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. StoneColdBread
    Jul 17, 2018
    6
    Tough to give the game a 6 when I can honestly say that I really enjoy the game. Below I made two lists of what, I believe, are the game's good characteristics and what are the bad ones.

    The Good: 1. Online Play has a fun tournament style matchmaking system 2. Standard Mode (with the energy/special moves) is actually REALLY FUN and good for competitive play 3. Shorter matches makes    Tough to give the game a 6 when I can honestly say that I really enjoy the game. Below I made two lists of what, I believe, are the game's good characteristics and what are the bad ones.

    The Good:
    1. Online Play has a fun tournament style matchmaking system
    2. Standard Mode (with the energy/special moves) is actually REALLY FUN and good for competitive
    play
    3. Shorter matches makes a ton of sense and feels right
    4. Playing with friends is fun

    The Bad:
    1. ELO system for matchmaking needs to be better (currently you could be matched with anyone
    regardless of skill, only matters what stage of the tournament you're in)
    2. Adventure Mode is boring and not too challenging for the most part
    3. COM Tournaments are too easy for all three cups
    4. Characters need to be balanced (Looking at you Bowser Jr.)

    Final Recommendation:
    I would recommend this game for fans of the series who can play with friends often or want to get online and smash some rackets. However, I would not recommend the game for anyone who is thinking of just playing it's (very short) story mode.

    *IF Nintendo adds online Doubles so that I can play with friends I will give this game a 7/10 but as of today that is not the case.    … Expand
  2. Wsm87
    Jul 18, 2018
    6
    I loved the original Mario Tennis back on the 64 (obsessively so) - sadly this doesn't seem to have the same magic. It's a fun game with some serious flaws (online balancing, latency issues, terrible character balancing etc) that just make it a tad less than the special game I'd been hoping for.
  3. GoldyTrez
    Oct 31, 2019
    6
    This one ain't that great. The gameplay mechanics are great, but all the side content is lacking and the courts don't reach close to the creativity from the older games. This game is greater with friends, like every party game.
  4. 2bitplayss
    Mar 16, 2021
    6
    the game is fine its not bad but it doesnt have the same charm as mario power tennis the menu feels bland. the gameplay is fine not the biggest fan of the zone shot things. i also wish there where extra fun game modes like in power tennis like fighting a mecha bowser painting a wall defeating ghosts running from a chainchomp you know stuff like that.. i also wish there where more uniquethe game is fine its not bad but it doesnt have the same charm as mario power tennis the menu feels bland. the gameplay is fine not the biggest fan of the zone shot things. i also wish there where extra fun game modes like in power tennis like fighting a mecha bowser painting a wall defeating ghosts running from a chainchomp you know stuff like that.. i also wish there where more unique wacky characters the roster is kinda generic. again its not bad but ive seen better (mario power tennis)… Expand
  5. Quizoid
    Jun 24, 2018
    6
    The basic game play of Mario Tennis Aces is on point. The new system, with limited brackets that break, interplay with the normal rules of tennis to create interesting, on the fly strategic decisions. It's really fantastic. Do you try and block that power shot with perfect timing, or just let it go by so you don't risk damaging your racket? What choice you make depends on where you are inThe basic game play of Mario Tennis Aces is on point. The new system, with limited brackets that break, interplay with the normal rules of tennis to create interesting, on the fly strategic decisions. It's really fantastic. Do you try and block that power shot with perfect timing, or just let it go by so you don't risk damaging your racket? What choice you make depends on where you are in the match and how much life is left in your racket; and what choice you make can be the difference between a win or loss. The basic, arcade game play of Mario Tennis Aces was exceptionally well-designed.

    Everything else is unfinished and sub par for a AAA Nintendo game. I really wish they took more time to make a quality game than do what they did.

    When I say, "unfinished" I mean that literally. I honestly think Nintendo did not finish this game before they put it out. Examples:

    1. You can only pick stages randomly in free play. As an inconvenient workaround, you can toggle stages on and off (effectively letting you choose if you toggle everything off but the one you want).
    2. You can't play doubles in tournament mode. You can only do doubles in local and online free play.
    3. The main campaign has to do with collecting "Power Stones." When you get one, a magical chest opens, dramatically revealing... nothing. The way the shots are composed, it really looks like something was supposed to be floating out of that. There's even one shot where the camera zooms way back after a chest opens. I can just see, in my mind's eye, the Power Stone floating up out of the chest: the power stone they never made.
    4. Some challenges in the story campaign involve doing certain things within a time limit. Many challenges have several phases. In good game design, they will give the player a time bonus, or reset the time, after each phase. This way, if the player takes so long on phase one that they'll never have time to finish phase three, the game just cuts the player off right there (instead of pointlessly letting them play phase 2). In the early part of adventure mode, the game is designed this way. In the later part of adventure mode, you get your time up front in a big lump. I think they meant to go back in later and divide it out, but just never did.

    Ever since the 80s, the "Nintendo Seal of Quality" has meant something. I worry about the direction of this company if they continue pushing out unfinished products like this one.    … Expand
  6. KingOfRock
    Jun 23, 2018
    7
    Mario Tennis Aces is a good game, but not a great game. Now, the game itself is serviceable, but there are some questionable decisions Nintendo made on this. I'm sure in the future some of these problems will be patched out, so in a couple months my review may come off as a bit silly and I'm willing to accept that, but I'm reviewing the version I played on launch.

    There's really 2 major    Mario Tennis Aces is a good game, but not a great game. Now, the game itself is serviceable, but there are some questionable decisions Nintendo made on this. I'm sure in the future some of these problems will be patched out, so in a couple months my review may come off as a bit silly and I'm willing to accept that, but I'm reviewing the version I played on launch.

    There's really 2 major issues I have with this game. The first is there's no option to play a traditional tennis match. I don't understand that decision. That's honestly the biggest issue I have. It's sold as a tennis game, but plays more like a tennis-lite game. The matches are just so much shorter and I don't like that too much. Apparently a lot of people in Europe have actually been trying to get refunded because they found the title a bit misleading because of this. I wouldn't go that far, but I do think it hurts the game. Not enough to ruin it, but it certainly doesn't help.

    Another issue is, and this is the one I think will be patched first, but why is there no option to retry a level in adventure mode? That's far more frustrating than it sounds like. Especially if you're down to the point you're sure you'll lose then you want to just play again from the beginning to speed things up but you can't. So your options are lose or quit. Either way, you'll be forced to watch the cutscene afterwards. For some reason you can skip the cutscene before matches but not after. I don't understand that.

    But, it's not all negative. The core gameplay is still solid. The controls are smooth and the adventure mode is still a great addition, even if it has its flaws. The graphics are great. I truly love them. And overall, it's a good game. But it's not great. It stops too short of being great to truly make me recommend buying this.    … Expand
  7. sscott0829tw
    Jun 22, 2018
    7
    Well it's way more better than ultra smash.
    The story mode is a bit lazy without many cutscene, the plot is laughable but it get it's job done. it features many cool levels and bosses, and take you a while to complete the story mode.
    The game mechanic is fun and challenging and takes time to master it. Both standard and simple mode need a bit of skill to defeat your component. The    Well it's way more better than ultra smash.
    The story mode is a bit lazy without many cutscene, the plot is laughable but it get it's job done. it features many cool levels and bosses, and take you a while to complete the story mode.
    The game mechanic is fun and challenging and takes time to master it.
    Both standard and simple mode need a bit of skill to defeat your component.
    The swing mode is a bit weird and sometimes the actions feel laggy, but it's pretty fun and you can do a lot of exercise.
    I hope the game can add some co-op mode or something for this to become a better game.    … Expand
  8. EnerjuBitsu
    Jun 22, 2018
    7
    Don't believe the hype, the game is okay but it's definitely not amazing. The first game is better.

    Pros + Gameplay feels weighter + Graphics are much nicer than the original + The switch's capabilities make it so that tournaments are larger and overall the game feels like a mario themed tennis game more than the first. Cons - Clunky controls, the controls always seem to respond    Don't believe the hype, the game is okay but it's definitely not amazing. The first game is better.

    Pros
    + Gameplay feels weighter
    + Graphics are much nicer than the original
    + The switch's capabilities make it so that tournaments are larger and overall the game feels like a mario themed tennis game more than the first.

    Cons
    - Clunky controls, the controls always seem to respond correctly to my opponents but it's touch and go with me, no matter how hard I press the buttons and my switch is relatively new
    - lack of customization. Seriously, they have a faux RPG system in the single player but it's ultimately meaningless. Same with the rackets.
    - Really frustrating online. It seems like you get matched with people either way better at the game than you or the controls respond more fluidly to them and not to you, even if you do the same thing as them.
    - Single player is kind of a joke. Feels ramshackled in and not a lot of effort was put into it. The focus is clearly on the single-player tournaments and online tournaments as opposed to any sort of campaign. Which is fine if you like that sort of thing but I vastly preferred the RPG elements in the original DS game.

    All-in-all, it's an okay sports game. If you like sports games, then perhaps this is for you. I was hoping for a revamped system of the old game so, in my opinion, this is not worth the $60 price tag I paid for it. That being said, it's not a bad game if you know what you're in for.    … Expand
  9. SketchingMoose
    Jun 24, 2018
    7
    Best Mario Tennis since the N64, but not a masterpiece.
    The game plays great, as you would expect.
    Unfortunately, the single player mode doesn't make you feel like you are doing anything worthwhile. The only thing you really unlock is new arenas. All the characters (except DLC and future free updates) are unlocked at the start. The only additional skin (for Mario) was available through    Best Mario Tennis since the N64, but not a masterpiece.
    The game plays great, as you would expect.
    Unfortunately, the single player mode doesn't make you feel like you are doing anything worthwhile. The only thing you really unlock is new arenas. All the characters (except DLC and future free updates) are unlocked at the start. The only additional skin (for Mario) was available through the Demo. The story mode lets you acquire different, unique looking rackets, but they are only used in the Story Mode and aside from some minor stat changes, they don't offer any cool effects (fire, ice, etc)
    What I BELIEVE they needed to do for this to be worth $60 was to, at the very least, allow us to unlock characters, skins, rackets, and a number of courts to be used in Free Play mode or Multiplayer mode so we can feel a sense of accomplishment as we play. Perhaps an in-game currency from winning matches or progressing through the Story Mode to purchase these items in a shop.
    I am hoping that this game get's the Splatoon treatment and gets a lot of Free DLC and update support in the coming year to help flesh out the content in the game and/or address some concerns many have with the in-game options.

    Aside from my 'What-If' wish list, a few things you should know:
    + Large roster of characters, many are quirky and unique in how they play.
    + Single player mode has fun and unique challenges that will test your skills
    + As expected, audio and visuals are stellar. (the sound of the tennis ball is so satisfying)
    + The gameplay is great and is fun to play. You will find a lot of enjoyment in playing matches.
    - Cannot play standard tennis Game-Set-Match in free play mode (only First to 10 points)
    - Cannot select an arena in free play mode / multiplayer
    - Single player mode, while unique and fun, feels empty in its reward system.
    - Most of the game forces you to use new mechanics (which are fine, but sometimes you want to play the simple, old school way of playing with no trick shots, etc)
    - $60 price tag seems hefty for a game with features such as this one has.

    Final Verdict: If you love Mario Tennis games of old and can look past the cost, pick it up. If you just enjoy the past iterations of this game and are interested in checking it out, keep your eyes open for a good deal for a used copy on ebay. This game is worth some playtime.    … Expand
  10. awolcz
    Jun 27, 2018
    6
    The game is ok. Core gameplay is really fun, but with some problems with balancing. There are like 2 OP characters and trick-shots are often abused by players (back and forth trick-shot spamming). Another problem is that there is not enough content. There are no unlockables, no customisation options, no mini-games and really bad and short story mode. This game is a missed opportunity. ItThe game is ok. Core gameplay is really fun, but with some problems with balancing. There are like 2 OP characters and trick-shots are often abused by players (back and forth trick-shot spamming). Another problem is that there is not enough content. There are no unlockables, no customisation options, no mini-games and really bad and short story mode. This game is a missed opportunity. It could be so much better... Not worth $60 in a current state.… Expand
  11. leasemonkey
    Jul 6, 2018
    7
    Playing this game made me compelled to make an account on here.

    As others might have said, the gameplay is really solid, but there's a lot of incredibly frustrating clunkiness that can't be overlooked. I will elaborate. -Can't retry in story mode objectives. I am not the best gamer, I admit, and some of those challenges are really challenging. I get the feeling that the fun part is    Playing this game made me compelled to make an account on here.

    As others might have said, the gameplay is really solid, but there's a lot of incredibly frustrating clunkiness that can't be overlooked. I will elaborate.

    -Can't retry in story mode objectives. I am not the best gamer, I admit, and some of those challenges are really challenging. I get the feeling that the fun part is doing them over and over again. And that's fine, but do I really have to see Mario and Toad shrug and wait 2 minutes on loading EVERY. SINGLE. TIME? I just wanna play the game! This whole situation shovels even more frustration onto a pile of some pretty frustrating objectives. Perhaps this was done to add "fear of death" to the game, so you have to face some sort of punishment for losing. In this kind of game, I fail to see the point in that.

    -UNINTUITIVE CONTROLS. I try to lob and instead I do a flip and miss the ball. I know that there's a way to avoid this, but it's counter intuitive when every other shot you want to mash the button down to get the max effect.

    -Difficulty spikes. Some things are pretty easy and some things are unexpectedly hard. A lot of swapping back and forth. I beat the second boss on the first try, but the "mid boss" before that took a lot of time. Which is good, I like challenge and it forced me to use all my shots. However, I've always, always hated timers in games (besides racing games and 'real' sports games) and it's just such a kick in the guts to have to deal with all this stuff. Plus your timer is your "health". I'd rather have a real health bar, and I don't like the "challenge" that having to complete a boss on a timer adds. AT LEAST SPLIT THE TIMER SO YOU CAN'T GO INTO A NEW PHASE WITH NO HOPE OF WINNING.

    There is a great game underneath these things, and Nintendo has put out great game after great game on both the Wii U and the Switch, with some misses, like the Wii U Mario Tennis.

    This game makes up for that, but it's frustrating in so many ways. It feels incomplete, and in some ways downright sadistic.

    It's like if someone handed you a Terry's Chocolate Orange and one of the slices was made of orange-flavored human feces.

    Yeah it's all the same color, and it's still MOSTLY chocolate, but...    … Expand
  12. milazar90
    Jun 28, 2018
    7
    I'm definitely enjoying my first few days of Mario Tennis Aces gameplay and overall have to say the idea of an adventure mode came off quite well. Although, like many other reviewers here, I feel like some things seem to be missing or unfinished.

    Why is it such a big deal to reclaim power stones in adventure mode, yet you never physically get to see any of them? Open the treasure chest    I'm definitely enjoying my first few days of Mario Tennis Aces gameplay and overall have to say the idea of an adventure mode came off quite well. Although, like many other reviewers here, I feel like some things seem to be missing or unfinished.

    Why is it such a big deal to reclaim power stones in adventure mode, yet you never physically get to see any of them? Open the treasure chest in a Zelda game and what happens? Usually you see the treasure, no? When you receive a new tennis racket you do get to see it, so this is just a glaring exclusion.

    There are other minor things as well, such as the font being unusually small on menu screens at times, or failing to add the crucial "Retry" button for the most frustrating challenges and then suffer annoying failure dialogue multiple times.

    What I love: the difficulty, overcoming the learning curve, online play, and boss/sub boss level designs.
    It's a great game and feels like a worthy successor to the Mario Tennis series, it only seems that despite their best intentions, Nintendo definitely shot themselves in the foot with a rush job.    … Expand
  13. AudioSuede
    Jun 28, 2018
    7
    Mechanically, Aces is a fun throwback to classic arcade sports games. It's tight and satisfying, with nail-biting matchups possible every time. But it's not without its flaws. Load times make failing a mission in the Adventure mode a slog (as others have pointed out, the lack of a "restart" or "retry" option is baffling and infuriating). Many missions are incredibly difficult to the pointMechanically, Aces is a fun throwback to classic arcade sports games. It's tight and satisfying, with nail-biting matchups possible every time. But it's not without its flaws. Load times make failing a mission in the Adventure mode a slog (as others have pointed out, the lack of a "restart" or "retry" option is baffling and infuriating). Many missions are incredibly difficult to the point of cruelty. The story is slapdash and the seemingly endless dialogue is tedious. But when it comes to playing with friends, the game shines, and having the ability to turn off special moves and energy bars gives people who just want a simple tennis game a chance to relive the joys of classic titles like Virtua Tennis.… Expand
  14. Malooga
    Jun 22, 2018
    7
    *TIME SAVER REVIEW*

    It's fun enough. Wait for a sale unless you are a die-hard Mario Tennis fan. Plays like all other Mario sports titles, not much here in terms of redefining the genre.

    Better with two players, but fun single player as well. The story is kind of a wash but who expected a masterful story about a plumber playing tennis?

    7/10 - A $40 price tag or lower.
  15. Captiosus
    Jun 24, 2018
    6
    Probably the first purchase I've made for my Switch that I'm disappointed in. Based on the pre-release marketing and the Treehouse Live at E3 gameplay displays, I was certain this game was going to appeal to both single players AND multiplayer-centric players. It looked like it was going to be a solid single player RPG style Tennis game with an Adventure mode and progressively harderProbably the first purchase I've made for my Switch that I'm disappointed in. Based on the pre-release marketing and the Treehouse Live at E3 gameplay displays, I was certain this game was going to appeal to both single players AND multiplayer-centric players. It looked like it was going to be a solid single player RPG style Tennis game with an Adventure mode and progressively harder tournaments for players to level through and get better with. Sadly, this is not the case.

    Adventure mode is really just a lengthy tutorial with a fixed difficulty setting. The computer AI in tournament mode is so ridiculously easy that I was able to win all three tournaments using the same extended volley shot cheese. The AI NEVER adapted. Free play is the only place where you can truly have difficult matches, but only if you set the AI to pro.

    It looks like the bulk of this game is designed around multiplayer tournaments and local multiplayer. If you're not interested in either for whatever reason, your enjoyment of this game will be short lived and it will simply become a casual "I feel like doing an AI match for a few minutes" game. Not really worth $60 in that case, in my opinion.

    Also, rather than repeat what he said, everything Quizoid said in his review about the game feeling unfinished is on point.    … Expand
  16. askeptic
    Jun 22, 2018
    5
    Typical Metacritic, people giving this game 10's and 0's, none of which are even close to being accurate. Here is a short to the point review from someone who actually bought the game: This is another release by Nintendo that leaves much to be desired. Has Nintendo completely lost their magic lately? This game is the very basics of Tennis, almost only including what they needed to squeakTypical Metacritic, people giving this game 10's and 0's, none of which are even close to being accurate. Here is a short to the point review from someone who actually bought the game: This is another release by Nintendo that leaves much to be desired. Has Nintendo completely lost their magic lately? This game is the very basics of Tennis, almost only including what they needed to squeak by. The lack of customization and repetitive game play leave much to be desired on the court. If Nintendo had priced this at 50% of what they are currently asking, it may of been a decision to make, but as it stands, I wish I never purchased this game. Is it the worst game i've played - no, not even close. However it is far from good. From the outside looking in, it would appear that Nintendo is now pushing games out too fast just to say they have a title on the Switch. Shame.… Expand
  17. ANKPlays
    Jun 22, 2018
    5
    Mario Tennis Aces isnt perfect. Far from it. I'd go as far to say the game isn't worth your money, let alone at full price. Yes, it looks nice, Yes, it has a decent amount of characters for a sports game, yes, the music is nice, but the gameplay is frustrating and tricky. You can say that I'm only complaining because I'm bad, but some of the reasons for losing are outright stupid. TheMario Tennis Aces isnt perfect. Far from it. I'd go as far to say the game isn't worth your money, let alone at full price. Yes, it looks nice, Yes, it has a decent amount of characters for a sports game, yes, the music is nice, but the gameplay is frustrating and tricky. You can say that I'm only complaining because I'm bad, but some of the reasons for losing are outright stupid. The story mode is basically a well-overstayed tutorial, that you are required to beat to unlock all the stages. The simple mode is just ACES tennis minus the fun, and freestyle is buggy and also unfun, even with friends. The online can be really laggy and I will get disconnected and removed from tournaments, sometimes even penalized, for no reason. My internet is very stable and runs other switch games smoothly, so it's absolutely the games fault. You cant pick the stage you want, and you can't customize match length. The game is definitely a step up from Ultra Smash because at least the gimmick this time around isn't as terrible. This game isn't worth 60$. It is worth 20$ at Best. Nintendo really needs to proof their games more and remove the rage factors if they plan on marketing towards kids. This game is mediocre, and once again, not worth your money. There are much better games on the switch than this.… Expand
  18. YourVillain
    Jun 26, 2018
    7
    The controls are tedious and irrelevant to actual tennis (more like a tennis/fighting hybrid). The Adventure Mode is overhyped and worthless. The local multiplayer is lacking in features. The only reason I give it a 7 is for online play (even this is sorely lacking in content). Do yourself a favor and buy the 3DS version or better yet, buy a N64 with the original as it is a leagueThe controls are tedious and irrelevant to actual tennis (more like a tennis/fighting hybrid). The Adventure Mode is overhyped and worthless. The local multiplayer is lacking in features. The only reason I give it a 7 is for online play (even this is sorely lacking in content). Do yourself a favor and buy the 3DS version or better yet, buy a N64 with the original as it is a league above this offering. Save your sixty dollars. Trust me.… Expand
  19. TheSlyOne
    Jun 28, 2018
    6
    Gameplay = excellent
    Online = good, but some matches lag
    Story = okay, but not much depth, short, and may be too hard for some. Serves as an excellent tutorial for the game though, and if you can complete the entirety of it, I can assure you that you'll be much more prepared for matches against real people. Modes = Not many. Don't go in expecting much. Most of the game really seems to    Gameplay = excellent
    Online = good, but some matches lag
    Story = okay, but not much depth, short, and may be too hard for some. Serves as an excellent tutorial for the game though, and if you can complete the entirety of it, I can assure you that you'll be much more prepared for matches against real people.
    Modes = Not many. Don't go in expecting much. Most of the game really seems to be centered around online matches (and playing with friends). Thankfully since the gameplay is so good, there's a great deal of fun in just playing a bunch of matches.
    Tournaments = Okay. There's COM tournaments that you can play that kinda just suck. There's 3 of them, and they're all pretty easy (up until the very last match). The online tournaments are good, but as stated before, there's lag and there's not a proper ranking system yet. Often you can just get blown out of the water (or do the same to your opponent) because there's not a good matchmaking system yet. This is supposed to change soon though.
    Options/Customization = Poor. Will hopefully change, but for now it's really not great. Wanna change what length your match is? You can either do a tiebreaker or a 2-game 1-set match. That's it. There's other things, such as stage selection, that are done poorly.

    Overall it appears to be a fairly decent game with an excellent core and a weaker outer shell around it. I'd wait for 1) the price to drop and 2) updates fixing some of these issues. If these things happen, definitely get the game, as it'll be totally worth it. For now though, it's hard to say. I bought the game at full price and I don't know if I regret it or not. To be on the safe side though, just wait. It'll probably be very much so worth it sometime soon.    … Expand
  20. Nicklope
    Jul 3, 2018
    7
    The second to second gameplay of Mario Tennis Aces is terrific - though that doesn't give the game a pass for being not user friendly and at times convoluted. The shot color system (along with Special, Trick and Zone shots) gives Aces a chess-like strategic edge you'd expect from a fighting game. The campaign is passable and does have the colorful surface polish you'd expect from a gameThe second to second gameplay of Mario Tennis Aces is terrific - though that doesn't give the game a pass for being not user friendly and at times convoluted. The shot color system (along with Special, Trick and Zone shots) gives Aces a chess-like strategic edge you'd expect from a fighting game. The campaign is passable and does have the colorful surface polish you'd expect from a game staring Nintendo's mascot, but at times it did feel samey and was a bit short. Needless to say Aces is most enjoyable in Tournament mode.

    I'd advise starting the game in Adventure mode to a get a grip on the mechanics. The campaign does an excellent job on teaching the player the ropes. Aces has 5 types of basic shots: Topspin (a fast shot with a high arc), Slice (a slower shot that curves), Flat (a straight, fast shot), Lob (a very high arc, deep-court shot) and Drop shot (a shot that falls near the front of the net). Topspin, Slice, and Flat are color coded red, blue, and purple respectively; the Lob and Drop shot are yellow. Each shot is mapped to a different button and if the button is pressed early, the shot can be charged, which causes the ball to travel much faster (and potentially knock back your opponent). To prevent knock back from a fully charged Topspin, the player can counter with a Slice (and vice versa). The color coding of each shot allows simplicity in determining how to counter. The player could also counter any basic shot with a Trick shot ( a flashy movement maneuver that quickly transports the player to the ball), but beware, if not timed properly Trick shots eat up your energy gauge (essentially a magic meter, replenished by performing basic shots). Charging shots and perfectly timed Trick shots replenish your energy gauge quicker than basic shots. Energy is utilized through Zone and Special shots, as well as the defensive maneuver Zone Speed.

    If you thought the shot counter system made things a bit strategic, Zone and Special shots really mix the gameplay up. When an uncharged shot is heading to your side of the court, a star will sometimes appear showing where the shot will land. The player has the option to stand in the star and fire back with a quick Star shot (faster, enhanced version of a shot that doesn't require charging) or perform a Zone shot. When performing a Zone shot, time is slowed and the player has the ability to aim (with gyro controls, if preferred) a powerful shot where ever they choose on their opponent's side of the court. To block these shots, the player must utilize Zone Speed (an ability that slows time and drains your energy). While time is slowed during Zone Speed, the player must get to the ball and perfectly time their button press to block the shot. If not timed properly, the defenders racket takes damage. Special shots are essentially the same as Zone shots but they come with a neat startup animation unique to each character, don't require the star, and when they are not blocked properly they will shatter a racket. Utilizing energy is where the game really starts to become strategic and satisfying,
    Proper energy management (while simultaneously gimping your opponents energy by forcing them into Zone Speed and Trick shots) is the key to consistent wins. This entire gameplay system is innovative and bold, i applaud Camelot for taking Mario Tennis to this level.

    I know the mechanics all sound a bit complicated, but the campaign does act as an excellent pair of training wheels. As for story, its basic and silly but that's understandable considering this is a game where dragon turtle kings and tie-wearing apes duke it out on the tennis court. The campaign quickly got boring after i realized there was around 3 basic challenges the player had to repeat, each time with a new coat of paint. Some of the courts and bosses mix it up very slightly, but not enough to hold the attention of someone looking for an evolving, fresh gameplay experience. That being said each new coat of paint was a bit of a delight to look at. One thing i did find frustrating in Adventure mode was the inability to reset challenges from the pause menu, which often led to me just putting the controller down after an early botch.

    The cast is fun and diverse and comes in 6 flavors (All-around, Powerful, Defensive, Technical, Tricky, and Speedy). At first you may wonder why anyone would choose an All-Around character (like Luigi or Daisy) when rather they could gimmick and cheese it up as the Defensive Bowser Jr. You will realize though that character choice doesn't matter as much as the players skill; I've seen characters from each class tear it up in tournament mode.

    The most frustrating issues in Aces is the complication and unfriendliness of the Versus mode's menu and options. For example, stages cannot be directly chosen; rather they are cycled and can be toggled on or off.

    While a bit bare-bones, Mario Tennis: Ace's mechanics is the saving grace of this experience.    … Expand
  21. shofixti
    Jun 24, 2018
    6
    The short version: While mechanically and aesthetically pleasing, the single-player modes are not up to par for a full-price Mario title.

    The slightly longer version: Aces is at its best in short bursts. Pounding charge shots across the court is satisfying, and the game has lots of color, plenty of fun things to see and hear. Watching Chain Chomp bounce around the court after scoring a    The short version: While mechanically and aesthetically pleasing, the single-player modes are not up to par for a full-price Mario title.

    The slightly longer version: Aces is at its best in short bursts. Pounding charge shots across the court is satisfying, and the game has lots of color, plenty of fun things to see and hear. Watching Chain Chomp bounce around the court after scoring a point is adorkable, or you can see Bowser quake in rage after missing a point.

    Really though, the game is at its best for competitive online gamers. If you are looking for good single-player play, I'm sorry to tell you that Aces lands out of bounds. Adventure mode, while again having colorful graphics and such, is just a somewhat frustrating "git gud" mode that's strictly gated. Having trouble with one of the challenges? Too damned bad, son; you keep doing it until you get it right. The tournament mode against COM players is a cakewalk; again, it's satisfying to hammer them with shots and smash their rackets to flinders, but in the end you haven't earned anything and there's nowhere to go from there. Other than, of course, that glowy door labeled "Online Tournament," which is quite clearly the intent for this title.

    I have nothing against online-focused games, there are piles of them and they're great. But when I reach for a Mario game, even a sports one, I expect there to be something to keep me coming back, and Aces just doesn't have it.    … Expand
  22. arh3399
    Jun 24, 2018
    7
    This is a solid tennis game, but compared to the N64 and gamecube mario tennis games it feels a bit empty. The story mode is very formulaic and repetitive. Its also pretty short. I finished it all in the same day. Their arn't many characters to unlock and the one that are unlockable are timed out over the next four months after the game's release day and you get them by winning onlineThis is a solid tennis game, but compared to the N64 and gamecube mario tennis games it feels a bit empty. The story mode is very formulaic and repetitive. Its also pretty short. I finished it all in the same day. Their arn't many characters to unlock and the one that are unlockable are timed out over the next four months after the game's release day and you get them by winning online matches. If you don't win enough matches then you just automatically get them the following month so if you buy this game four months after release you will automatically have all the characters to start with. I hate this system as it doesn't really reward you for doing anything in the game. There is no point to ever play a COM tournament, just play online to rack up points to unlock the new characters. Also, the different minigames and things that were in the gamecube game that gave you a little more variety in gameplay arn't back for this game. Its just your standard tournaments either with the computer AI or online. Thats really the whole game and for a full $60 I'm disappointed. The tennis is good, but honestly I wouldn't pay full price for this game again knowing what I know now. Wait for it to go on sale or buy it used. And if you wait a few months they will just give you all the characters in an update.… Expand
  23. toonlinkman
    Jun 22, 2018
    6
    Don't believe the fan boy reviews who work for Nintendo. This is a poor game. It has to rely on Mario brand to even sell.

    If you want a causal game which is fun to play and aren't worried about a 5 hour life span then buy this.
  24. GrumpyReviewer
    Jul 10, 2018
    7
    Mario Power Tennis, for the GameCube, was one of the best 'party games' I had back in the day, along with Mario Kart etc. We would spend hours having a lot of fun (and drama) with that game.

    When I saw that Nintendo was bringing Mario Tennis Aces to the Switch I was hoping the game would have that same "feel". And although it can be fun and entertaining, most of the time, I can't shake    Mario Power Tennis, for the GameCube, was one of the best 'party games' I had back in the day, along with Mario Kart etc. We would spend hours having a lot of fun (and drama) with that game.

    When I saw that Nintendo was bringing Mario Tennis Aces to the Switch I was hoping the game would have that same "feel". And although it can be fun and entertaining, most of the time, I can't shake the impression that this is a very lazy game. I expected more from Nintendo.

    The game is incredibly simple, in terms of what it offers for that full price: an adventure mode, tournaments (both local singleplayer and online), as well as free play. The roster of characters is incredibly small, there is almost zero customization, almost zero replayability (once you beat the campaign, that is). I mean... after a few hours, you are left with a bare bones tennis game that does not live to the expectations. The old Mario Tennis games were way, way better than this.

    But it's not a lost cause. The core of the game is awesome. The gameplay is fluid and a lot of fun and matches can be challenging. Nintendo should keep supporting this game - adding more features, more characters. Right now this looks like a third party game, licensed by Nintendo. Not a Nintendo game, with that good old Nintendo quality.

    The game is good. Not great.    … Expand
  25. Professorfett
    Jul 9, 2018
    7
    Mario is back to sports for the first time on the Nintendo Switch with Mario Tennis Aces. So if you and your friends want to play tennis, but don't want to get eaten because of bears that lurk outside then Mario has you covered.

    The game actually has a story mode which surprised the hell out of me. It also does that annoying thing of dropping you directly into the story without a    Mario is back to sports for the first time on the Nintendo Switch with Mario Tennis Aces. So if you and your friends want to play tennis, but don't want to get eaten because of bears that lurk outside then Mario has you covered.

    The game actually has a story mode which surprised the hell out of me. It also does that annoying thing of dropping you directly into the story without a selecting. So if you want to just play with friends you're going to have to press the hell out of the skip button. The story from what little I saw is basically Mario trying to gather the Infinity Stones for the Infinity Tennis Racket to save Luigi. The games mode is fun when you are actually playing the tennis part, or doing a boss battle. The other third of your time is spent with this annoying mini game timed challenges that are harder than they should be for a Mario game. These challenges require you to be fast and accurate, and are mandatory to continue. This is definitely a case of git gud noob but for this type of game I am most certainly not going to practice for hours to continue this "story". I can't say how pissed off I got at this game. It will frustrate the living hell out of you because of these **** timed challenges. I just wanted to play tennis Mario!

    If you don't want to break a controller playing the story mode you can play against the AI in...well tennis. Weird right? The game has three cups that progressively get harder, but never even close to being impossible. It also has a swing a fake racket in your living room mode. I didn't do that for obvious reasons. They gameplays like the most fun tennis game I have ever played. You vs some friends will have a blast just playing tennis. Each character (which you have around 16/17) all play unique. You have balanced characters (Mario, Luigi), and power characters (Bowser, DK), and tricky characters (Boo, Rosalina) plus many more. Each character gets a special move that is basically a automatic point with a fun animation. Waluigi's was without a doubt my favorite. Seriously if you haven't seen it go put that in Youtube and check it out. The only part of the gameplay that is on by default is the racket breaking KO system. Basically if you mess up blocking a special hit you can break your racket. If that breaks you lose. So even if you are winning, but your racket breaks you will lose.

    Overall this game is a blast you will have such a fun time playing with friends it'll melt the day away. Especially when you get the matches that go on for 15 minutes, and each player is just waiting for someone to mess up to take the win. The story mode would be fine if they at least made the stupidly annoying timed challenges just go away. The game isn't bad, but besides taking it out for when you have people over there is no reason to ever just sit down and play Mario Tennis Aces. I say if you find this at a huge discount and I mean under $20. I give this a low BARGAIN BIN.    … Expand
  26. DeusGod
    Jun 26, 2018
    7
    It is a well made tennis game, but a character and system balance patch is urgent.
  27. Jahz
    Jun 24, 2018
    6
    The game looks, sounds, and feels awesome to play. The gameplay on court feels smooth and rewarding, and this will be a lot of fun to play with friends.
    The real issue with this game (and it's a big one) is its lack of content. While the adventure mod offers some interesting "mini-games" to test your accuracy and logic, it lacks in every other department as it is short, doesn't provide    The game looks, sounds, and feels awesome to play. The gameplay on court feels smooth and rewarding, and this will be a lot of fun to play with friends.
    The real issue with this game (and it's a big one) is its lack of content. While the adventure mod offers some interesting "mini-games" to test your accuracy and logic, it lacks in every other department as it is short, doesn't provide much reward and is a bit clumsy in its development.
    I remember playing Mario Tennis on Game Boy Advance, where you could evolve as a player around the tennis club, and hoped for Ace tennis to offer the same kind of experience.
    Unfortunately, level progression and new rackets are kind of useless and cannot save the Adventure mode.
    Same goes for offline Tournament - 3 short tournaments that offer no real difficulty and about an hour of gameplay before being entirely done.

    I will be playing a lot of Ace Tennis with friends, and I'm sure hoping DLCs will improve the solo experience over time.    … Expand
  28. PlayerOneLycre
    Jun 26, 2018
    6
    The core tennis game play is addictive and fun, it's lovely to finally see the single player story is back in the game, it was sadly missed for the WiiU game. Sadly tho the same can't be said for the online. Most of characters are HUGELY unbalanced and some are easily exploitable (Boo, Bowser Jr Chain Chomp are examples). For Nintendo to actually leave those characters untested is veryThe core tennis game play is addictive and fun, it's lovely to finally see the single player story is back in the game, it was sadly missed for the WiiU game. Sadly tho the same can't be said for the online. Most of characters are HUGELY unbalanced and some are easily exploitable (Boo, Bowser Jr Chain Chomp are examples). For Nintendo to actually leave those characters untested is very unlike them, here hoping for a patch soon. It is nice that you can play the game without those trick shots or fancy moves in Simply class, but most players will go for Standard class. For a tennis game, its very laughable to not have any matches go for more then 3 games, like it would of been nice to be able to do 1 set, 3 sets or even 5 sets. Who thought that would've been a good amount of games.

    For my score i give this game a 6 out of 10, the story is lovely, the game runs amazing and the sound is right on for tennis, hitting those shots really makes you feel like you did that with a real racquet, But Leaving those characters unbalanced and down right exploitable, plus not being able to play a full set of tennis is unacceptable.    … Expand
  29. Zulu189
    Jul 9, 2018
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall, it feels more like a rental game than a full price game.

    Took me about a day to complete the Adventure Mode. The Adventure Mode is generally fun, although pretty short. There are three levels of difficulty (beginner, intermediate, advanced), which gives you enough time to get familiar with the controls and the gameplay at the beginning until the game becomes quite unforgiving at the later levels. With its fairly simple controls, the story mode is easily completed for any average gamer. The hardest level for me was Kamek, which took me about ten tries. I enjoyed the bonus stages and the regular tennis matches, but I thought the boss fights we unnecessary. It's like they tried to add platforming content into a tennis game, which doesn't work for me.

    The Tournament Mode allows you to try different characters. Similar to the story mode, it has three different difficulties divided in three cups. The variety in difficulties provide enough content for different levels of gamers, although the beginner mode feels a little too easy (it's like the computer doesn't even try to hit the ball at times). This mode versus computers doesn't add much gameplay to the game, maybe one hour or two. There is also an Online Tournament menu, which I haven't tried yet.

    The online play is probably the best aspect of the game since it offers additional replay value. The challenge versus human players is also greater than the hardest levels on story or tournament mode. The only problem is the lag issue that many players seem to be dealing with. If they can fix their server issues, the online play could be worth the purchase by itself.

    Pros:

    -Fun story mode
    -Different difficulties for different levels of players
    -Controls are responsive and easy to master
    -Online play add value to the game
    -Of course, the Mario universe

    Cons:

    -Very short Adventure Mode and Tournament Mode. They could have made the Adventure mode longer
    -No "retry" option when you fail a level. You have to go through the loading screen and the little animations every time you fail a stage, which make you waste about a minute
    -Some later stages can be frustrating until you figure out a pattern (Kamek stage)
    -Laggy online mode

    Recap: Recommended if you don't mind overspending for a game and you enjoy the Mario universe/tennis games. Not recommended if you expect more value for your buck.    … Expand
  30. Stonewallish
    Oct 20, 2018
    5
    MTE feels extremely bare bones, with its only saving grace being the fun and perfected gameplay. The story, simplistic beyond words and not able to engage players in any way, feels like an afterthought more than anything.

    For the majority of your time with this game, you’ll be playing the Online Torunament. It too feels shallow and empty, with only ONE single stage available.    MTE feels extremely bare bones, with its only saving grace being the fun and perfected gameplay. The story, simplistic beyond words and not able to engage players in any way, feels like an afterthought more than anything.

    For the majority of your time with this game, you’ll be playing the Online Torunament. It too feels shallow and empty, with only ONE single stage available. Customization of any kind is completely absent as well. Don’t even think about changing characters outfits or rackets, because that’s not a thing.

    All I can think of when I think of MTE is: disappointing.

    If you’re thinking about getting this game, my advice is to definitely wait for a chunky price drop.    … Expand
  31. leetl1
    Mar 4, 2019
    7
    Better than Ultra Trash, but the game still costs too much and is pretty light on content. At least the core gameplay is solid, and the music and graphics are amazing.
  32. LordCooler777
    Jun 16, 2021
    7
    The game is good but not the best but it’s fun game however the game cost $60 and should’ve been $30
  33. drlowdon
    Jul 30, 2021
    7
    Mario Tennis Aces adds a few new features to the series, such as the zone shot which charges up the players special shot gauge, but otherwise there are no real surprises. It’s still good fun in multiplayer (either offline or online) of course, but even with the addition of a story mode playing alone is still rather dull.

    In the end it’s decent enough, but hardly an essential purchase.
  34. mijan
    Jan 8, 2020
    7
    Fun game for a while but not so much once novelty turns off. Motion controls didn't work very well for me.
  35. Jorchking
    Oct 29, 2019
    5
    FLOJO. Una gran oportunidad desperdiciada por una increíble precariedad de modos de juego y opciones.
    En el tema jugable podríamos criticarlo en que se fueron extremadamente a lo ficticio, muy lejos de lo que ofrecía Mario Tennis 64 o un poco menos el Mario Power Tennis (ambos juegos buenísimos y superiores a este desde todo punto de vista). Agregaron muchos efectos y opciones en los    FLOJO. Una gran oportunidad desperdiciada por una increíble precariedad de modos de juego y opciones.
    En el tema jugable podríamos criticarlo en que se fueron extremadamente a lo ficticio, muy lejos de lo que ofrecía Mario Tennis 64 o un poco menos el Mario Power Tennis (ambos juegos buenísimos y superiores a este desde todo punto de vista). Agregaron muchos efectos y opciones en los golpes que alargan innecesariamente los puntos y que los hace excesivamente repetitivos. Sé que dirán que está el modo clásico, pero está ahí, de relleno. El modo principal es lo que describí al principio.
    Lo que sí rescato es el modo historia, que si bien es muy divertido es muy corto. Luego de eso ahí se termina la diversión, puesto que el modo sin línea NO SE PUEDE ELEGIR UN PARTIDO A 3 Ó 5 SETS, algo que sí permitía TODAS LAS VERSIONES ANTERIORES. Esto es un gran retroceso desde todo punto de vista a la saga. Hay otros modos de juego que unos tantos necesitan sí o sí conexión a internet, por ende queda descartado de este análisis (el modo anillo de N64 le pasa el trapo a todo este juego). Y queda el modo realista, que si bien es divertido para jugar con gente casual no está del todo bien pulido y raras veces detecta bien los golpes.
    El modo online un desastre, primero que en estos lares está casi muerto, segundo es que es un juego que tiene, como casi todo juego del Switch Online, conexión P2P y no servidor dedicado. Vergonzoso.
    Así que para destacar: + Modo historia + Modo "realista", aunque limitado ahí está.
    Para criticar: -Jugabilidad extremadamente artificial, que ya poco de tenis tiene (mejor que el de Wii U pero peor en contenido) - Mala calidad del online y escasa gente para jugar - modos de juego sin línea lamentables y sin posibilidad de jugar más de 1 set en un juego de tenis. - Música: De mala calidad, cansadora y repetitiva. - Tampoco hay variedad suficiente de pista, no se puede elegir ni siquiera eso en el modo exhibición. - Es increíble las limitadas opciones que tiene este juego, es insólito.

    Flojo y decepcionante. 5/10. Volved al Mario 64 o al Power Tennis que son mucho mejor videojuego.    … Expand
  36. SonicCam91
    Jul 23, 2018
    5
    Although an improvement from the last Mario Tennis game, Mario Tennis Aces also has its flaws. Adventure mode is tedious and repetitive. There is no other way to unlock all the new content, which is a shame. Multiple Rackets only work in Adventure Mode, but the boss battles are fun. Stage Gimmicks are creative yet sometimes frustrating or annoying. But the new features like Zone Shots andAlthough an improvement from the last Mario Tennis game, Mario Tennis Aces also has its flaws. Adventure mode is tedious and repetitive. There is no other way to unlock all the new content, which is a shame. Multiple Rackets only work in Adventure Mode, but the boss battles are fun. Stage Gimmicks are creative yet sometimes frustrating or annoying. But the new features like Zone Shots and Quick shots are great. This game is more fun when you're playing with friends rather than playing story mode or online. There is no way to change difficulty or fix how many tennis matches you want so you're only stuck with one match at a time which gets annoying but for a few exceptions in adventure mode. A good effort, but much improvement is needed. Wait for the price to go down.… Expand
  37. SuperMatt777
    Oct 12, 2018
    7
    Mario Tennis Aces is a clear step up from Mario Tennis Ultra Smash back on the Wii U, which is an automatic plus. The game is actually packed with content and still maintains the crisp and clean tennis action. And with a nice roster of characters that is set to keep growing, Mario Tennis Aces has a lot to offer. But even with the improvements, there are still things to be said about thisMario Tennis Aces is a clear step up from Mario Tennis Ultra Smash back on the Wii U, which is an automatic plus. The game is actually packed with content and still maintains the crisp and clean tennis action. And with a nice roster of characters that is set to keep growing, Mario Tennis Aces has a lot to offer. But even with the improvements, there are still things to be said about this game.

    Gameplay first, it is clean and fantastic, hands down. The new gameplay features add a lot to the traditional tennis gameplay and make it even more fast paced than before. You have to think about a lot when playing with all the gimmicks, from Zone Shots to Zone Speed to special shots, you have to pay attention to a lot of things when playing and that's what adds a bit of strategy. There have been times where all the different actions have messed me up and I end up using Zone Speed instead of my special shot and that has costed me a few points.

    Content wise, the game is full of it; from all the options in free play to the adventure mode to the online free plays to both online and single player tournaments, there's a lot to do and that's the huge plus from Ultra Smash. The character roster is also solid and we know of clear plans to release more characters over time via online tournaments. The courts are also amazing in both theme, hazards and music. All the courts are bursting with charm and I love it. The game's adventure mode is also solid, if not a bit repetitive and somewhat lazy. While the challenges are there, this adventure mode clearly looks like they wanted the gameplay to come first and not the story. In fact, the entire story is pretty much wrapped up in the opening (and pretty much only) cutscene; every detail you need to know is there and it's not truly touched on until the fourth area of the game. It's still a nice experience regardless, but I felt it could've been a lot more.

    While the game is great on gameplay and content, I do have a few problems with it. The Special shots, while nice to look at and pretty cool, are in short just glorified ultra smashes, which in of themselves are just glorified flat shots. It's not really new or creative, just flashy and challenging, which is a fifty-fifty on my end. But most importantly, even if you have so many options for single play, the game seems to have taken it upon itself to make the choices for you. Yes you can choose to play with or without the new gimmicks and you can choose things like singles or doubles or turning gyro controls off, you can't choose your game length, you can't manually select your own court and you can't choose many CPUs for doubles. Instead, the free play games are always one set long and the courts are selected at random, you can only choose which courts appear. It feels like the game is trying too hard to just get you into the action fast and while that would be okay for online play, it's definitely not okay for casual single player play. That being said, it feels like I'm being discouraged from playing alone, which is something I personally do a lot. Online is great and all and the way they handle it is great, but I'm more of a single player kinda guy. Throw in the flaws of the story mode and this game is not really friendly to single player play.

    Overall, Mario Tennis Aces is a huge step up from Ultra Smash and Open before it. While it still falls short of Mario Power Tennis on the GameCube, that's still a high bar to jump. But for what it is, Mario Tennis Aces is definitely a good tennis game and if you have a group of friends who enjoy rounds of tennis, this is the perfect game for you. If you like a casual, single player experience, well it may be more worth it to go back to Power Tennis or even Open.    … Expand
  38. Metayerju
    Aug 30, 2019
    7
    Tennis game with super power. Nothing special. Free for few days, not disappointed
  39. wariothelegend
    Sep 15, 2018
    5
    Sure, this game is a MAJOR improvement compared to that abomination we call "Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash", and I gotta admit, the graphics are absolutely beautiful. I also love how everyone in the game is wearing proper tennis attire (Waluigi looks the best in my opinion). But it's just one thing that really irks me in this game. The new concept...

    So, the game's main thing about it is    Sure, this game is a MAJOR improvement compared to that abomination we call "Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash", and I gotta admit, the graphics are absolutely beautiful. I also love how everyone in the game is wearing proper tennis attire (Waluigi looks the best in my opinion). But it's just one thing that really irks me in this game. The new concept...

    So, the game's main thing about it is that every character now has an energy meter that they can fill up by performing Charged Shots (a slow process) or by doing Trick Shots (which is almost impossible). And with this energy, you can use it to aim where you're shooting the ball, slow down time, or initiate a Special Shot. This is not a bad idea, in fact, I personally think it's wonderful! It's just that it's REALLY difficult. I'm not joking. This game takes tennis all the way to hell.

    The Adventure Mode in the game is a whole other subject of it's own. The story is that Wario and Waluigi, being possessed, hands over Luigi an ancient racket that contains a demons spirit in it. Well how 'bout that! So Mario and Toad set off on their quest to figure out how to stop this evil racket. In the game, you move around the world map doing random mini-games and matches. But the most infuriating part of the game is the boss battles. They're hard as heck, giving you no warning when their next attack is going to come, leaving you no chances to gain energy (which is what you need to beat the boss) and you don't get anything worth it for beating it either, as if the game wasn't hard enough.

    Look, Nintendo clearly put lots of heart and dedication into this game, but clearly, it was meant for people with more patience and precision, unless throwing your controller at a wall is what you enjoy doing in your spare time, I would not recommend this game. Great graphics, weird story, and a frustrating game system...    … Expand
  40. SirEpicPigeon
    Jul 11, 2018
    5
    Story mode is a lot of fun but way too short.. I was expecting that this game would appeal to single AND multiplayer oriënented gamers. Turns out the game was mainly meant for multiplayer. Couch co-op or multiplayer is a lot of fun! Core gameplay is solid but the game is lacking features like a simple stage select of retry button. Arms maintained replayability by giving the player theStory mode is a lot of fun but way too short.. I was expecting that this game would appeal to single AND multiplayer oriënented gamers. Turns out the game was mainly meant for multiplayer. Couch co-op or multiplayer is a lot of fun! Core gameplay is solid but the game is lacking features like a simple stage select of retry button. Arms maintained replayability by giving the player the ability tot customize and try out arms. Mario Tennis has no customization options aside from the bad implementation in the single player which has no significant influence whatshowever... I regret my purchase.… Expand
  41. TatsMcGee
    Sep 8, 2018
    7
    What is the genre?

    Arcade Sports (specifically Tennis) Are there any similar games or is it a sequel? Mario Tennis Aces is the seventh installment and just the second Mario Tennis game that I have played. I originally played Mario Tennis 64 back in the day and I didn’t love it so I didn’t pick up any of the others. How is the gameplay? The strength of this game lies in the    What is the genre?

    Arcade Sports (specifically Tennis)

    Are there any similar games or is it a sequel?

    Mario Tennis Aces is the seventh installment and just the second Mario Tennis game that I have played. I originally played Mario Tennis 64 back in the day and I didn’t love it so I didn’t pick up any of the others.

    How is the gameplay?

    The strength of this game lies in the gameplay. On the surface, its a very basic game. Its tennis you just hit the ball back and forth and your goal is to hit the ball in a way that your opponent can’t return it. You’re given a lot of options for hitting the ball, if your opponent is close the net then you may want to lob shot it over their head. Maybe go for a lob shot if they’re far away from the net, you can spike it. You have a super shot that works a lot like a fighting game super where you build up a meter and then once its full you activate it, it gives you a very powerful super shot.

    Now, that’s grazing the options that a player has with the offense but there are also defensive options. The first option is the “Trick Shot,”this a shot that you use if you’re ever out of position. You just activate the trick shot, it takes some of your meter and then the character can get to the other side of the court and will return the shot. It may sound powerful and certainly is but it’s not as powerful as it sounds. I would guess that it works about 80% of the time. Even with that being said, it’s probably my favorite thing in the game. Waluigi is my main and there is something extremely special about watching Waliugi moonwalk and then hit the ball. The other defensive is a slow down time mechanic. If your opponent spikes the ball or super shots it, you have the option to slow down time so you can get to the ball and return. This costs a lot of meter but it is the best option for returning a super shot.

    How is the offline and online?

    There is online but I have never played it. I only played local multiplayer with friends. It was primarily 4 of us. A few times it was 1 vs 1 but for the most part, we played 2 vs 2 with the joy cons. As small as the joy cons are, it works well enough. I wouldn’t want to play a fighting game with a joy con but Mario Tennis doesn’t require the execution that a fighting game would so its okay.

    Is there any single player?

    Yes but I don’t own the game or even rented it. My friend Manny bought the game and would bring it over to my apartment. My only experience is playing the local multi-player watching my friend Manny try to beat a couple levels, single player. It did look a lot harder than you would expect.

    Would you recommend it?

    Yes, if you own a switch and are looking for a fun multi-player then I think this may be one of the best ones out there at the moment. I have a hard time figuring out which one is better, Mario Kart or this. I haven’t played Mario Kart on the switch but I did play a lot on Wii U which it’s the same game. I lean more towards Mario Kart but this is a close second.    … Expand
  42. Nekster
    Oct 8, 2021
    7
    I dont get all the hate. I'm on the final boss (adventure mode) and i had a great time playing through it. And gameplay wise is the best Mario tennis ever.
  43. jeffbizloc
    Apr 11, 2019
    6
    This is a rhythm game disguised as a tennis game. Mario Tennis Aces is no doubt pretty fun to play but didn't keep me engrossed after beating Adventure Mode.

    Pros: - The design with Zone and Trick shots work well - The Adventure mode was decent Cons: - In the Adventure mode I felt like there should be more or something different to keep me engaged - Online was pretty slow to    This is a rhythm game disguised as a tennis game. Mario Tennis Aces is no doubt pretty fun to play but didn't keep me engrossed after beating Adventure Mode.

    Pros:
    - The design with Zone and Trick shots work well
    - The Adventure mode was decent

    Cons:
    - In the Adventure mode I felt like there should be more or something different to keep me engaged
    - Online was pretty slow to find a partner and just didn't feel great    … Expand
  44. Miguel22
    Sep 28, 2019
    7
    El mejor juego de tenis de la generación, aunque hay que decir que no ha habido muchos, aunque hay algunos personajes op como bowsy y chomp cadenas.
  45. Deathbackwards
    Sep 16, 2019
    7
    This game is a ton of fun for multiplayer game modes, but when playing alone there is a very limited amount of content. Additionally, the online modes are frequently laggy and unresponsive. The game is good if you go in knowing that you'll have less than 10 hours of solo content and you can put up with lag.
  46. TheRedHood1
    Nov 14, 2018
    6
    I am a huge fan of the Mario Tennis series and I was very excited to get my hands on this game. But this games disappointed me in more places than one. The overall game is good and the base tennis game is fun and I really like the added mechanics but this games single player mode is not the best it is short and not to much fun. One of my biggest gripes for this games is the AI cheatsI am a huge fan of the Mario Tennis series and I was very excited to get my hands on this game. But this games disappointed me in more places than one. The overall game is good and the base tennis game is fun and I really like the added mechanics but this games single player mode is not the best it is short and not to much fun. One of my biggest gripes for this games is the AI cheats they can do things that the player cant do. The online really excited me but yet again I was disappointed I did not have a single stable game. This game was some fun but overall disappointed me.… Expand
  47. xiekaidream
    Nov 17, 2021
    6
    剧情模式还行 但是聚会玩实在不适合 老手很容易虐新手 体感玩法则如同鸡肋
  48. IFLiden
    Oct 18, 2018
    5
    Fantastic mechanics, lovely online play. However, gets stale extremely fast and not a good single player campaign at all. This could've been so much better.
  49. Sunshadow87
    Jul 27, 2018
    7
    No soy un fan de los juegos deportivos, pero este es un juego muy decente para mis estandares.
    Primero y mas importante, el gameplay es fluido y divertido, es facil hacerse con los controles y al mismo tiempo hay mucha ventana para mejorar, tanto respecto a reflejos como a timing y estrategia. Todo esto hace que el modo competitivo brille, y al reducir los torneos online a dos sets sean    No soy un fan de los juegos deportivos, pero este es un juego muy decente para mis estandares.
    Primero y mas importante, el gameplay es fluido y divertido, es facil hacerse con los controles y al mismo tiempo hay mucha ventana para mejorar, tanto respecto a reflejos como a timing y estrategia. Todo esto hace que el modo competitivo brille, y al reducir los torneos online a dos sets sean mas fluidos (pudiendo igualmente estar jugando media hora contra la misma persona intentando conseguir la ventaja para el punto... esto es tenis a fin de cuentas). La enorme variedad de personajes, sin contar los nuevos que se añadiran gratuitamente, y las palpables diferencias entre ellos, dan cabida a todo tipo de jugadores, siendo algunos mas orientados para principiantes.
    Lo dicho hasta ahora es lo mas importante en un juego deportivo seguramente, pero hablemos de lo malo y de porque le doy un 7.
    El modo historia resulta bastante decepcionante: corto, con poca posibilidad de elegir destinos y con poca capacidad de interaccion para decidir que hacer. Tiene un sistema de experiencia y subida de niveles que se siente algo flojo, y, eso si, combates contra jefes divertidos y bien montados (asi como algunos niveles interesantes). Hubiera esperado un modo aventura mas similar a los juegos deportivos de camelot para la gba (si la memoria no me falla), y no algo tan breve y dirigido como lo que encontramos aqui.    … Expand
  50. Hyperior4200
    Jul 21, 2018
    7
    This game is VERY GOOD. Gameplay, Graphics, 2P mode, everything is splendid and perfect. BUT, the difficulty, THE MOST HARDEST GAME I EVER PLAYED! In story mode, I've beaten story mode but I'm still getting stuck at Kamek's Savage Sea part. but even worse, online, I don't need to tell you. but yeah, This game is really amazing! Nice job Nintendo! Best tennis game ever!
  51. Ristycakes
    Jul 24, 2018
    5
    Price Rating $30/$60

    Pros + Core game play is addictive and fun + you can play as a Chain Chomp Cons - Story is unbelievably boring and generic. - Frustrating limitations. No controller settings, no retry option on story mode missions, and you cant even choose what court to play on, - Poor character balancing. If you don't pick Waluigi or Bowser Junior in online matches and your    Price Rating $30/$60

    Pros
    + Core game play is addictive and fun
    + you can play as a Chain Chomp

    Cons
    - Story is unbelievably boring and generic.
    - Frustrating limitations. No controller settings, no retry option on story mode missions, and you cant even choose what court to play on,
    - Poor character balancing. If you don't pick Waluigi or Bowser Junior in online matches and your opponent does, you're basically asking to lose.

    some small patches would do wonders for this game    … Expand
  52. WolfLink303
    Jul 25, 2018
    6
    eh perfectly describes this game. yes I suck at it but seriously, it is not worth the money. it is very bland but a good game to play with friends (course I don't have any of those) fun game, not something I would typically play. I would prefer if it was 30 or 40 dollars but still a good game.
  53. Ryaweasel
    Sep 27, 2018
    5
    The core gameplay is alright, but this game barely has any content. The game only has four (five) modes, Adventure Mode, Tournament, Co-op Challenge (doesn't really count), Free Play and Swing Mode. But I actually found Adventure Mode quite fun honestly, since some of the levels were a pain in the ass and had some challenge. However, I don't really appreciate that you need a NintendoThe core gameplay is alright, but this game barely has any content. The game only has four (five) modes, Adventure Mode, Tournament, Co-op Challenge (doesn't really count), Free Play and Swing Mode. But I actually found Adventure Mode quite fun honestly, since some of the levels were a pain in the ass and had some challenge. However, I don't really appreciate that you need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to play the new mode, Co-op Challenge. Also, if you wanna play with the new characters the month they release, you can't unless you get a membership. Mario Power Tennis had a lot of content at the asking retail price tag, without any paywalls. So why this game?… Expand
  54. Kilder004
    Aug 31, 2019
    7
    buen juego pero tiene poco contenido y no se porque pero limita mucho las opciones de las partidas rapidas
  55. tom974
    Dec 22, 2019
    7
    In terms of gameplay, the best opus for me, dynamic, balanced and rich gameplay, a ton of fun. Though, be aware this is a multiplayer oriented game (with a poor online community to date). The adventure mode (solo) is a positive point but too short (4 hours max) to justify buying the game for a solo player, particularly if you buy it unused. One may say "it's a multiplayer licence you can'tIn terms of gameplay, the best opus for me, dynamic, balanced and rich gameplay, a ton of fun. Though, be aware this is a multiplayer oriented game (with a poor online community to date). The adventure mode (solo) is a positive point but too short (4 hours max) to justify buying the game for a solo player, particularly if you buy it unused. One may say "it's a multiplayer licence you can't blame it on that" but when we've seen the solo content of Smash Bros. Ultimate..… Expand
  56. Evenstar1985
    Oct 16, 2021
    7
    Not the best, but not the worst game either, had fun most of the entire story mode challenges, but a little to short IMO. Online play is fun when the online servers are working correctly.
  57. Filmanwalt
    Oct 8, 2020
    6
    Mario Tennis Aces Review Date 05.06.2020

    I played through the campaign (except for the ruins of the exam) and found that okay but nothing more. I would have wished for more tournament tennis as a reference point for a story and, above all, the opportunity to activate it (characters, skins, rackets, etc.). Everything seems very reduced, most of it is unlocked online or in challenges.    Mario Tennis Aces Review Date 05.06.2020

    I played through the campaign (except for the ruins of the exam) and found that okay but nothing more. I would have wished for more tournament tennis as a reference point for a story and, above all, the opportunity to activate it (characters, skins, rackets, etc.). Everything seems very reduced, most of it is unlocked online or in challenges. Individual sections of the campaign were also very frustrating and had to resort to "relief" once.

    In multiplayer it's fun as always, but overall a bit too little for a really good Mario Tennis. Most of the time I play without the power frills.

    6/10 tennis balls.    … Expand
  58. ElSmasher
    Oct 14, 2021
    6
    Aces is better than Ultra Smash that's a fact. Indeed, the game is more complete with a powerful roster, a continued competition and a story mode !! However, the latter is poorly managed especially in terms of its difficulty; In addition, aces often relies on the achievements of the Wii U game, but that's not bad.
  59. Za_Uvek
    Oct 15, 2021
    7
    You can't expect too much from a Mario Sports game. But if you are looking for a tennis game with the Nintendo touch, this will keep you satisfied. Graphics and sounds are all on par with most other Mario titles. And the game-play is fine with enough variations to a match, tennis courts and characters to keep things interesting, especially when played with friends. Additionally, the storyYou can't expect too much from a Mario Sports game. But if you are looking for a tennis game with the Nintendo touch, this will keep you satisfied. Graphics and sounds are all on par with most other Mario titles. And the game-play is fine with enough variations to a match, tennis courts and characters to keep things interesting, especially when played with friends. Additionally, the story mode wraps it all into a neat little package if you are playing alone. Everything comes together as a passable, if not mediocre experience.

    Nothing overly new here. If you are a fan of the sport or of Mario, it may scratch an itch. Sure, the story mode adds a lot of content, but drags on a bit due to the dialogue and repetitive game-play. Get on sale if you are really keen.    … Expand
  60. ChillCat
    Jun 26, 2021
    6
    Mario Tennis Aces is a good entry into the Mario Tennis series, but with only a good story mode and a great character roster being its only pros, it's just tennis, which is disappointing as I expected much more from a Mario game. I'd even go as far as to say that Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour on the GameCube is better than this game.
  61. Vinivitorioyo
    Mar 24, 2023
    7
    Queria maior sucesso desse game. Queria ver um online mais cheio. Queria mais suporte da Nintendo. Eu gosto do jogo. Acho a melhor mecânica dos jogos do Mario. Mas não vale hoje seu dinheiro e sua compra pois o online é pessimo. Já tive lag e o maior problema é não encontrar partida.
  62. Ardho
    Sep 3, 2021
    6
    Mostly i play tourney mode and gameplay is okay, i can enjoy it, but the adventure mode is trash, it's too much, even though I want an exciting match, it turns out there are a lot of weird minigame and mini boss modes
  63. Pierce8
    Dec 26, 2021
    6
    This is actually one of the better Mario tennis games out there, in fact I would say the energy system in the game is pretty good at making the game more intense and fun. However, one mechanic completely drains any sort of fun in matches (and some parts of story mode), racket breaking.

    By deflecting a super shot and “mis-timing” your swing, your racket takes damage, once it depletes (max:    This is actually one of the better Mario tennis games out there, in fact I would say the energy system in the game is pretty good at making the game more intense and fun. However, one mechanic completely drains any sort of fun in matches (and some parts of story mode), racket breaking.

    By deflecting a super shot and “mis-timing” your swing, your racket takes damage, once it depletes (max: 3 hits) your racket breaks and the other player scores the point or you lose. This would be a decent mechanic if it wasn’t for the ridiculous timing required to not only deflect a super shot, but also not take damage. You can use energy to slow down time and make it easier, but to get a good chance at deflecting the shot without taking damage, you must consume tons of energy, which becomes detrimental in the long run and will most likely cause you to lose.
    It becomes frustrating just to play the story mode as well, where sometimes they spam multiple super shots.    … Expand
  64. ZYMROD
    Jan 26, 2023
    7
    A pesar de que las mecánicas funcionan y la jugabilidad es fluida. El juego carece de contenido, pocos personajes, insuficientes estadios, escasos modos de juegos y modo historia anecdótico que funciona como tutorial.

    Lo que en si destaca es el modo online que es estable, otorga variedad y entretiene mas que el offline..
  65. sideshownate
    Aug 13, 2023
    6
    casual fun but not my favorite. Still hoping for a super sluggers remastered
  66. live134
    Aug 16, 2023
    6
    Mediano, novos tipos de controle, tem um modo aventura, porém ele não prende igual os antigos. Jogo feito as pressas para pegar trouxa.
  67. bengameshard
    Sep 8, 2023
    5
    A fun game to begin becomes dull after only a few hours. Clear lack of content especially compared to previous Mario sports installments. The pros include a good looking game, multiple characters and variety of the courts you can play on. The cons are the abysmal adventure mode and simplistic game play. For most characters, you only need one button to be competitive which is disappointingA fun game to begin becomes dull after only a few hours. Clear lack of content especially compared to previous Mario sports installments. The pros include a good looking game, multiple characters and variety of the courts you can play on. The cons are the abysmal adventure mode and simplistic game play. For most characters, you only need one button to be competitive which is disappointing because every match could be a game of chess where every shot matters. The real disappointment is the value for this game, a more appropriate price point would be $30-$40… Expand

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
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  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]
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