Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash

 Wii U
User Score
5.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 194 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 194
  2. Mixed: 65 out of 194
  3. Negative: 81 out of 194
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  1. Beastprogamer
    Oct 6, 2016
    7
    This game is okay. Not as good as some of the previous ones but still good. For some reason, Mario Tennis Ultra Smash feels...a little rushed. I really don't know if Nintendo was trying to do. Maybe they wanted to release early? The character selection is good. The graphics are okay for the Wii U. The controls are okay but I can screw up at times. The courts are simple but fun. MarioThis game is okay. Not as good as some of the previous ones but still good. For some reason, Mario Tennis Ultra Smash feels...a little rushed. I really don't know if Nintendo was trying to do. Maybe they wanted to release early? The character selection is good. The graphics are okay for the Wii U. The controls are okay but I can screw up at times. The courts are simple but fun. Mario Tennis Ultra Smash isn't the best Mario Sports Games (The GameCube and Wii ones I enjoy more) but I'd say it's worth getting ONLY if it is $40 or less. I think $50 is a bit too much for this title. Months ago, I was lucky enough to find it for $30, which is what the price SHOULD be. As of this review, I play it quite a bit these days. I'd say it's a fun game.… Expand
  2. MrJulian_
    Jun 6, 2020
    6
    I know the Game is unfinished, but in my opinion it's still better than Aces!
  3. joaopontesvaz
    Nov 2, 2016
    6
    Graphics: 7.5 Sound: 7 Gameplay: 8 Fun/Story: 7.2

    Nintendo´s old game of N64 with some refreshment but lacks of innovate ideas and deeper gameplay. Some Nintendo´s franchises are not going in good direction due the repetition sensation.
  4. JoseAn13Torres
    Mar 27, 2017
    5
    Pocos modos de juego, escasez de opciones en comparación con otros Marios de tenis, aun así es divertido jugar partidos entre varios amigos cuando no haya nada mejor que hacer.
  5. dandragon
    Jan 16, 2018
    6
    Ok the game is fun but it gets very boring very quickly. It's more of a five minutes of fun type of game.
  6. Nautro
    Jan 13, 2019
    6
    Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is a game that has a too low amount of gameplay styles. That's it.
  7. CB186
    Jan 5, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. While disappointing compared to other entries in the Mario Tennis Series, I still enjoyed Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash quite a bit. While the modes are scarce it was nice to have online play available and Mega Battle was pretty fun.

    However, there is no tournament mode, story mode or anything like that. There is no awesome opening cutscene like Mario Power Tennis for the Gamecube and there are no cool side games including Ring Shot, a classic, and the fantastic Super Mario Tennis from the 3DS Mario Tennis Open. The lack of modes is the biggest problem here.

    However, the gorgeous visuals and quality gameplay do redeem this game quite a bit for me and I enjoyed mastering it as best I could. Overall, a pretty good game.    … Expand
  8. NikoAmii
    Nov 28, 2015
    5
    While doing this review, I'm also doing a full video review about this game on my Gaming channel "Niko Amii" on youtube, trust me, i'm trying to be as nice as I can here; i'll save the true anger for that video.

    To start off my review, I will start it as nicely as I can. This game is a Mario Tennis game. There is Mario characters in it, and there is tennis in it. Because of this, i'm    While doing this review, I'm also doing a full video review about this game on my Gaming channel "Niko Amii" on youtube, trust me, i'm trying to be as nice as I can here; i'll save the true anger for that video.

    To start off my review, I will start it as nicely as I can. This game is a Mario Tennis game. There is Mario characters in it, and there is tennis in it. Because of this, i'm giving it a 4 because it is what the title said it is, but beyond mario plays tennis, this game has nothing to it. Anyways, onto my full review.

    When I first put this "game" into my Wii U, the title screen popped up and from there on I knew I was going to be disappointing. Even the opening screamed "Help me, i'm unfinished". Literally like not a single animation, I was seriously confused. So after I pressed start, I realized there was only 4 modes to play, and all of them seemed uninteresting besides online mode and the ability to train and use my amiibo. So I was like ok, fine. I invited my cousin over to try out the game with me, and we were satisfied with the classic tennis mode where we could practice before playing online together, but our happiness ended there. We joined the online multiplier, and each time we waited for a 30 second - 1 minute match, it took roughly 5 minutes. This was a sign that scared me deep into my nintendo loving heart. No one bought this game, and now no one will face me online. So we finally got into our first match, and it lagged a lot. Between the lag and the constant 5 minute wait for a match (which only lasts like a minute or two), the online mode was ruined for me too. There is like a knockout mode and a might big ball mode too, where you can hit big balls instead of regularly sized tennis balls, neither of those modes were fun or interested me either.

    If you are a huge mario tennis fan, I slightly recommend this game, you are most likely better off keeping your money to buy Xenoblade chronicals X or the new Fire Emblem game when they come out. The game lacks context, there is no Tournament mode or really anything fun to do in it. And if you don't have a friend or amiibo to play with online, you can't play online either. So you literally just play with yourself, literally.

    The game is pretty, but the content is as shallow as a puddle. I'm a huge fan of nintendo, and I hold high expectations for them. I hope with the next mario sport game, they get it right.    … Expand
  9. Digibutter64
    Nov 22, 2015
    7
    As with previous games in the series, this plays well and is genuinely fun. However, the overall limited number of modes, available playable characters, and amount of content in general prevent it from being a must-buy in my opinion. Even the few unlockables were fairly easy to obtain in my experience, and I felt that the titular Ultra Smash mechanic added little to the gameplay.As with previous games in the series, this plays well and is genuinely fun. However, the overall limited number of modes, available playable characters, and amount of content in general prevent it from being a must-buy in my opinion. Even the few unlockables were fairly easy to obtain in my experience, and I felt that the titular Ultra Smash mechanic added little to the gameplay. Ultimately, although fun, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash feels lacking when compared to prior entries.… Expand
  10. SonicCam91
    Nov 22, 2015
    5
    Ultra Smash offers great online wifi matches (although offline & online features need to be improved) I was disappointed with the lack of content. which needs to be updated. more stages and characters are needed as the unlockable character list is so far poor. There is even no amiibo support. Although Online Matches are the best part of the game, there is indeed room for improvement withUltra Smash offers great online wifi matches (although offline & online features need to be improved) I was disappointed with the lack of content. which needs to be updated. more stages and characters are needed as the unlockable character list is so far poor. There is even no amiibo support. Although Online Matches are the best part of the game, there is indeed room for improvement with future updates that Nintendo must consider to make the game more enjoyable. There is not even a room to play online with your friends. Which was a feature I was really hoping to use. There needs to be more gimmick and special stages. Mega Ball Rally is pointless and gets easily boring. However the Mega Mushroom makes up for Single Player mode, but there needs to be more Single Player Mode options. There isn't even a tournament mode!!! What were they thinking? I can see there is lots of room for improvement. PLEASE Nintendo Update this game!… Expand
  11. vielle
    Nov 20, 2015
    7
    Only fun in online or multiplayer with friends. There really isn't much, but gameplay wise it is pretty solid, just bland singleplayer. Overal I'd say this is worthy of a 7. There's no excuse for a small character roster though. This mostly feels like an enhanced portion of a Mario vs Sonic at the Olympic Games mini-game made to look professional.
  12. LandonT
    Nov 21, 2015
    5
    This game feels like a Mario Tennis spin-off; it lacks: stats and options, characters, tournament, mini games, Mii playability, reason to use coins besides cheating out on rewards, different court environments, and a cool little cut scene when you start the game. It gains: great graphics (finally), a rewards system (but you can just buy them with coins instead of going through and winningThis game feels like a Mario Tennis spin-off; it lacks: stats and options, characters, tournament, mini games, Mii playability, reason to use coins besides cheating out on rewards, different court environments, and a cool little cut scene when you start the game. It gains: great graphics (finally), a rewards system (but you can just buy them with coins instead of going through and winning them the normal way which sucks), mega mushrooms (which I personally don't care for), and amiibo compatibility where you train them and level them up. To sum this all up, it is a HUGE disappointment! Mario Power Tennis on the GAMECUBE has more content than this! You'd think that they would put WAAYY more content on this since it's on the Wii U. This game just feels barebones and lifeless. It lacks that charm that past Mario Tennis games had. There are very few things that impress me about this game, but those few things are why I'm giving it a 5/10 and not something worse.… Expand
  13. GAMERGUY25
    Nov 23, 2015
    6
    Mario Tennis Ultra Smash is a Barebones take on the fun mario tennis genre. There are 4 game modes to play. Mega battle is traditional tennis with mega mushrooms and skill shots enabled, mega ball rally is seeing how long you can rally with a larger ball. knockout is facing opponents one by one getting harder as you progress and classic tennis is just a tennis match no power ups justMario Tennis Ultra Smash is a Barebones take on the fun mario tennis genre. There are 4 game modes to play. Mega battle is traditional tennis with mega mushrooms and skill shots enabled, mega ball rally is seeing how long you can rally with a larger ball. knockout is facing opponents one by one getting harder as you progress and classic tennis is just a tennis match no power ups just skill. The game looks great and runs at 60FPS. The game falls in areas however. The roster is not good. Sure you had classic like mario yoshi and bowser but sprixies? the fairies from mario 3d world that sucks. where are the koopas wheres wiggler peety piranha? also the amiibos are too powerful Its ok to use them against A.I the more they level up the more powerful they become with crazy modifiers but having that power online is not fair. Overall mario tennis ultra smash isnt an enjoyable game and you should save your money… Expand
  14. EpicLadySponge
    Jan 28, 2016
    5
    This game gets boring way too fast. Seriously, add more content into it. What are we suppose to do again? I love the awesome graphics though, but seriously... add more content.
  15. jessda123
    Jan 1, 2016
    5
    Boooo! This isnt anywhere near as good as Mario Power Tennis! (which i still play on my trusty GameCube)

    As others have said, it just feels...empty, shallow, lazy. Call it what you will, but it really isn't fun.

    If you REALLY want a Mario tennis game, id recommend buying a GameCube and finding a copy of Mario Power Tennis, both are cheap now, and i guarantee you'll have more fun! :)
  16. TearsMacabre
    Jan 16, 2016
    7
    The core of this game is very solid: it's a fluid tennis game. I don't think many can argue with that. The character roster was acceptable, if not a little small. Novice players can easily jump in with the automatic shot feature, and more experienced gamers have the depth of shot selection.

    So, yes, the core is very strong. However, that's the only thing it has. It's like Nintendo baked    The core of this game is very solid: it's a fluid tennis game. I don't think many can argue with that. The character roster was acceptable, if not a little small. Novice players can easily jump in with the automatic shot feature, and more experienced gamers have the depth of shot selection.

    So, yes, the core is very strong. However, that's the only thing it has. It's like Nintendo baked an excellent cake, but then forgot to frost it. The game modes are shallow at best, and there could have been one or two more characters at the least. The lack of motion controls is frankly baffling, as well. The Mega Mushrooms are interesting for a little while, but soon become fairly dull. If you're going to use power-ups, there should be some variety.

    As a stand-alone game, it's a decent (though not excellent) purchase. As a Mario Tennis game, it lacks some of the fun of previous titles.    … Expand
  17. MiguelEsquivel
    Aug 2, 2016
    7
    Solo dire que es entretenido en los ratos libres o con los amigos por un rato igual.
    Pocas modalidades de juego. Y pocos personajes y dificultad floja.
  18. OxyKun
    Nov 23, 2015
    5
    The game is called mario tennis. And that's what it is, nothing extra or more then the older mario tennis games delivered.

    The main gameplay is fluid and fun. But no extra modes and minigames weigh very heavily on this game. If you are playing this game alone you are done with it rather quickly after a few hours. The new characters like rosalina and toadette are fun but where are the    The game is called mario tennis. And that's what it is, nothing extra or more then the older mario tennis games delivered.

    The main gameplay is fluid and fun. But no extra modes and minigames weigh very heavily on this game. If you are playing this game alone you are done with it rather quickly after a few hours.
    The new characters like rosalina and toadette are fun but where are the main stay of the cast birdo and diddy kong?
    The online is a good experience if you AND your opponents internet are good. If not the online is a laggy freezefest of a game. And Nintendo sells the game as a great multiplayer game but doesn't let you play online vs friends.

    If nintendo doesn't update this game frequently with new modes and characters this game will be gathering dust in players collection in hours. And will not be worth the 60 bucks.
    But Nintendo hasn't confirmed any dlc at all so who knows what will happen?    … Expand
  19. subsamuel01
    Nov 25, 2015
    6
    The core mechanics are great, but the fact that this game has less than half the content that Mario Tennis Open on the 3DS is a shame. The game is visually beautiful, character animations are great. Unlike Mario Tennis Open the game lacks any sort of Tournament mode, court variations, mini-games, and the roster is the smallest since Mario Tennis 64. Great online mode, solid game-play, butThe core mechanics are great, but the fact that this game has less than half the content that Mario Tennis Open on the 3DS is a shame. The game is visually beautiful, character animations are great. Unlike Mario Tennis Open the game lacks any sort of Tournament mode, court variations, mini-games, and the roster is the smallest since Mario Tennis 64. Great online mode, solid game-play, but overall your better off waiting for a price drop, this game does not warrant a full purchase.… Expand
  20. BetterThanSonic
    Nov 30, 2015
    6
    It's still better than Sonic Adventure. It's also better than Sonic Adventure 2, Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Unleashed, and every other 3D Sonic game that has ever been released.
  21. SelenaGomez212
    Dec 26, 2015
    5
    I really wanted to buy this game. Looked cool from the trailer and all but the game itself has no "special effects" as in super powers. It's as if they wanted to make it more tennis like. This game was very dull/boring and I wouldn't recommend buying it unless your into that kind of stuff. I enjoy it of course because it does have very cool graphics and a nice concept but the over-all gameI really wanted to buy this game. Looked cool from the trailer and all but the game itself has no "special effects" as in super powers. It's as if they wanted to make it more tennis like. This game was very dull/boring and I wouldn't recommend buying it unless your into that kind of stuff. I enjoy it of course because it does have very cool graphics and a nice concept but the over-all game isn't as fun as Mario Power Tennis. I really do hope they sell an new version or at least create an update… Expand
  22. merdedeiro
    Aug 10, 2021
    5
    The game itself is not that vast but when you play it with someone like a friend it becomes a great experience, but it's really sad to see that the game is mediocre in it's content.

Awards & Rankings

35
#35 Best Wii U Game of 2015
8
#8 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2015
11
#11 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 58
  3. Negative: 9 out of 58
  1. CD-Action
    Mar 4, 2016
    25
    It seems someone forgot to develop a game before publishing it, because MTUS lacks content so desperately that it looks like a mini game from Mario Party. [02/2016, p.63]
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Feb 4, 2016
    50
    Even hardcore tennis fans will most likely find themselves with nothing exciting to experience after having the game for a week. [Issue #19 – January/February 2016, p.76]
  3. games(TM)
    Jan 25, 2016
    50
    Controls are Ultra Smash’s biggest problem.
    Read full review
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