Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash Reviews
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is a wonderful looking game with very little substance.
The Mario Tennis you know and love, only substantially less of it than usual. Still fun, but such slim pickings leave a sour taste.
There is a great straightforward tennis game here, but little else to hook you in and keep you coming back
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is fun. I enjoyed my time with it - much more so than I did with Mario Tennis Open. It's a step up over the last iteration in some areas, yet still it manages to be a lackluster entry in a series that seems to be sadly suffering from continual decline.
A tennis game that lacks motion controls, signature Mario silliness or even the effort for unique cut scenes, the only thing Mario Tennis Ultra Smash has going for it is that it's functional and vaguely entertaining for short periods of time.
Nintendo's latest cartoon tennis game has great mechanics, but no career mode, character progression, or even any tournaments in which to play
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is a barebones installment of a beloved franchise on Wii U that leaves gamers with very little to do outside of a few traditional game modes.
[A]s a whole, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash feels like a rushed Christmas pick-up after the incredible fan-service of Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart 8.
The core gameplay of Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is enjoyable, but disappointing side modes, online restrictions and gimmicky power-ups make this return go a little wide of the mark.
In the end, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is a solid tennis game that feels thin when it comes to content. But the gameplay is fun and the visuals are great eye candy. Playing with friends in a living room is a fun way to kill a few hours.
Mario Tennis' transition to the Wii U feels like one step forward and two steps back. The addition of Mega Mushrooms is clever enough, but the game doesn't commit to the idea of power-ups enough to sustain it. Meanwhile the no-frills package feels so anemic that I was burned out on the experience after only a few hours. If you want a great Mario Tennis game, stick with the better, cheaper, and more complete 3DS version.
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is a well-built game, but feels like one of the weakest in the 'Mario Sports' series in terms of content.
Despite these shortcomings, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash does offer a well-made tennis game. Mixing up your shot types, using the new jump, and balancing your use of Chance Shots to catch your opponent off-guard are essential for victory. Local and online multiplayer is competitive, fun, and the true appeal of the game. Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash has all the tools be an elite tennis game, but doesn't offer enough content to achieve that goal.
The fact that it's a mechanically solid sporting experience can't save it from mediocrity or a lack of any real reason to come back, and that's really the worst sin a sports game can commit.
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is a bare-bones, lackluster addition to Mario's sporting adventures.
Treat it as an HD remaster of the N64 game and this is actually one of the best Mario Tennis games since then, but the lack of features and extra content is a real turn-off.
While Camelot is typically known for rich and deep experiences in their Mario sports games, the bare bones Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash feels like a step backwards for this series.
Nintendo's best competitive sports title is just as thrilling as ever, but feels a little too familiar and light on content.
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash serves up a feast for the eyes, but Camelot has lost too much of the charm and character that made its predecessors so special.
If you're looking for a casual tennis game to play with friends, Wii Sports Club Tennis is still where it's at. You can grab it for your Wii U on the eShop for under $15. Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash will do ya if you're big on using buttons instead of swinging Wii Remotes or if you absolutely must perform fancy shots. Just know that this is a full-priced game that says, "Here, play some tennis," and not much else.