Mario Tennis Aces release date announced

Nintendo has super-glued a release date to Mario Tennis Aces, confirming the plumber-fronted sports outing will launch exclusively for Switch on June 22.

Speaking in the latest Nintendo Direct broadcast last night, the Kyoto-based hardware giant confirmed that Mazza’s latest tennis outing will feature more than 15 playable characters, including Mario (duh), Donkey Kong, Waluigi, plus some new faces. 

Multiplayer’s on the cards too, and is available for up to four players in both online and local flavours. What’s more, the House of Mario is also planning events and tournaments for the game, which will reward new outfits and bonus characters.

Elsewhere, Mario Tennis Aces supports a range of control options, including motion controls for the all-new Zone Shot. This special ability allows you to dish out some damage to your opponent’s racket; land three successful hits and you’ll break it, resulting in them having to forfeit the match. 

However, you’re not completely helpless if you’re on the receiving end of a Zone Shot. You can block it entirely if you time your swing right, and can even do the same with powerful Special Shots. Meanwhile, the new Zone Speed allows you to reach far-off balls by slowing down the action Bullet Time-style.

Finally, Mario Tennis Aces will also support a full-blown campaign mode, which is the first entry in the franchise to do so since Gameboy Advance outing Mario Tennis: Power Tour. This will see players tackling missions and scrapping with various bosses, including a massive piranha plant. 

Watch the video below for plenty more info on the game’s various mechanics and features.