Hoxilp Mario Tennis Fever Review

Visuals The first thing worth highlighting about Mario Tennis Fever is its visual presentation. The game looks beautiful, with very vibrant and warm colors that are consistently pleasing to the eye. Gameplay Gameplay feels very similar to previous entries in the series. There isn’t much room for drastic innovation in a tennis formula, so sticking close to what already works feels like the right choice. One of the biggest changes involves special abilities. Instead of character-based ultimate moves like in the previous game, powers are now tied to rackets. You can equip rackets with abilities such as: fire, electricity, ice, tornadoes even invisibility. All characters can use these rackets regardless of their class. Characters are divided into categories like: power, speed, all-around and others. Each class offers a different playstyle, which adds variety to matches. We also still have the classic shot types seen in previous games: curved shots, slow shots, fast shots, lob shots, star-powered shots (triggered by the star that appears on the court) Matches can be played either by sets or by points (usually around 7 points). If both players are evenly matched, matches can extend into additional rounds. Be careful with this games can last anywhere from 2 minutes to 30 minutes depending on how balanced the skill levels are. Difficulty and Match Types The CPU offers multiple difficulty levels: novice, intermediate, expert, pro, ace (the highest difficulty) Ace difficulty provides a very solid challenge. Matches can be played solo or in doubles, meaning up to four characters on the court at once. Game Modes The game includes several modes: Story Mode More than half of Story Mode acts as a tutorial. Personally, I would have preferred more actual matches and less text, but for new players it works well to explain mechanics and shot types. It feels slightly lacking in depth, yet it’s good to see the developers continuing to experiment with a story component. Special Matches We still have special match types such as: ring challenges, piranha plant matches, motion control mode using Joy-Cons as rackets, tower trials. A new Tower Trial mode challenges players to conquer towers with only three lives. The game includes achievement medals tied to completing these towers with full stars, so good luck with that challenge. Online Mode Online includes: private rooms, ranked matches, singles and doubles options. Unfortunately, online performance was disappointing in my experience. Both random matchmaking and private rooms felt unstable at times, similar to the kind of freezes some players have experienced in Smash Bros online matches. It’s frustrating because the rest of the game feels polished, so hopefully future patches improve stability. Wonder Seed Mode There is also a new mode centered around collecting Wonder Seeds (inspired by the Wonder Flower concept). During these matches, the court is affected by wild events such as: dancing plants, bouncing elephants, pipes moving up and down. Instead of winning through traditional scoring, victory is achieved by collecting a certain number of Wonder Seeds. It’s chaotic, fun, and adds a creative twist to standard gameplay. Characters and Unlockables The roster is quite complete, featuring 38 playable characters, including color variations like the classic Yoshis. Some characters, rackets, and tennis courts must be unlocked by: playing a certain number of matches, completing specific challenges. This progression system adds replay value and encourages continued play. Audio The music is very enjoyable and doesn’t become repetitive quickly. Sound effects are also well done and feel satisfying during matches. One extra detail: racket powers require building up energy, similar to an ultimate gauge. This prevents players from spamming abilities constantly and keeps matches balanced. Performance Offline performance is solid. The only major issue I encountered was online instability, which noticeably affects competitive play. Length Playtime will vary significantly depending on whether you focus on story mode, unlockables, tower challenges, or online play. There’s a good amount of content to keep players busy. Final Thoughts Mario Tennis Fever is a well-made game. While online performance holds it back somewhat, the amount of content and variety in modes helps compensate for that weakness. If you plan to play locally with friends, it’s an excellent option for fun and entertaining matches especially if you’re not usually a big fan of the genre. If you prefer playing solo, the higher CPU difficulties and additional modes still provide a solid challenge. Even though online may not be perfectly optimized right now, it’s still worth trying a few matches from time to time.