Nintendo has finally revealed all the key details about its first of the year, and it already looks like a major step up from its mediocre predecessor. Mario Tennis Fever fixes every persistent problem from the previous Mario tennis outing—and it does so by drawing clever concepts from other recent Nintendo titles and classic arcade games.
Much is at stake for . Even though the last entry in the series, 2018’s Mario Tennis Aces, was arguably , it fell short in many ways. A lack of content, an extremely brief single-player experience, and no character customization made it seem surprisingly incomplete when it launched. Nintendo rolled out more characters and tweaks through post-launch updates in the months after, but even the final, fully featured version was still not up to the standard Mario Tennis fans expected.
Fever won’t make the same error. For starters, it will include 38 playable characters—compared to Aces’ 16 at launch. It’s using the Mario Kart World method for its character lineup, giving lesser-known Mushroom Kingdom figures like Nabbit, Chomp Chain, and Goomba their moment in the spotlight. As great as this is, I’m disappointed to say that , didn’t make it in.
Fever will also reintroduce customization via the new adjustable Fever Rackets. Before a match begins, players will pick one of 30 such rackets, each with a distinct power. When players fill their Fever Gauge, they can trigger special, game-changing boosts. The Mini Mushroom Racket, for example, reduces your opponent’s size, while the Ice Racket creates slippery ice patches on your opponent’s half of the court.
The Fever Gauge is most reminiscent of the Gamebreaker system from the classic EA Sports Street games—a really clever source of inspiration. The Fever Racket powers, meanwhile, feel similar to ’s badge system, which allowed players to choose their own unique perks when playing.
For players worried that the Fever features will compromise the competitive integrity of Mario Tennis, fear not—players can disable Fever Rackets for a more classic playstyle.
Fever also offers many more single-player options. Tournaments, skill-building minigames, and the objective-driven Trial Tower mode complement the quick-play choices. The main attraction is the comeback of Adventure Mode. Players will follow a story where mysterious monsters turn Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Wario, and Waluigi into infants, who must relearn their tennis abilities to revert to their adult selves. The trailer suggests players will be able to explore a map freely, chatting with NPCs and tackling new challenges along the way.
Mario Tennis Fever appears to be making all the right moves to fix Mario Tennis Aces’ flaws. New mechanics and a substantial single-player experience will make this game feel like a worthy full-price purchase. Mario Tennis Fever seems like the ideal launch title for the Switch 2 in 2026, a year already poised to be huge for the new console.