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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  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. 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
  9. 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
  10. Metayerju
    Aug 30, 2019
    7
    Tennis game with super power. Nothing special. Free for few days, not disappointed
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. DeusGod
    Jun 26, 2018
    7
    It is a well made tennis game, but a character and system balance patch is urgent.
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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!
  25. 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.
  26. Kilder004
    Aug 31, 2019
    7
    buen juego pero tiene poco contenido y no se porque pero limita mucho las opciones de las partidas rapidas
  27. 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
  28. 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.
  29. 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
  30. 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
prev
Page:

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.
    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 »