Mario Tennis Fever Preview: Intense, chaotic, and very much in the spirit of Nintendo

Ahead of Nintendo's presentations in the German capital, it was Mario Tennis Fever that I was most sceptical about. Not because I expected it to be a bad game in any way, but because the idea of turning a sport as regimented as tennis into an engaging party game seemed far-fetched to me. However, Nintendo is Nintendo, and it quickly became clear that I had once again underestimated the company's creative abilities.

To begin with, Mario Tennis Fever is a very beautiful game. Nintendo is, as we know, a world champion at using its cosy, familiar, and colourful design to create gaming experiences that impress on a visual level. It may not come as a surprise to anyone that Mario Tennis Fever is just the latest example of Nintendo's long tradition of treating us gamers to colourful eye candy, but it's still the first impression that strikes me during the presentation.

The next step was to head out onto the tennis court for a quick introduction to the Nintendo-fied core elements of the sport, but before that, it was time to choose a character, and here I was greeted by a solid gallery of classic icons. The usual crew, consisting of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi, were there, but many other characters such as Dry Bowser, Wiggler, and Petey Piranha were also included in the line-up, which consisted of a total of 38 cheerful tennis players. Also making his debut in Mario's universe is Baby Waluigi, whose design fits in well with Nintendo's other young characters. I was particularly pleased to see Paratroopa return as a playable character, as he was always my first choice in Mario Kart Double Dash for Gamecube, but sadly he had been sitting on the bench ever since. All characters, like cars in Mario Kart, are good at slightly different things, with some relying on powerful shots, others on their speed, and some being a little more technically inclined. So it's important to choose a player that suits your own style, both visually and mechanically.

The sport itself is played on fairly simple terms, with a couple of different strokes to remember. The basic manoeuvre is an uncomplicated procedure that allows me to control the direction of the ball over the net, while holding down a button sacrifices mobility for a more powerful swing with the racket. Double-clicking the controller performs a third type of shot, and under special circumstances, it's also possible to shine with an elegant smash. With a well-aimed tennis ball, it's also possible to knock out your opponent and simply win the round by force.

It's not just pure tennis on offer, as Nintendo has naturally found a way to bake a bunch of superpowers into the mix as well. Before each match, I get to choose from a plethora of different rackets, all of which have a built-in special ability. During the hour or so I spent with Mario Tennis Fever, I only had the opportunity to test a few of these, but the basic concept is that during the matches, I filled a special meter that allowed me to perform my racket's signature shot between rounds. There were many different variations, including a fire attack that set the opponent's side of the court ablaze, a ghost manoeuvre that made me invisible for a short while, a cloning ability that created a copy of my character, and a mud power that flooded parts of the court with mud that was difficult for a tennis ball to bounce on.

Once the basics were covered, I was paired up with a writer from Greece for a couple of rounds of honest Nintendo tennis. Initially, I gave my opponent a pretty good match, and at times I even felt a little proud of how skilled I had become in such a short time, but it soon became apparent that my opponent's learning curve was superior to my own, and in the end, it was I who had to congratulate him on his victory. Even though I was only scratching the surface, I sensed a more technical depth than Mario Tennis Fever's accessible exterior would suggest. It will be exciting to learn more about it in the future. After our initial battle, we were paired with two Norwegian influencers and played a doubles match where my former opponent became an invaluable ally. It was both fun and chaotic to run around the court, with a total of four possible superpowers in play at the same time, trying to coordinate attacks and counterattacks in a way that worked. But in the end, my new Greek friend and I emerged victorious.

At the end of the presentation, Nintendo threw in one last twist and introduced us four to another mode where the tennis ball was replaced by a bunch of balloons that had to be smashed against each other in order to wear down the opposing team's health meter. Intense, chaotic, and very much in the spirit of Nintendo. Then we were done with Mario Tennis Fever, and the impression I take away with me is that it's a party game with great potential for many frantic clashes on the sofa. We'll find out what the complete experience has to offer on February 12.