My review of Mario Tennis Aces:

Solo mode: 1/10
Multiplayer: N/a haven't done it yet.

It first sets you off in adventure mode to find these power gems. When you get to the end of the first forest (pretty much tutorial) you unlock a stage. That being said it is like walking into an attempt to make an Atlus game with no reward. Every world you can unlock a new racket, and have to beat a boss. The quests for the rackets are very very punishing. I quite literally force quit several times.

The oases are ridiculous as well. They throw trickshot after trickshot after trickshot. They also readily abuse the "push the r button to make sure they cannot stop the ball"  gimmick that runs quite a bit from the standard NGC and N64 editions.


Solo non-adventure: So I tried playing some singles and doubles vs the computer. I put it against the highest rated computer I could (which allows them to use that r button gimmick more), and selected the same for when I played doubles with a team mate.

Here are a lot of problems: 1. 80% of the time your teammate just stands there allowing the ball to hit them. 2. 10% of the time the teammate wastes your energy bar to do stupid shots that you otherwise had (since they were standing still). 3. Limited on courses until you unlock them in adventure mode. 4. 3 characters are unselectable to begin with. The game States to unlock them early by playing in July's, August's, and September's tournaments. That is right, get an early unlock by waiting 3 months after the game came out. 5. your rackets take a beating trying to block shots.


The good: 16 characters are unlocked right off the bat. Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Peach, Daisy, Rosalina, Toad, Toadette, Bowser, Bowser Jr, Boo, Yoshi, Donkey kong, Spike, and Chain Chomp.

Each of these characters fit into a category of how they play: powerful, technical, tricky, speedy, defensive, and all around.

The bad: Locked characters are: Koopa trooper, Dry bones, Shy guy. (from what I have experienced in adventure mode).


Onto the settings:

you can do singles or doubles. If you choose doubles and a random partner, every game you will have a random partner, which doesn't make much sense as most want a random pick to play along with them in the doubles format.

There is a setting for "play time." This allows you to play sudden death mode (quick play, to 7 points win by 2); and a single set to determine the winner "extended play."

All in all I feel like they messed up here. I will be playing the tournaments just for the characters and will be trying to get all the courts unlocked. (but I feel my patience may be worn pretty thin).

Multiplayer to come later.