Mario Tennis (series)
| Mario Tennis | |
|---|---|
| First installment | Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64) (2000) |
| Latest installment | Mario Tennis Fever (2026) |
| Number of installments | 9 (8 main, 1 port) |
| Franchise | Super Mario |
| Key staff | Shugo Takahashi, Hiroyuki Takahashi |
The Mario Tennis[1] series is a brand of sports games that features tennis matches incorporating the characters, themes, and locations of the Super Mario franchise. Though preceded by several earlier tennis games featuring Mario, the series was created for Nintendo by its partner Camelot Software Planning (which also continued the Mario Golf series), and the series saw its first installment on the Nintendo 64 in 2000.[1] Since the series made its initial debut, each successive generation has featured a console and a handheld version. The Mario Tennis series' first game was the second project developed by Camelot for a Nintendo system, and the game saw three sequels in total (with the original game and the first sequel having counterparts on their consoles' respective handheld companions).
Gameplay
The Mario Tennis series includes variations of tennis matches consisting of characters, courts, and scenarios based on the Super Mario franchise. The selection of courts varies, ranging from the standard three types of tennis court to those themed upon Super Mario games, which adopt the aesthetic styles of the games on which they are based and feature thematic elements that influence how the match will be played on that surface (some of which manifest themselves as obstacles that hinder character movements or otherwise interfere with gameplay). In addition to standard tennis, the Mario Tennis series can feature variants of the sport that adopt different rules and methods of victory.
The control system differs significantly from other tennis video games. Shots are performed by pressing one or both of the controller's two main buttons, which make the ball spin in different ways. Pressing a button twice strikes the tennis shot with more power and spin. Additionally, pressing the two buttons in a different order can result in a different type of shot altogether, such as a lob or drop shot. Both buttons can be pressed at the same time to hit a very powerful smash shot. The longer a button is pressed before contact is made with the ball, the stronger the shot will be. The control system allows players of all levels to become familiar with the mechanics of the game within a very short time, while also encouraging advanced players to take advantage of the variety of shots on offer to come up with different strategies for winning points. In addition to generic tennis moves, later on the series began to feature special "Power Shots," unique moves that incorporate the specific qualities of the characters that use them; Power Tour specifically categorizes them as either "offensive" shots (those that power up the ball and put various side effects on players with whom they make contact) or "defensive" shots (those that negate the secondary effects of offensive shots and reach balls that would normally be out of reach).
Many game modes have appeared throughout the Mario Tennis series. The central mode of play is "Tournament Mode," which comprises a set of events with accumulating difficulty, where players play tennis matches in either doubles or singles, needing to win two games to win a set, and unlock playable characters if they finish successfully. Another major mode of play is "Exhibition Mode," where up to four players can play matches of their own, with players being able to choose opponents for computer control, and the conditions of the match such as the difficulty of opponents, the court used, and the number of games and sets required to win. Later games introduced modes like "Ring Shot," where players can earn points by hitting the ball through rings of varying sizes; "Item Battle," where characters use items based on the Super Mario universe to interfere with each other's game and gain an advantage; and special minigames where the player can meet a tennis-related objective, incorporating themes from past Nintendo games.
Mario Tennis games feature a selection of playable characters from the Super Mario franchise, including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo, Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, Bowser, and several others. Characters are categorized into six groups that reflect their playing style: all-around, technical, power, speed, defensive, and tricky. Many of the player-characters in Mario Tennis recur as playable throughout the various series of Super Mario spin-offs; sometimes, games feature characters for whom a tennis game marks their first playable appearances altogether, such as Shy Guy and Wiggler. For Waluigi, the original Mario Tennis was his first appearance, and for Daisy and Birdo, that game marked their re-introductions and (in Daisy's case) permanent establishment into the recurring cast roster of the Super Mario franchise.
The first two handheld Mario Tennis titles feature role-playing game elements, where the player controls a young boy or girl character who has enrolled at the Royal Tennis Academy and must set out to become the top-ranked player there, enter a tournament called "The Island Open" to challenge other tennis champions from elsewhere in the world, and afterward travel to the Mushroom Kingdom to challenge its stars, ending with a match against the game world's greatest tennis player of all, Mario. The first- and second-generation Mario Tennis games have connectivity functions where a player is able to import characters and data from the home console game to its handheld counterpart, and vice versa. The third generation of Mario Tennis removes the RPG elements and the ready-made human characters altogether, with Mario Tennis Open instead allowing players to use their own Mii characters as saved in the Nintendo 3DS Mii Maker, who have variable skills and can equip special gear to improve their skills, and costumes upon completing certain objectives. On a related note, data saved in Mario Tennis Open is not transferable to Ultra Smash, as these two games are not direct counterparts to each other.
Installments
Predecessors
| Title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cover, original release, and system | Synopsis | |
| Tennis | ||
  January 14, 1984[?]FC / NES, VS. System, PC, FDS, GB |
Tennis is Nintendo's first adaptation of the sport, originally released for the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System. It has been ported to many other systems, including the VS. System, various home computers, the Disk System and the Game Boy. As with the later Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64, Mario appears as the referee in all versions, though he is not playable. | |
| Mario's Tennis | ||
 July 21, 1995[?]Virtual Boy |
Mario's Tennis is the first tennis-related game under the Super Mario brand, released for the Virtual Boy. It features Mario and the other playable characters that appeared in Super Mario Kart (with the exception of Bowser) playing a classic game of tennis, with a unique behind-the-shoulder perspective in stereoscopic 3D. The game was one of the first Virtual Boy games to be released, being included with the system in North America, and is one out of the only three Super Mario franchise games to be released on the Virtual Boy.
The game was re-released on the Virtual Boy - Nintendo Classics application on March 10, 2026 for MAR10 Day. | |
Main series
| Title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cover, original release, and system | Synopsis | |
| Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64) | ||
 July 21, 2000[?]Nintendo 64 |
Mario Tennis is the first direct installment of the series, released for the Nintendo 64 . It features Mario and friends playing tennis, with some Super Mario elements added to gameplay. This game marked the debut of Waluigi, and also Daisy and Birdo's re-entries into the Super Mario franchise.
The game was re-released on the Virtual Console on Wii in 2010 and on Wii U in 2015, and released on the Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Classics application in 2021. | |
| Mario Tennis (Game Boy Color) | ||
 November 1, 2000[?]Game Boy Color |
Mario Tennis is the second direct installment and the first handheld game of the series, released for the Game Boy Color. It introduced a story mode with RPG elements, where the player controls Alex or Nina on a quest to be the top tennis player and challenge the best of all players, Mario.
The game was re-released on the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console, initially in 2013, and on the Game Boy - Nintendo Classics application in 2024. | |
| Mario Power Tennis | ||
 October 28, 2004[?]Nintendo GameCube |
Mario Power Tennis is the third direct installment, released for the Nintendo GameCube, and as the follow-up to Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64. This game introduce Power Shots, special moves that can be used offensively or defensively during matches by players and opponents, functioning as the core element of the gameplay. | |
| Mario Tennis: Power Tour | ||
 September 13, 2005[?]Game Boy Advance |
Mario Tennis: Power Tour is the fourth direct installment, released for the Game Boy Advance. It features the addition of Power Shots, with gameplay being similar to its handheld predecessor. Like its predecessor, it also features a story mode with RPG elements, where the player controls student Clay or Ace as they rise through the ranks of the Royal Tennis Academy.
The game was re-released on Wii U's Virtual Console in 2014. | |
| Mario Tennis Open | ||
  May 20, 2012[?]Nintendo 3DS |
Mario Tennis Open is the fifth direct installment, released for the Nintendo 3DS. This game includes some features new to the series, such as gyroscope support and online multiplayer (via Nintendo Network). | |
| Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash | ||
  November 20, 2015[?]Wii U |
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is the sixth direct installment, released for the Wii U. It introduces new mechanics to the gameplay including Jump Shots, an ability that players can leap into the air to perform faster and longer-ranged shots; and the titular "Ultra Smash", a special kind of shot when opposing players loses form while returning a shot, allowing players to perform an extremely fast and powerful shot. The game also includes new modes such as Mega Battles and Knockout Challenge, in addition to different courts with various unique gimmicks. | |
| Mario Tennis Aces | ||
 June 22, 2018 Nintendo Switch |
Mario Tennis Aces is seventh direct installment, released for the Nintendo Switch. One of the prime features in the game is an energy gauge that can be charged during the course of a match by rallying the ball as it grants the ability to slow down everything in order to reach a ball more easily. It can also be used to launch the ball to the other side of the court through Zone Shots and Special Shots, powerful types of shots that can damage or break the opponent's racket if not countered correctly. A story mode is also included in the game, in which Mario must advance through a number of missions and stop a powerful tennis racket, Lucien, from destroying the Kingdom of Bask. The game also offers expanded online features where players can participate to unlock exclusive content. Additionally, the game has featured updates with new playable characters, story mode levels, modes of play, tournament features, as well as a rank classification.
This would be the last game in the Mario Tennis series to feature Charles Martinet's voice work before it was announced that he had moved to the role of Mario Ambassador. | |
| Mario Tennis Fever | ||
 February 12, 2026 Nintendo Switch 2 |
Mario Tennis Fever is the eighth direct installment, released for Nintendo Switch 2. It introduces new features, mainly Fever Rackets, each one with its own special abilities that creates unique effects on the court and building up the Fever Gauge during rallies that can allow for use new tactics with Fever Shots. The game incorporates elements from Super Mario Bros. Wonder in modes, such as Tournament and Mix It Up. The game also features a story mode, in which Mario and others are transformed into babies by monsters encountered on a remote island, leading the babies to re-learn their tennis skills and defeat the monsters to return to their original forms.
This is the first game in the series to feature Kevin Afghani's voice work, as he voices Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, and their baby counterparts. It is also the first in the series to feature voice work of the other characters, including Courtney Lin as Peach and Baby Peach, Giselle Fernandez as Daisy, Laila Berzins as Toad, Laura Stahl as Toadette, Kōji Takeda as Donkey Kong, and Eri Inagawa as Wiggler. | |
Related
| Title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cover, original release, and system | Synopsis | |
| Mario Sports Superstars | ||
 March 10, 2017[?]Nintendo 3DS |
Mario Sports Superstars is a Nintendo 3DS game that was released in March 2017. Tennis, developed by Camelot like the main series, is included as one of the five sports available. Its gameplay is similar to Mario Tennis Open, though with the inclusion of Jump Shots and Ultra Smashes from Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash. | |
Port
| Title | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cover, original release, and system | Synopsis | |
| New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis | ||
 January 15, 2009[?]Wii |
A port of Mario Power Tennis released for Wii, as part of the New Play Control! lineup. The game makes use of the Wii's motion controls, and includes a tutorial movie to demonstrate how to use the Wii Remote in this game. Players can choose to play with the Wii Remote only, or with the Wii Remote/Nunchuk combination for advanced control of playable character participants. | |
Playable characters
In the eight installments of the Mario Tennis series, many Super Mario characters have been playable. Human characters unique to the Mario Tennis series, such as Clay, appear in dark cells. Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Waluigi are the only characters that are playable in every Mario Tennis game to date. If Mario's Tennis is treated as an entry in the series, then instead only Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach are. Characters who have multiple variants in a game will have a small number next to the checkmark signifying the number of variants.
Mario Tennis: Power Tour and Mario Tennis Fever are tied for the highest number of playable characters when excluding variants, at 38 each.
| Key | Available from the start | Unlocked by fulfilling in-game requirements |
Unlocked with a Transfer Pack (N64 and GBC) / scanning a specific QR Code (Open) |
Obtainable through online tournament |
|---|
Gallery
The current Japanese logo of the series
The previous Japanese logo of the series
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | マリオテニス Mario Tenisu |
Mario Tennis | [?] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 马力欧网球 Mǎlì'ōu Wǎngqiú |
Mario Tennis | [2] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 瑪利歐網球 Mǎlì'ōu Wǎngqiú |
Mario Tennis | [3] | |
| Korean | 마리오 테니스 Mario Teniseu |
Mario Tennis | [?] |
Notes
- In Nintendo Monopoly, there is a Brick Block/Coin Block card that rewards $100 for winning a tennis tournament.
References
- ^ a b History. Mario Portal (English). Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- ^ 免费游玩《Mario Tennis Ace》！ Nintendo Switch Online加入者限定活动”试玩同乐会”. Nintendo HK (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved May 17, 2024.
- ^ 免費遊玩《Mario Tennis Ace》！Nintendo Switch Online加入者限定活動「試玩同樂會」. Nintendo HK (Traditional Chinese). Retrieved May 17, 2024.
