Mario Tennis Fever delivers solid multiplayer tennis action on Nintendo Switch 2 while Nintendo expands its mascot's reach with a free toddler-focused app that lets kids manipulate Mario's face.
The latest entry in Camelot's sports series launched February 12, reviving the franchise after an eight-year gap. Gaming Age awarded it an 8.5 grade, praising its local multiplayer potential despite criticizing the single-player Adventure mode as "painfully boring." The game features Baby Mario and Baby Luigi battling Bowser through tennis matches in a story campaign that takes four to five hours to complete.
Fever Rackets introduce chaotic power-ups like fireballs and mud puddles that obscure vision, creating Mario Kart-style unpredictability in matches. These items transform standard tennis into party game territory where skill takes a backseat to random effects.
Tournament modes and Trial Towers offer additional solo content beyond the main story.
While traditional gamers get competitive tennis action, Nintendo simultaneously targets preschoolers with Hello, Mario, a free interactive app released February 19 across Android, iOS, and Switch platforms. The application lets children pull, poke, and stretch Mario's facial features to generate reactions, drawing inspiration from Super Mario 64's title screen manipulation mechanics.
Hello, Mario belongs to Nintendo's new My Mario brand designed specifically for young children and their parents. Game Rant describes it as part of "a line of Mario-themed games and toys aimed at young children" that includes collaborations with Fisher-Price and TOMY.
After approximately twelve minutes of interaction, the app puts Mario to sleep as a screen time limitation feature.
The dual release strategy comes during Super Mario's 40th anniversary celebrations that began last September. Upcoming releases include Switch 2 editions of Super Mario Wonder on March 26 and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book this spring.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie arrives in theaters April 1 featuring nostalgic character returns like Mouser from the original NES games.
Mario Tennis Fever supports one to four players with online functionality through both digital downloads and physical cartridges. Its Fever Rackets ensure unpredictable outcomes that maintain replay value long after players complete the single-player content.
