With both Star Fox and the next Zelda title delayed to 2016, Mario Tennis Ultra Smash stands as a key Nintendo release for the 2015 holiday season on the Wii U (alongside the anticipated third-party developed Xenoblade Chronicles X). The question is, can it deliver?
The last installment of Mario Tennis graced the GameCube in the early 2000s. Nintendo’s signature approach emphasizes accessible gameplay, resulting in a unique tennis experience. This holds true here, for better or worse.
Assuming a general familiarity with tennis, let’s delve into the new features in Mario Tennis Ultra Smash. The game introduces Ultra Smashes, where characters can leap into the air and unleash powerful, nearly unreturnable shots. Another addition is the inclusion of red-yellow mushrooms, which temporarily enlarge and empower your character, granting a significant advantage.
Mario Tennis Ultra Smash offers both single-player and multiplayer modes, locally and online. Controller options include the GamePad, Motion Controller, and Wii Controller Pro. For optimal control, a controller with a comprehensive button layout is recommended. Mario Tennis Ultra Smash emphasizes strategic shot selection, requiring players to respond to each shot with the appropriate button or button combination. While the X button serves as a general “catch-all,” providing an automatic return, it isn’t always the ideal choice. The core concept aims to enhance gameplay depth by challenging players to strategically position themselves, charge their shots, and execute specific shot types, such as drop shots, topspin shots, or “chance shots” with exaggerated physics.
However, the execution of this system feels imprecise. Players must memorize button assignments, or even button combinations, to adequately return standard shots, risking weak returns and opponent advantages. This can introduce unnecessary stress, detracting from the overall enjoyment as strategic play gives way to button memorization. While this can lead to amusing moments, it often feels detached from the fundamentals of tennis. While capitalizing on an opponent’s misstep with a well-placed shot can be satisfying initially, frustration can arise from incorrectly inputting commands despite proper positioning and shot charging, leading to easy opportunities for the opposing player. Those proficient in titles like Virtua Tennis may find this system less appealing.
Doubles matches with friends offer the most engaging experience in Mario Tennis Ultra Smash.
The giant mushroom power-up provides an initial novelty, but the frequent and equitable distribution of mushrooms can neutralize its impact as both players become enlarged. Furthermore, the animation accompanying the transformation can disrupt the flow of matches. Multiplayer doubles, particularly with three or more players, injects a chaotic, party-game element into the experience. However, single-player modes against the AI may lead to quicker fatigue. The online mode provides a welcome alternative, offering competition against players worldwide across several game types: Ultra Smash with giant characters and jump shots, Streak mode (rallying for extended periods), Endless Challenge, and Classic mode, which omits power-ups and jump shots.
The graphics are visually appealing, showcasing beloved characters in vibrant HD. New characters and gameplay modifications, such as faster surfaces and increased ball bounce, can be unlocked. The audio features familiar, upbeat melodies and sound effects, though the limited voice samples (“winner – server”) feel somewhat lacking. Nintendo delivers a polished, virtually bug-free experience (one instance of game freezing occurred). The controls are responsive, but require some acclimation. A notable addition is the ability to partner with an amiibo in doubles matches, training it to become a skilled teammate. However, the restriction of linking each amiibo to a single game necessitates owning multiple amiibo or choosing between Mario Tennis and Super Smash Bros for amiibo functionality. Ideally, amiibo stats could be saved on the memory card, enabling seamless integration across multiple games.
Playing with an amiibo partner is enjoyable, but the single-game restriction is limiting.
In conclusion, Mario Tennis Ultra Smash is a competent arcade-style party game suitable for local multiplayer or online play. While not Nintendo’s strongest sports offering on the Wii U – Mario Kart 8 offers a more compelling and skill-based competitive experience, and Mario Party excels as a multiplayer title – it occupies a middle ground. It may appeal to existing Mario Tennis fans, but is unlikely to satisfy enthusiasts of more traditional tennis simulations such as Top Spin and Virtua Tennis.
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