Name: Mario Tennis Fever review – Confident Return
Brand: TechStomper
SKU: mario-tennis-fever-review-confident-return
Rating: 4 (3 reviews)

With the clay brushed off and the hard courts calling, what better excuse to lace up your trainers and head back onto centre court, this time with a distinctly arcade flavour, as Mario Tennis Fever rallies onto the scene. It picks up the racket from Mario Tennis Aces, which was a solid tennis game, if a little lacklustre in its mechanics and overall gameplay. Tennis Fever also marks the first sports title to feature everyone’s favourite Italian plumber on the Switch 2.

This isn’t the first time the moustachioed mascot has traded fireballs for forehands, and you shouldn’t be fooled by the bright colours and oversized rackets. Beneath the cartoon chaos lies a surprisingly focused take on the sport.

While it doesn’t wrap itself in the same cinematic flair as some of Mario’s more recent sporting outings, it keeps its eye firmly on fast, fluid tennis with just enough Nintendo magic sprinkled on top.

Tennis Adventure

The main adventure mode is where most players will serve up their time. It’s a meatier offering than past games and even I wasn’t expecting it to go quite this far. Daisy is sick, and Wario and Waluigi tell Mario that a magical golden fruit can cure her. As ever, they don’t play fair, and Mario and co. are turned into babies by a curse.

This sends them to a tennis academy to rebuild their strength before attempting to break the curse, save Daisy and get payback on Wario and Waluigi. It’s charming, if a bit of a stretch as a setup for tennis.

Still, it works as a solid foundation for learning the core of the sport, with challenges and tests that teach you everything you need to know.

Pick Up and Serve

Matches are quick, fun and easy to jump into. Topspin, slice and lobs are mapped intuitively. Mario Tennis Fever is accessible for newcomers while leaving room for the depth seasoned players will appreciate.

Special shots and character abilities inject that trademark chaos into proceedings. Timing a perfectly charged return to blast the ball past Bowser or catching Yoshi out of position with a cheeky drop shot delivers that satisfying mix of skill and Nintendo charm the series is known for.

Fever Raquet

The biggest addition in Mario Tennis Fever is the set of around 30 Fever Rackets. These let you perform a variety of specials in play, building up a Fever Gauge and unleashing Fever Shots.

Fever Shots can do all sorts of things, from creating an icy patch on your opponent’s side of the court to spawning Mini Mushrooms that shrink them.

They’re a bit like power‑ups in Mario Kart in that they spice things up. However, you can only equip one Fever Racket per game. A little planning is needed before each match, though mixing and matching characters and rackets is surprisingly fun as you experiment to find the best pairing.

There’s no need to worry, though. The learning curve is gentle and gradually teaches you when to play it safe from the baseline and when to unleash your Fever Shots.

Tiebreaker

There’s also a tonne of content beyond the adventure mode once you’re ready. Competitive Tournament mode, Trial Towers for skill challenges, Mix It Up for rule‑changing matches and Swing Mode for motion controls all give you plenty to dig into.

Then there’s multiplayer, the real ace up its sleeve. Whether you’re battling it out on the sofa or trading shots online, the frantic back‑and‑forth rallies are where the game truly finds its rhythm.

Visually, it ticks all the familiar boxes. The courts burst with colour, character animations brim with personality and the soundtrack bounces along with unmistakable Nintendo joy. Its charm carries it comfortably from first serve to match point.

For those after a light‑hearted yet surprisingly tight tennis experience, Mario Tennis Fever delivers a solid rally. It’s a confident return to form that proves Mario still knows his way around a court.

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