- Primary Subject: Mario Tennis Fever (Standard Edition)
- Key Update: The game features a series-high roster of 38 characters and introduces "Fever Rackets," which grant unique special abilities and power-ups that significantly alter the flow of matches.
- Status: Confirmed (Previewed at Nintendo HQ)
- Last Verified: February 3, 2026
- Quick Answer: Mario Tennis Fever is an upcoming sports title for Nintendo Switch 2 featuring 38 characters, new ability-granting rackets, and a brand-new adventure story mode.
Mario and sports games are a funny mix. The original Switch was a mixed bag in terms of quality, yet previous systems showcased just how great these titles can be. With Mario Tennis Fever, he hopes to take the fight back to the court, racket in hand.
Mario Tennis Aces was the last-gen iteration, and for me, it was a disappointment to say the least. The main modes were dull and uninspired, and the gimmicks felt like they were there for the sake of having a hook.
Sometimes, focusing on the sport's basic gameplay is the safe yet sensible option for mascot-based sports titles. The gimmicks don’t always land as well as they would hope.
I recently got to sit down and preview Mario Tennis Fever at Nintendo HQ. We were seated in doubles teams and let loose in a fierce competition to see who ruled the courts. Raised on Virtua Tennis - I was ready for the battles ahead.
Only I wasn’t fully prepared for the Fever.
In this game, you have quite a few modes, including an adventure/campaign that we were not allowed to access - this solo mode will be what makes or breaks the whole game for me, but I can’t report on that just yet.
Multiplayer is fun between 2 and 4 players. We had the chance to play one-on-one and two-on-two, and both worked flawlessly once connected. Gameplay-wise, there has been a slight change to the feel of the actual tennis element. No longer does it feel like they copied the Virtua Tennis mechanics, and the change was jarring for a veteran like myself.
A short period of adjustment was required, and it was off to the races. Rallies were tense, and diving to the line to return a shot was exhilarating. You definitely need to work for every point in this one.
The 38 characters available are the biggest selection of any Mario Tennis game to date - naturally, I stuck with Luigi for my time playing. The rackets on offer grant new abilities that totally change the flow of the match - love it or hate it. I can confirm that, for me, the abilities were mostly fun. Yes, I will be playing mostly pure tennis matches once I get the full version, but for multiplayer, party nights, or young kids, the new abilities will make things more fun and challenging.
There was also a mode we got to play that felt like a random event simulator. Throughout our match, various events would trigger, such as returning the piranha plant's fireballs or lobbing giant hippos from Mario Wonder back at opponents to whittle down their health bar - Wimbledon, take notes!
At the end of our session, I came away wanting to play more and feeling very competitive, both good signs for Mario and co. Initially, I thought releasing a tennis game now was way too far out from Wimbledon to have an impact, but if they nail the solo story mode and make the wacky Fever stuff fun, they could be back on track with good Mario sports games.
Mario Tennis Fever releases on February 12, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2.