Nintendo invited some Aussie gaming press to their workplaces to try, and go hands-on with, a few of the first-quarter video games for 2026. Alongside Mario Tennis Fever right here, we additionally frolicked with the Digital Boy – Nintendo Classics, and the Capcom pair of Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata.
Mario Tennis Fever isn’t far-off, in reality it’s out subsequent week, so it received’t be lengthy till you get your fingers on it, however right here’s the way it’s shaping up. After a fast tutorial to get again into the swing of issues, I leapt proper right into a singles match in opposition to the CPU. Mario Tennis nonetheless seems like Mario Tennis; it doesn’t take lengthy to recollect all of the several types of pictures.
The brand new mechanic for this Mario Tennis is the Fever rackets. At first of the match, you get to choose one or two totally different Fever rackets which have the potential to show the tide in your opponent. I began off with a Banana Racket. When the Fever meter is crammed, your shot leaves a path of banana peels throughout the courtroom. Leaving the opposition slipping and sliding away, leaving an impediment for them to keep away from within the subsequent shot.
What I didn’t initially get was why the Fever pictures had been spilling again onto my aspect of the courtroom. It seems that it’s potential to return these Fever pictures (at the least a few of them), which means it’s not all the time simply sufficient to make the shot, however you additionally want to ensure it lands lest you undergo the results. It made for some further tense rallies as you need to hold your aspect from filling with sludge, bananas, or fireballs.
I additionally spent a while within the Doubles match with one other attendee, which was quite a lot of enjoyable. 4 gamers on courtroom, all with Fever Rackets, retains the courtroom ever altering. I can see it resulting in some chaotic matches. Additionally, if all the hearth, sludge, and tornadoes are a bit an excessive amount of, you can too simply have everybody use common rackets too.
Your gamers even have well being bars, which felt like they mattered most in Doubles matches. In case your well being is right down to zero, you’re despatched to the sidelines to get better for a number of lengthy seconds. Relying on the issue, it may be sufficient to show the match within the opponent’s favour. It provides an additional consideration while you’re letting off Fever pictures, as you need to knock out the opposite aspect or at the least whittle down their well being.
Journey mode, as proven in a Nintendo Direct, has Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi being became infants. The cutscene to arrange the Mushroom Kingdom’s predicament is surprisingly lengthy for what’s a tennis sport, however it’s enjoyable and becoming. In Journey I solely had time for the preliminary coaching part, which was as child Mario, with a mix of spending time on the courtroom exhibiting you are able to do the strikes. There have been a number of mini-games in between, as Mario in child kind is in no form to take to the courts. It looks like this may very well be an pleasing mode, hopefully serving to to maintain you swinging for a lot of hours to return.
Trial Towers appears to be a gauntlet of tennis challenges, with a purpose to beat. Generally it’s simply successful a match, or attempting to not let too many balls get previous in a multiball problem. I don’t understand how in depth the totally different towers are, however it seems to be like a enjoyable addition while you need greater than a regular sport of Mario Tennis or a break from Journey.
“Swing Mode” returns from Mario Tennis Aces, which seems like an compulsory movement management mode from the Wii days. Whether or not it’s by your self or as a doubles crew, this mode didn’t really feel good. Your participant is moved round routinely, along with your swing of the racket being the one factor it’s worthwhile to actually management. I’m certain there’s a place for this mode, however through the preview it was not that point. I think about it’d nonetheless go off at events.
After loads of time with Mario Tennis Fever I’m trying ahead to taking part in the total sport quickly.
Mario Tennis Fever is out on February twelfth and is unique to the Nintendo Swap 2, we’ve been rounding up the bargains for day right here already.
