Mario Tennis Aces is a move in the right direction for the series and is a great way for Nintendo to show that they're taking even their secondary franchises seriously this console generation.

Adventure mode makes a welcome return after being absent in Ultra Smash; Local multiplayer has a ton of options on how many Switch consoles and players can join; Added gameplay elements enrich the gameplay

Multiplayer options concerning match length are missing; Tags

Right off the bat, Mario Tennis Aces , the eighth installment in the Mario Tennis series, feels inadequate. Mario's Tennis , which kicked off the series way back in 1995 on the Virtual Boy, featured at least six games per set, just like actual tennis.

Camelot Software Planning has been a stalwart developer for Nintendo over the years. Mario Tennis is perhaps their best-known Mario game (alongside Mario Golf) as they've been at the helm of the long-running sports-RPG hybrid(s) since 1999.

This review originally published on June 20, before its online was live. We've since updated this review with multiplayer impressions and a score. I admittedly don't know much about traditional tennis. I know there are tennis balls. I know there are courts.

‘Mario Tennis Aces' delivers a satisfying, though brief, game of tennis.

Playing virtual tennis feels great; Accessible; yet offers some depth; Surprisingly funny writing; Strategic and thrilling online matches

Story mode is too short; …and there's not much to do after

Given we live in a world where people want to have an opinion hurled at them as quickly as possible, know this about Mario Tennis Aces: If you're planning to play it with friends you should go and purchase it now.

A ridiculously good core mechanic that never gets old; One of the finest multiplayer experiences on Switch; Accessible and deep simultaneously; Could offer something for quite some time

Single-player may leave some wanting; RPG system is light at best

Camelot have been the kings of the Mario Tennis (and Golf) kingdom for some time, after the pure disappointment that Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash on the Wii U was, everyone has been waiting for them to give Tennis another real shot.

Nintendo and Camelot released Mario Tennis Ultra Smash for Wii U in 2015, and it was a shallow impersonation of the other games in the franchise. It did not have a campaign or interesting modes, and the one thing that set it apart, the Mega Mushroom power-up, was lame.

This game is a blast to play with your family and friends locally. Swing mode got my wife's mother(62 years old) to have fun playing a video game.

Summer is in full swing and Nintendo and Camelot Software are serving up their next instalment in the Mario Tennis series for all to enjoy, even enlisting some famous faces to help with the advertising campaign.