By Mike OÔÇÖBrien |┬áÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔ£░

I have always admired NintendoÔÇÖs philosophy towards multiplayer. Save for a few minor missteps ÔÇô IÔÇÖm looking at you, Brawl ÔÇô Nintendo is king when it comes to perfecting the delicate duality of games that your nan can pick up, whilst somehow allowing plenty of legroom for advanced play. IÔÇÖm pleased to announce that the same is true of Mario Tennis Aces.

I daresay itÔÇÖs much truer than I could have anticipated. Hailing from the long combative dynasty that is the Super Smash Bros scene, I know a thing or two about the shocking ceiling of competition that Nintendo games are able to achieve. Mario Tennis Aces belongs in its own league of deceptive intensity. Slapstick as it may be, SmashÔÇÖs violence is at the very least confrontational by nature, meaning a degree of intensity and competition is to be expected. ÔÇÿBut how fierce could Mario Tennis be?ÔÇÖ I mused, firing up the gameÔÇÖs online mode, greeted by NintendoÔÇÖs famously cheerful and inoffensive mascots. Then a tournament bracket appeared, and my underestimations became immediately apparent. Things between me and this Yoshi player who dared to challenge my path to grand finals were about to get very personal.

I learned very quickly that the tennis court is a battlefield. In most other competitive games, there are breathing periods. In Rocket League, the ball and its famed floatiness gives players time to assume a position whilst trying to read the opponentÔÇÖs movement. In Street Fighter, you might be playing a zoning character who commands the slower skillset of patience and space control. In Mario Tennis Aces, there is no such respite. That ball goes back and forth with terrifying grace until one of you cracks, no exceptions ÔÇô and your characters donÔÇÖt get tired, either. This is exclusively a battle of wits. When you see that ball coming, and you charge up the most powerful topspin you can muster from the back of the court, only to be assaulted with the realisation that the cute Yoshi youÔÇÖre playing against has utterly bamboozled you with a drop shot, you will understand real shame. In most other circumstances, seeing Yoshi in any kind of distress would be an unsettling experience. But when I scored that final point and saw Yoshi fall flat on his bottom with a heartbreaking frown, I savoured nothing more than his little crushed eyes. My only regret is that he didnÔÇÖt cry delicious tears.

This intensity is heated by the gameÔÇÖs accessible yet compelling intricacy. The player has five shot types at their disposal, each with their own situational utility to control space in some way or another. Slices are slow and easily returned, but they buy you some time to gain ground. Flats hit hard and fast: against a poorly positioned opponent, this can force a weak return to give you an even stronger hit, or win a point altogether. Topsins on the other hand travel a little slower but offer a much wider angle, making them a fantastic tool for displacement, whilst lobs and drop shots force your opponent up and down the court. Consider that each of these shots (barring lobs and drops) can be double-tapped to increase their strength at the expense of a narrower angle, and the amount of mixups in this game can make it very difficult to keep centre-court.

It doesnÔÇÖt end there either. Mario Tennis Aces spits in the eye of Virtua Tennis and its puny ÔÇÿrealismÔÇÖ, exchanging physical limitations for special powers. (If that’s not your cup of tea, don’t panic: you can play offline and online without these mechanics ‘simple mode’ which puts your raw tennis skills to the test). Every character in this game has an energy meter which can be used in three different ways.┬áOffensively, if you have enough energy, you can position yourself where the ball is due to bounce and return with a ÔÇÿzone shotÔÇÖ which allows you to freeze time and snipe your return at top speed. If your opponent mistimes their return on this one, their racket takes damage. Build up your energy meter completely and youÔÇÖll get access to a ÔÇÿspecial shotÔÇÖ, which is a zone shot that can not only be triggered from anywhere on the court, but threatens to destroy your opponentÔÇÖs racket in one go if they botch the return. Tournament matches only give you two rackets, so it only takes two mistimed returns against special shots to throw it away.

If youÔÇÖre anything like me, these tools can seem a little overbearing at first ÔÇô but there are defensive applications of meter to save your hide. ÔÇÿZone speedÔÇÖ burns meter to slow down time, giving you room to react if your opponent has you on the ropes. Similarly, the ÔÇÿtrick shotÔÇÖ mechanic keeps the game limber and exciting, allowing players to flip and fly (Waluigi can moonwalk) across the court to catch a stray ball. Time these right and youÔÇÖll find yourself making otherwise impossible returns, all whilst building up meter. But thereÔÇÖs a price ÔÇô time one of these late and youÔÇÖll lose meter. Mess up the timing with no meter at all and youÔÇÖll return with a pathetic and extremely slow lob that will put you in a seriously bad spot for the rest of that point. They also require a fair bit of commitment, meaning that if you incorrectly reckon youÔÇÖve got your opponent sussed out, youÔÇÖll do a smug dive across the stage only to land flatly ÔÇô albeit spectacularly ÔÇô on your hind quarters. Emotionally and logistically, itÔÇÖs only downhill from there.

The characters each have their own little unique quirks too. This can manifest itself in basic stats ÔÇô Mario can move more quickly than Donkey Kong for instance ÔÇô but some of them have unique abilities altogether. Rosalina can move at a faster speed whilst charging her shots than other characters, whilst Boo has all sorts of tricky curves at his disposal. The courts even change the properties of some shots; sand courts make for weaker bounces, strengthening drop shots as an option, for instance. Kudos to Nintendo ÔÇô for a game so easy to get into, it is superbly dynamic.

ThereÔÇÖs not much Mario Tennis Aces doesnÔÇÖt get right. ItÔÇÖs visually spectacular, with a good comparison being Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Mechanically speaking, I donÔÇÖt think thereÔÇÖs much argument against Aces being considered the best in the Mario Tennis series. Online play is a highlight, and not just because the netplay is consistently decent. The tournament structure of online play gives a fantastic sense of progression and competition that watching a big number increase on a basic ÔÇÿrankedÔÇÖ mode could never provide.

That said, there are some areas where Nintendo could have done better. The singleplayer, whilst clearly not the meat of the game, is a little dry. It serves as an adequate introduction to the gameÔÇÖs mechanics, but anyone looking for a full-fledged single-player experience may be left unsatisfied. The unlockable stages are certainly worth it if you’re after more of a party experience, but the point remains that if youÔÇÖre buying this game, ensure you’re buying it to play against others.

Some other elements of Mario Tennis Aces are rather confusing. In online play, you receive a rating which increases or decreases based on performance. One might fairly assume such ratings would determine matchmaking, but as far as I can tell, itÔÇÖs completely random. IÔÇÖve had multiple occasions where IÔÇÖve matched with top 100 worldwide players, only to face a first-time player afterwards. The rank isnÔÇÖt even the primary factor in leaderboard placings ÔÇô instead players are ranked by their total points gained, which if anything is a measure of playtime rather than skill or consistency. The tournament system is fun and I have no grievances with it, but matchmaking needs improvement and ranks need purpose.

To offer more broad criticism, the game feels a little threadbare in general. Whilst thatÔÇÖs being addressed somewhat with a handful of upcoming characters, I imagine it will take more than that to keep most players hooked. Perhaps some unlockable skins and taunts might entice those looking for more tangible rewards, but as of right now, if youÔÇÖre playing online, thereÔÇÖs only pride to win ÔÇô and I can see that being alienating for players who arenÔÇÖt quite as good.

The final criticism IÔÇÖd make of Mario Tennis Aces is that its ÔÇÿswing modeÔÇÖ, where players use motion controls to serve and swing, is awfully wonky. This IÔÇÖm sure comes as traumatic news to people looking for an evolution on the biggest eSport of all time, Wii Sports. You might not find that here ÔÇô but what you will find is the finest tennis gameplay on the market. Mario Tennis Aces, for its handful of shortcomings, feels phenomenal to play and fits right at home on the Nintendo Switch. Lightning fast load times, the ability to play multiplayer with single JoyCons, and accessible yet dynamic gameplay make this game an instant favourite. All the competitive stuff might sound scary, but trust me ÔÇô bust this out with some of your casual friends, and heavy words will be lightly thrown indeed. ┬á