Mario Tennis Fever looks like a super weird, chaotic party game and I'm so here for it

During today’s Nintendo Direct, as part of Mario’s 40th Anniversary celebration, a new Mario sports game was announced for the Switch 2: Mario Tennis Fever. This new entry in the series introduces a new mechanic, Fever Rackets, which unleash powerful abilities and hazards onto the court. There were several dozen games featured in today’s Direct, including other announcements celebrating Mario’s anniversary. But out of everything, Mario Tennis Fever looks like it’s going to be a chaotic, over-the-top party game, and I’m here for it. Mario Tennis Fever is set to launch on the Switch 2 on February 12th, 2026.

Mario Tennis Fever leans into the chaotic party game weirdness, and I’m here for it

According to the announcement trailer, Mario Tennis Fever will have the largest playable roster of characters in any Mario Tennis game, with 38 playable characters this time around. All the classics are here, but there are also some unexpected appearances, not unlike the wildly large roster in Mario Kart World. Blooper and Spike appear in the trailer, and there may even be the first appearance of Baby Wario and Baby Waluigi.

Alongside all those characters are 30 fever rackets, each with its own unique ability. From the trailer, we saw rackets that freeze part of the court, set fire to certain areas, create mushrooms that shrink the opponent, and even one that creates a second player on your side. These rackets, along with the various playable modes, suggest that Mario Tennis Fever will lean more towards the chaotic party game style than an accurate tennis simulator. There’s even a mode that steals the Wonder Flower item from Super Mario Bros. Wonder, adding absolute mayhem to the court.

Even Baby Wario and Baby Waluigi are here!Source: Mario Tennis Fever, Developer: Nintendo

Mario Tennis Fever will also feature a story mode, where Baby Wario and Baby Waluigi appear to play a role. All of the main characters are suddenly turned into babies and must relearn how to play tennis. Additionally, they will need to utilize these skills to defeat monsters in a mode that resembles a top-down 3D platformer more than a tennis court.

Ultimately, Mario Tennis Fever looks like it will be a great addition to the Switch 2’s growing library of games. I imagine it being especially fun in a group setting, or at least with couch co-op, but it’s great that there appears to even be some kind of single-player mode too. The sheer level of chaos, modes, and combinations looks like this will be an incredibly fun addition to the Mario Tennis series.

Mario Tennis Fever

February 12, 2026

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• Overview

• Nintendo
• Nintendo Direct
• Mario (franchise)
• Nintendo Switch 2