Mario Tennis Fever Review Roundup

Reviews are officially in for Mario Tennis Fever, the first major Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive of 2026, not counting the Switch 2 Edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Generally speaking, reviews for Mario Tennis Fever are a little mixed, with many praising the Switch 2-exclusive’s core gameplay mechanics and multiplayer component but criticizing its Adventure mode.

Announced during the September 2025 Nintendo Direct, Mario Tennis Fever is set to launch on the Switch 2 on February 12, 2026. Mario Tennis Fever will include a roster of almost 40 playable characters, and will feature 30 Fever Rackets, each one coming with a distinct ability that affects the moment-to-moment gameplay of a match. Along with an Adventure Mode that sees Mario and co. get turned into babies and having to re-learn how to play tennis, Mario Tennis Fever includes Tournament, Trial Towers, and Mix It Up modes.

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Mario Tennis Fever Review Roundup

Image via Nintendo

• Top Critic Average on OpenCritic: 75
• Critic Recommendation Score: 74%

As of February 10 at 1pm ET, Mario Tennis Fever holds a Top Critic Average of 75 on OpenCritic, with 74% of critics recommending the game. These figures are based on a total of 31 critic reviews. While it’s possible that more reviews could come in over the next few days, it’s unlikely to change Mario Tennis Fever‘s OpenCritic score too much.

The highest-rated review for Mario Tennis Fever on OpenCritic currently comes from CGMagazine‘s Jordan Biordi, who gave the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive a 9 out of 10. Biordi writes that Mario Tennis Fever “might be the best entry in the series to date”, with it feeling just as tight to play as Mario Tennis Aces, and that the new Fever mechanics add an exciting new layer to the series’ gameplay. Biordi also praised the game’s variety of modes, though did mention a lack of polish regarding Mario Tennis Fever‘s audio design.

On the other end of the spectrum, The Mirror‘s Aaron Potter gave Mario Tennis Fever a 6 out of 10. Potter writes that Mario Tennis Fever is a “fun but flawed” entry that “often prioritises quantity over quality.” Potter’s main critiques are levied at Mario Tennis Fever‘s Adventure Mode and its central Fever mechanic, with the former being criticized for feeling too short and the latter being deemed a chaotically fun component, but one that lacks depth and removes the technical element from past series entries. IGN‘s Logan Plant gave Mario Tennis Fever a slightly higher 7 out of 10 but echoed many of the same criticisms, writing that the game’s Adventure Mode feels more like “an extended tutorial than an actual adventure,” but stating that the game can be a lot of fun when playing with friends.

How Mario Tennis Fever Review Scores Compare to Past Entries

When compared to past Mario Tennis entries, Mario Tennis Fever fares quite well. On Metacritic, Mario Tennis Fever is currently the highest-rated entry in the series since 2005’s Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the Game Boy Advance. On OpenCritic, Mario Tennis Fever has debuted with the same Top Critic Average score as Mario Tennis Aces, which itself was viewed as a marked improvement over Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for the Wii U. That all said, Mario Tennis Fever‘s review scores still pale in comparison to those of 2000’s Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64, which received universal acclaim upon its launch.

Systems

Released

February 12, 2026

ESRB

Everyone / Mild Fantasy Violence

Publisher(s)

Nintendo EPD

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