By 
Mario Tennis Aces marked Nintendo first bringing the themed sports series to the Switch, and Mario Tennis Fever is a next step for the Switch 2. This installment marks a larger roster and an array of new Fever Rackets that involve special Fever Shots that affect the court and nature of the ball. While the four new characters I tested were fun options, the rackets made me feel like I was actually preparing for a fight thanks to the varied Fever Shots.
So first, the new characters this time around are Baby Waluigi, Baby Wario, Goomba, and Nabbit. I felt the new babies looked adorable and perfectly fit in with the existing ones like Baby Mario and Baby Peach. I felt like both Waluigi and Wario also fit in with the new focus on Fever Rackets too. Baby Waluigi is about maintaining defenses and preparing for assaults, which is handy, while Baby Wario’s power nature seems like it lends itself well to things like the Spiny Racket with a huge hit. Meanwhile, the Goomba seems whimsical in the same way the Chain Chomp does. It’s an all-rounder that holds the racket in its mouth and bounces the ball on its head when serving it. I also got to sample Nabbit by using the character during one match. It’s fine and does feel faster on the court due to being a Speed-type character, but I did feel the other three I tested were a bit more whimsical.
As for the Fever Rackets themselves, I got to test out a handful of them when going through some doubles Mario Tennis Fever matches. As you play, a Fever Gauge fills. When you get one or two bars of it, you can unleash a special shot that involves an additional effect. Some of these felt like they were more directly offensive. The Chargin’ Chuck and Spiny Rackets are two examples. Each one transforms the ball itself to make it more dangerous or difficult to hit. In the case of the former, the ball turns into footballs that move in a more unpredictable manner. The Spiny Racket turns it into spinies that are spiked and hazardous. The Flame Racket sets the ball on fire.
Other Fever Rackets felt more like they are about status effect conditions. The Mud Racket puts mud splatters on the field that impair movement. Though my favorite in this session ended up being the Volcano Racket because it blended status effect with offensive attacks. It causes a volcano to appear on the opposing side of the court. This will send off occasional eruptions for a limited time. If these hit an opponent, it depletes their HP. So it limits where you can go and provides an opportunity to temporarily eliminate a person from the field for a set amount of time.
While most of my hands-on matches were dedicated to testing out the Fever Rackets in Doubles matches, I did get to test out a Wonder Court Match. During it, Trottin Piranha Plants appeared on the net for a brief period of time. When they did, the balls would occasional fly out of their mouths and Wonder Seeds would appear unexpectedly. It added some extra challenge to the round and made me wonder what other events could happen.
From my limited time with Mario Tennis Fever, it feels like the Fever Rackets and new characters could add some extra fun and whimsy to matches. Baby Waluigi and Wario each worked quite well, and I loved how the Goomba looked. As for the Fever Rackets, it really felt like their effects could make the sports game feel a bit more like a fighter, due to how someone could opt for options that would impair enemies’ movements or more directly sap their HP.
Mario Tennis Fever will come to the Switch 2 on February 12, 2026.
