Mario Tennis Aces: Everything you need to know!

Over the years, Mario sports games have had a unique way of taking sports gameplay and putting it in the colorful and weird world of Mushroom Kingdom, and the Mario tennis games have always been a personal favorite.

I was beyond excited when Nintendo announced Mario Tennis Aces for the Nintendo Switch in January, and we are getting oh so close to the official release date! Here's everything you need to know about Mario Tennis Aces.

What's new in Mario Tennis Aces

May 30, 2018: Mario Tennis Aces is having a pre-launch tournament this weekend!

Don't want to wait until June 22 to get your first taste of Mario Tennis Aces, well good news, Nintendo has announced an Online Tournament Demo that you can take part in this weekend.

"Jump online and fight your way to the top of the in-game bracket in frenetic tennis matches. The more rivals you beat, the more points you will earn, which will unlock more playable characters in the demo."

The event starts Friday, June 1 at 9:00 PM EDT (6:00 PM PDT) and runs through until Sunday, June 3 until 2:59 AM EDT (11:59 PM PDT).

Not only will this give you the opportunity to play the game before it officially launches, it will also have a side benefit too.

"By Participating and keeping your save data, you can unlock Mario's classic outfit in the full version of the game, once purchased, so don't miss out!"

To get in on the tournament all you have to do is head to the Nintendo eShop on your Switch and download the free Mario Tennis Aces Online Tournament Demo software. once you download the software, youjust have to launch it at any time during the event to try out the game! don't miss out!

Release Date

Let's get the first question out of the way. Mario Tennis Aces will be released on June 22, 2018.

Adventure Mode

Mario Tennis Aces will be the first game in the tennis franchise to have a story mode (known as Adventure Mode) since the installments on the Game Boy Advance.

While we don't know precisely what the Adventure Mode will entail we do know that Mario has to once again save his brother, Luigi, from peril. Your travel across the Mushroom Kingdom completing different challenges and bosses by playing various fun forms of tennis along the way.

Multiplayer Modes

While nothing concrete has been released on exactly what multiplayer modes will be available, we do know that both local and online multiplayer will be included.

Local multiplayer will be possible with up to four players (on the same Switch, or multiple Switch consoles) by playing doubles while the online multiplayer will be available worldwide for doubles or singles matches!

Character Roster

No official full list of characters is available, but through the multiple gameplay trailers, we do know a that these 15 characters that will be playable.

  • Mario
  • Luigi
  • Wario
  • Waluigi
  • Peach
  • Daisy
  • Yoshi
  • Rosalina
  • Donkey Kong
  • Toad
  • Browser
  • Toadette
  • Bowser Jr.
  • Chain Chomp
  • Boo

Nintendo says there are even more characters to be included in the game, but who (or what) they are remains a mystery.

Character Traits

Each character in Mario Tennis Aces has a specific trait, and while Nintendo hasn't talked about exactly what these traits mean, we can safely assume they will influence a character is played; here's a quick list of the characteristics we know so far.

  • Mario (All-Round)
  • Luigi (All-Round)
  • Wario (Powerful)
  • Waluigi (Defensive)
  • Peach (Technical)
  • Daisy (All-Round)
  • Yoshi (Speedy)
  • Rosalina (Tricky)
  • Donkey Kong (Powerful)
  • Toad (Speedy)
  • Browser (Powerful)
  • Toadette (Technical)
  • Bowser Jr. (Defensive)
  • Chain Chomp (Powerful)
  • Boo (Tricky)

Are you in 40-love?

Are you psyched for Mario Tennis Aces to hit the Switch? Sound off in the comments below!

Luke Filipowicz
Staff Writer

Luke Filipowicz has been a writer at iMore, covering Apple for nearly a decade now. He writes a lot about Apple Watch and iPad but covers the iPhone and Mac as well. He often describes himself as an "Apple user on a budget" and firmly believes that great technology can be affordable if you know where to look. Luke also heads up the iMore Show — a weekly podcast focusing on Apple news, rumors, and products but likes to have some fun along the way. 


Luke knows he spends more time on Twitter than he probably should, so feel free to follow him or give him a shout on social media @LukeFilipowicz.