Mario Tennis Aces

Mario Tennis Aces is a 2018 sports game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The game is part of the Mario Tennis series and sold over 4.50 million copies by December 31, 2022, making it one of the best-selling games on the Switch. The game received generally favorable reviews from critics. Wario and Waluigi are mining at the Temple of Bask when they discover a treasure chest containing Lucien, a magical racket said to be legendary to those who would possess it. The duo perceive themselves as displaying pride at matches using Lucien, and open up the treasure chest to unveil it. Just as they obtain Lucien, the racket unveils its power and shocks the duo.

The duo soon emerge at Marina Stadium, immediately following a championship match in which Mario and Peach won against Bowser and Bowser Jr. The duo attempt to offer Lucien to Mario, but Luigi snatches it up, after which it begins to take possession of him, Wario, and Waluigi, through use of its grip tape. Mario and Toad then embark on a journey to destroy Lucien and save Wario, Luigi and Waluigi, on Daisy’s plea that Luigi will be brought back safely. The gameplay of Mario Tennis Aces consists of playing matches of tennis with various characters from the Super Mario series.

Players can pick from 16 characters: Mario, Luigi, Wario, Peach, Waluigi, Daisy, Rosalina, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Bowser, Toad, Toadette, Chain Chomp, Bowser Jr., Boo, and Spike. New characters were added by participating in monthly tournaments, or were added to the roster the following month if the player did not participate. Numerous characters have been added in the game since release. Similar in fashion to previous installments of the series, Aces incorporates many techniques, such as “topspins”, where the ball travels parallel to the direction hit, “slices”, where the ball curves to one side when hit, and “lobs”, where the ball travels upwards.

Aces adds several new mechanics to the Mario Tennis series. Using the motion controls of the Joy-Con, the player is able to initiate a “zone shot”, where the player can aim directly where the ball will go while the game enters a paused state. If the opponent counters the zone shot, their racket will take damage. When a racket is hit with a zone shot three times, it will break, forcing the player to forfeit the match if it is their last one. Players have multiple rackets to use each match. However, players are able to counter a zone shot without taking damage using a “block”, which can be performed by hitting the ball with perfect timing.

The game also features an online multiplayer mode, where tournaments can be set up, as well as singular matches. Players can unlock additional outfits and characters by participating in special online Tournaments held by Nintendo. Another gameplay mode is “swing mode”, where players are able to swing the Joy-Con controllers to simulate hitting the ball with a tennis racket, similar in fashion to Wii Sports and the New Play Control! version of Mario Power Tennis. In addition to regular tennis matches, the game offers a story mode similar in fashion to Mario Tennis: Power Tour.