crap and very little varitey in music and courts, pretty much Wii u title reskinned with some new stuff sprinkled here and there. Missing quite a few staple Mario tennis game modes. Would avoid completely until this is sorted or till the next game.
  24. vgmkyle
    Jun 22, 2018
    4
    Another poor effort from Nintendo where they expect full price for a port slapped with a few things that should have been in the Wii U Tennis. It kinda seems like another copy and paste year from Nintendo with balancing and lots of money out of your pocket for not buying a Wii U originally.
  25. Apollus
    Jun 26, 2018
    0
    How is there no restart button? Between that and the annoying "okie dokie" in the menu...this game appears untested.
  26. MarsElliot
    Jun 28, 2018
    3
    This game is a massive disappointment. It is incredibly frustrating and should not be purchased. This game regularly breaks the rules for its advantage. Almost every shot you send back will be weak and the com has a nearly endless supply of energy that it will use against you if it can't win through the rules of tennis. This is probably the last digital download of a $60 game I make, asThis game is a massive disappointment. It is incredibly frustrating and should not be purchased. This game regularly breaks the rules for its advantage. Almost every shot you send back will be weak and the com has a nearly endless supply of energy that it will use against you if it can't win through the rules of tennis. This is probably the last digital download of a $60 game I make, as this would be traded in in a heartbeat if only to keep the developers from earning more money on this piece of trash.… Expand
  27. zephir93
    Jun 22, 2018
    0
    single player mode is a joke.
    an other maimed game like arms or splatoon sold at full price.
    stay away if you wanna play this for SP
  28. jeeburt515
    Jul 25, 2018
    0
    Definitely not worth the money, extremely disappointed. Adventure mode sucks. The AI is not well balanced at all. Expert is way too easy, Pro mode is way too hard. The settings for free play are very limited. If it had cost less money I would let it slide, but for 60 dollars? You're getting ripped off.
  29. Traslogan
    Dec 7, 2018
    4
    -The weakest AI a tennis game has had since the 1980s
    - Visually pleasing, but that's about all that's pleasing
    - singleplayer campaign is just heavily scripted boss-battles or "challenges" which involve invincible AIs. - Nothing is taught properly, most of the game's basic functionality is hidden behind rare loading tips or just hoping and praying you find info in online guides. -    -The weakest AI a tennis game has had since the 1980s
    - Visually pleasing, but that's about all that's pleasing
    - singleplayer campaign is just heavily scripted boss-battles or "challenges" which involve invincible AIs.
    - Nothing is taught properly, most of the game's basic functionality is hidden behind rare loading tips or just hoping and praying you find info in online guides.
    - Servers are already dead due to severe matchmaking imbalance (players with 200 score, with 2 or3 games under their belt, get put against players with 10000+ score frequently)
    - Despite a massive drop in players, the servers are extremely dysfunctional and laggy (It ignores all your input when it lags)
    - You now wait 5-10 minutes for an online match, or you play against a braindead AI.

    Unbalanced, bad servers, dead multiplayer inside a month or so. Avoid it.    … Expand
  30. macunix
    Sep 9, 2018
    1
    I found the game is simply bad. Very bad control and boring story and very repetitive game play. just do not buy it.
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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
8
#8 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 86 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 86
  3. Negative: 1 out of 86
  1. Nintendo Insider
    Oct 28, 2019
    80
    Mario Tennis Aces may well feature the best mechanics the series has seen to date, its new Zone manoeuvres and Trick Shots adding an exciting, madcap layer of depth to the sport. While Adventure isn’t the big single player hook I’d have hoped and some options feel a little too stripped down, it’s the game’s multiplayer that will keep this title a firm favourite for months to come. Golf next please Camelot.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 31, 2018
    80
    Brisk pace, easy control, good gameplay, lots of ideas and game modes. This is the new Mario Tennis Aces which is a wise purchase for your Switch. [Issue#288]
  3. CD-Action
    Sep 27, 2018
    80
    I’m pleased that we finally got a new full-fledged game by Camelot. What’s more, it will appeal to a whole lot of different people ranging from hardcore fighting games fans to your grandma and grandpa, though the difficulty level can be painful at times. The most important thing is that Waluigi begins his special move with a rose between his teeth, which puts Mario Tennis Aces dangerously close to the GOTY territory. [08/2018, p.64]
See all critic reviews »