While not hitting the highest notes in the story mode, thanks to its interesting new Fever Racket system and a sprinkling of extra bits and challenges, Fever is a choatically addictive arcade tennis game that is a lot of fun both on your own and with others. 

Recent Nintendo Sports games have not always been big hits especially for those looking for a Mario Kart-like experience. The original Switch’s Mario Tennis Aces definitely fell into that category for many. It was quite fun, but a limited story and the lack of many other modes or depth, meant that after a few hours you had pretty much experiences it all. I was generally more positive than most, however, I’m happy report that while Fever still won’t provide the narrative experience many (possibly unreasonably) hope for, the addition of more modes, lots of characters and racket combinations and a tough but engaging online experience means it probably the best arcade tennis game in a while!

Fault? First Serve

For some reason, many players buying a new arcade sports title are hoping that it includes a good single-player story mode. Personally, the only sports game with a story mode that I even remember was 1999’s Crash Team Racing, and even then – I’m not even sure it was that good (I was a lot younger then). So, perhaps my expectations are a little lower than others. So, is Fever’s any good? Well, it’s as good as I was expecting. This time around Wario and Waluigi’s greed, coupled with the search for a cure for a sick Daisy – means our Mushroom Kingdom cohort adventure off in search of a magical tree with golden fruit. Of course, things quickly go awry and Mario and the gang are turned into babies. And for some very loosely explained reason – ranking up in the Tennis Academy and then (once re-trained and powerup) returning to the scene of the baby-fication is the only way to return our heroes to their original moustachioed glory.

Thanks to some cute cutscenes and stunning visuals on the Switch 2, this is likely the best the Mario characters has every looked!

So, is it the Homer’s Iliad? Not quite, but thanks to some cute cutscenes and stunning visuals on the Switch 2 (this is likely the best the group has every looked (barring DK thanks to Bananza). So it’s good enough. Sure, the first half of the single-player Adventure spends a little too much time in the Academy with repetitive back-and-forth fetch quests and it definitely feels like a slow extended tutorial, however, once you get past this it opens up a little. And again, as long as you’re not expecting to be hooked by the story-telling, it provides a short and fun enough way to learn the basics of the game.

Fifteen: Love

Where Fever really shines is the variety it offers. In terms of modes, not only do you get the single-player experience mentioned above and the expected standard pick-up-and-go quick match options, but there is Trial Tower Mode (a series of short specific trials highlighting the different racket varieties, shots and surfaces which increase in difficulty as you ‘climb’ the tower – and even includes an unlockable 100 three-star challenges for the completionists like me out there), a ‘Mix-it-up’ mode which are mini-games with special and unique rules and a pretty hefty online mode (where you can select singles or doubles, with or without the special Racket Powerups).

The first half of the single-player Adventure spends a little too much time in the Academy with repetitive back-and-forth fetch quests and it defintely feels like a slow, extended tutorial.

As you can tell there’s a lot to get through here and for those really hoping for 100% the game (identified by obtaining all 5 badges) it’s going to take you a while! And sure, not all the mini-games and challenges (especially those in the Trial Tower mode) will be as exciting as others and there’s also quite a range of difficulty you’ll be facing. However, for the most part these are fun alternatives to the standard tennis play (that’s already pretty good thanks to a range of different shots which require you to use double-button and multiple different presses to activate and master. My wife and I loved these challenges, particulary playing cooperatively as doubles-partners and the game really is a lot of fun with this huge variety to choose from, for both gaming newbies and more experienced players. Additionally, having the ‘Swing’ Mode (being able to manually swing the Joy-Cons 2) makes it a more active and welcoming experience especially for those that may have played games like Wii Sports.

Match Point

However, what really ‘sets’ (see what we did there) Fever apart is its huge character roster and new Fever Racket system. Every character has strengths and weaknesses and fits into a few distinct groups (technical, power, speed, all-around and so on). This means playing as Bowser feels a lot different to playing as Toad. As with previous games – as a match proceeds, timing and longer rallies fills up your ‘super’ bar and soon you’ll be able to activate your Fever ability based on the Racket you are using. For example, may favourite racket lays down small round ‘amps’ as soon as the ball bounces – have a two or three of these spread around the court and soon it will be a electrical minefield, making it almost impossible for your opponent to return without getting a little fried in the process. Use the mud racket to make a huge section muddy and sticky. Use a the Fire Flower/Freezing racket and every shot your return will send not only the green furry tennis ball back but a bunch of frozen or fiery balls too. Other rackets make you invisible or give you super recovery speed. There’s just so much to mix and match!

When you combine a variety of character strengths, different surfaces, a plethora of Racket Fever abilities and then even throw in a extra few players (like a doubles match) and it all gets wonderfully chaotic.

When you combine a variety of character strengths, different surfaces, a plethora of super abilities and then even throw in a extra few players (like a doubles match) and it all gets wonderfully chaotic. However, it’s still reasonably well-balanced and at the higher ranked matches online even quiet a bit of strategy. As an example – at one point I was playing a doubles match, where each character was using a different fever racket – which we all activated and roughly the same time. If that was in crazy enough, if you manage to return a Fever Shot before it bounced – its effects can actually ricochet back at your opponent – so at one point, one side of the court had fire bars, sections of frozen ground and even a few spinies lurking around. It felt madcap and intense and just what you want from an arcade tennis game. Sure, not every Fever ability is as good and I won’t be playing this game forever, but I’ve had a blast so far and suspect that even if I leave for a while, it’ll still be fun to jump back into later – both on my own or with friends.

Game… Set?

So, what can be said? Well, while the Mario Kart series will likely always be Mario’s best venture into the sports arena, Fever is the best non-kart sports game we’ve had in years. Yes, the story mode is still not great (it’s a little too tutorial-like and fetch-questy for the first few hours). However, there arguably hasn’t been a mainline sports game with a truly great story mode in ages, and most people don’t play these games looking for a deep narrative adventure. Thankfully, what Fever does really well (thanks to its chaotic new racket system and a few extra modes) is provide and fun and addictive arcade Tennis game. It’s easy to pick up and yet quite tough to master and, at least early on, a blast both on couch with friends or online in the more competitive scene. And so, while Aces had a better name, Fever is a better game and welcome step in the right direction.

REVIEW CODE PROVIDED BY: NINTENDO

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