{"id":136174,"date":"2026-02-20T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-178155"},"modified":"2026-02-20T20:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T20:00:00","slug":"guide-best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2026\/02\/20\/guide-best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide: Best Mario Tennis Games Of All Time"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/68d5a78b88d17\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/68d5a78b88d17\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<figure class=\"picture\" data-uuid=\"68d5a78b88d17\"><a class=\"scanlines\" title=\"Best Mario Tennis Games\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/68d5a78b88d17\/best-mario-tennis-games.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/68d5a78b88d17\/best-mario-tennis-games.900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" alt=\"Best Mario Tennis Games\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\"><span class><\/span> Image: Nintendo Life<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>Updated with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mario-tennis-fever\">Mario Tennis Fever<\/a>. And if you&#8217;re wondering how Mario&#8217;s latest racket romp measures up to his <strong>other<\/strong> sporting achievements, do we have a ranked list for you!<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- cache: html:nintendolife.com\/ssl\/related-articles:178007 @ 1771663736 --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"block object-related\"> <\/aside>\n<hr>\n<p>Coming in second behind his mightily successful <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-kart-games-of-all-time\">karting<\/a> exploits, Tennis is Mario&#8217;s next most prolific pastime &#8211; that is if you don&#8217;t count <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-party-games-of-all-time\">partying<\/a> (which we don&#8217;t). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-golf-games-of-all-time\">He&#8217;s not bad with a golf club<\/a> in his hand, either, but it&#8217;s centre court where the plumber has the most sporting titles to his name.<\/p>\n<p>But what&#8217;s the best Mario tennis game? We&#8217;re serving this list of every Mario Tennis game, ranked for your pleasure, to peruse at your leisure and get the measure of every treasure. <em>Yessir.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Ahem. Spanning Game Boy Color to Switch 2, let&#8217;s begin at the bottom and work our way up to the top seed. Quiet, please.<\/p>\n<nav class=\"table-of-contents-quick\">\n<\/nav>\n<nav id=\"toc\" role=\"navigation\" class=\"table-of-contents collapsed \">\n<p>On this page: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time\">Best Mario Tennis Games Of All Time<\/a><\/p>\n<ol class=\"scrollbars\">\n<li class=\"open first\"><span class=\"toc-item\" data-id=\"top-10\"><span class=\"toc-pos\">1.<\/span><span class=\"toc-label\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time#top-10\">10 to 1<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\" last\"><span class=\"toc-item\" data-id=\"best-mario-tennis-games-faq\"><span class=\"toc-pos\">2.<\/span><span class=\"toc-label\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time#best-mario-tennis-games-faq\">Best Mario Tennis Games FAQ<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<ol>\n<li class=\" first\"><span class=\"toc-item\" data-id=\"what-was-the-first-mario-tennis-game\"><span class=\"toc-pos\">2.1.<\/span><span class=\"toc-label\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time#what-was-the-first-mario-tennis-game\">What was the first Mario Tennis game?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"toc-item\" data-id=\"hang-on-what-about-mario-sports-superstars-thats-got-tennis\"><span class=\"toc-pos\">2.2.<\/span><span class=\"toc-label\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time#hang-on-what-about-mario-sports-superstars-thats-got-tennis\">Hang on, what about Mario Sports Superstars? That&#8217;s got Tennis!<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"toc-item\" data-id=\"which-mario-tennis-games-are-on-nintendo-switch-online\"><span class=\"toc-pos\">2.3.<\/span><span class=\"toc-label\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time#which-mario-tennis-games-are-on-nintendo-switch-online\">Which Mario Tennis games are on Nintendo Switch Online?<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<ol>\n<li class=\" first\"><span class=\"toc-item\" data-id=\"game-boy-color\"><span class=\"toc-pos\">2.3.1.<\/span><span class=\"toc-label\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time#game-boy-color\">Game Boy (Color)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\" last\"><span class=\"toc-item\" data-id=\"n64\"><span class=\"toc-pos\">2.3.2.<\/span><span class=\"toc-label\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time#n64\">N64<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\" last\"><span class=\"toc-item\" data-id=\"how-can-i-change-the-ranking-in-this-article\"><span class=\"toc-pos\">2.4.<\/span><span class=\"toc-label\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-tennis-games-of-all-time#how-can-i-change-the-ranking-in-this-article\">How can I change the ranking in this article?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"list\">\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/wiiu\/mario_tennis_ultra_smash\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/6c0b99bec0764\/mario-tennis-ultra-smash-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Wii U)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wiiu\/mario_tennis_ultra_smash\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/0db878fc1847c\/mario-tennis-ultra-smash-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"213\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Wii U)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>20th Nov 2015 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>20th Nov 2015 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p>There are positives with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wiiu\/mario_tennis_ultra_smash\">Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash<\/a>, like the strong basic gameplay and neat visuals, but we cannot emphasise enough how phoned-in and thin the content offering was, nor how throwaway Mega Battle was as a tentpole feature.<\/p>\n<p>Given the severe lack of content at release, it&#8217;s a difficult game to recommend to even the most passionate Mario Tennis fans. Still, if you&#8217;re after local multiplayer fun in which you simply mess around with the various court types, you can&#8217;t really go wrong. It&#8217;s just a shame the rest of it felt like a rush job.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/virtualboy\/marios_tennis\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/23ea2d5362b3d\/marios-tennis-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario's Tennis (VB)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/virtualboy\/marios_tennis\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/c208ce0259660\/marios-tennis-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"152\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario's Tennis (VB)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Nintendo R&amp;D1<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>14th Aug 1995 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p>The small character roster makes the tournaments laughably short, and the lack of a link cable or any form of multiplayer feels wrong somehow, but this is a solid, if simple, tennis game.<\/p>\n<p>Good music and graphics combined with the excellent 3D effect of the court ensure that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/virtualboy\/marios_tennis\">Mario\u2019s Tennis<\/a> is an excellent introduction to the Virtual Boy that&#8217;s fairly cheap and easy to find secondhand these days. A shame that the system itself isn&#8217;t, but it&#8217;ll be available on Switch via Nintendo Classics sometime in 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/3ds\/mario_tennis_open\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/80be00ce92360\/mario-tennis-open-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis Open (3DS)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/3ds\/mario_tennis_open\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/63030a7297d6a\/mario-tennis-open-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"134\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis Open (3DS)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Camelot<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>20th May 2012 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>25th May 2012 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/3ds\/mario_tennis_open\">Mario Tennis Open<\/a> was a strong and accessible entry in the beloved series, and a group of friends gathered around could lose themselves in it for a long time. Solo players could still have a good time perfecting their skills, and playing online was a nice way to keep things interesting, but the missing RPG mode left a pretty big hole that this 3DS entry struggled to fill.<\/p>\n<p>Unless you&#8217;re part of a cabal of 3DS-owning pals, you&#8217;ll miss out on the real heart of the game: punching your wily opponent in the arm after a hard-fought match.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mario-tennis-fever\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/6a2bec3195655\/mario-tennis-fever-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis Fever (Switch 2)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mario-tennis-fever\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/cb661632d8e7e\/mario-tennis-fever-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"244\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis Fever (Switch 2)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Camelot<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>12th Feb 2026 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>12th Feb 2026 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch-2\/mario-tennis-fever\">Mario Tennis Fever<\/a> serves up one of our favourite games in the series thus far by finding an addictive balance between Mario&#8217;s madcap antics and real-world tennis fun. Streamlining superpowers into Fever rackets makes everything easier to parse, and keeping player movement <em>relatively<\/em> restrained makes for tennis matches that retain an exciting flow without constant slo-mo interruptions.<\/p>\n<p>The adventure mode is a letdown, and solo players don&#8217;t have a ton of options, but there&#8217;s depth and strategy at the core here that should see this one ace things online.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/nintendo-switch\/mario_tennis_aces\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/ce04c0125c612\/mario-tennis-aces-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis Aces (Switch)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/mario_tennis_aces\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/9232e5d309893\/mario-tennis-aces-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"246\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis Aces (Switch)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Camelot<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>22nd Jun 2018 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>22nd Jun 2018 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p>We\u2019re used to seeing Wii U games transfer to Switch, but for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wiiu\/mario_tennis_ultra_smash\">Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash<\/a> to have moved across without a substantial makeover would have been disastrous. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/mario_tennis_aces\">Mario Tennis Aces<\/a>, <em>wonderfully<\/em>, is anything but that \u2013 it\u2019s a superb arcade sports game that\u2019s generous with its suite of player options and only occasionally guilty of being a little cheap in its Adventure Mode.<\/p>\n<p>The presentation is spot on, and the core tennis action is absorbing whether you\u2019re trading simple strokes or firing off special shots. Some animations and voiceovers are identical to Ultra Smash\u2019s, but everything around them has been overhauled and rebuilt to reach quite splendid heights.<\/p>\n<p>This is something of a Switch Port Plus, then \u2013 not quite a whole new experience, but so improved as to be near unrecognisable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/wii\/new_play_control_mario_power_tennis\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/80e9f4eadc51a\/new-play-control-mario-power-tennis-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis (Wii)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wii\/new_play_control_mario_power_tennis\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/311020075799c\/new-play-control-mario-power-tennis-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"211\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis (Wii)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>9th Mar 2009 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>6th Mar 2009 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p>If you loved <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wii\/wii_sports\">Wii Sports<\/a> Tennis and couldn\u2019t get enough of it, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wii\/new_play_control_mario_power_tennis\">New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis<\/a> was a great investment. There are a lot of modes to get through, the controls work fairly well, and it\u2019s a bash with your mates around.<\/p>\n<p>The only trouble is that it doesn\u2019t feel like the mechanics have been properly refined; precision is somewhat lacking and we can&#8217;t help but wonder why Nintendo didn\u2019t wait until the Motion Plus attachment was out. (The answer is likely so that <em>anyone<\/em> with a Wiimote \u2014 not just the upgraded version \u2014 could buy the game and get out on the court.)<\/p>\n<p>Worthwhile for a fun whackaround, but not a top seed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/gba\/mario_tennis_power_tour\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/6929a9e59b0d6\/mario-tennis-power-tour-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis: Power Tour (GBA)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gba\/mario_tennis_power_tour\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/4e6a172ee2711\/mario-tennis-power-tour-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"151\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis: Power Tour (GBA)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Camelot<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>5th Dec 2005 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>18th Nov 2005 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p>Veteran developer Camelot proved it still belonged on Centre Court with this one.<\/p>\n<p>With a comprehensive story mode, tight and entertaining tennis gameplay mechanics and a surprising amount of depth, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gba\/mario_tennis_power_tour\">Mario Tennis: Power Tour<\/a> (or <strong>Mario Power Tennis<\/strong> as it&#8217;s known in Europe) is a winning return for the plumber and his pals.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s pretty dialogue-heavy, but there\u2019s a deep, rewarding experience to be found underneath all the waffle, with the story mode serving up a satisfying sense of progression from the very beginning to this <em>Game-Set-Match<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/gbc\/mario_tennis\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/4b3a15108020d\/mario-tennis-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis (GBC)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gbc\/mario_tennis\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/4db8973738a8a\/mario-tennis-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis (GBC)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Camelot<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>16th Jan 2001 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>2nd Feb 2001 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriptions\"><span>Available On: <\/span><strong><abbr title=\"Nintendo Switch Online\">Nintendo Switch Online<\/abbr><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p>What&#8217;s a Mario sports game without iconic characters such as <em>*checks notes*&#8230;<\/em> Alex, Kate, and Harry, eh?<\/p>\n<p>Camelot&#8217;s handheld Mario sports entries were bizarre; not only is Mario absent from this game until you unlock him in the story mode&#8230; <em>but there&#8217;s a story mode.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gbc\/mario_tennis\">Mario Tennis<\/a> may not have swords, magic, or random encounters, but each Tennis match is tied together in a charming overworld that feels like it&#8217;s ripped straight out of a traditional RPG. Just imagine rounds of Tennis replacing battles and it becomes much clearer why many consider these more than simple sports games &#8211; and some of the best games in Mario&#8217;s sporty lineup.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/gamecube\/mario_power_tennis\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/124953fa2ebe3\/mario-power-tennis-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Power Tennis (GCN)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gamecube\/mario_power_tennis\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/f400365f20134\/mario-power-tennis-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"210\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Power Tennis (GCN)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Camelot<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>8th Nov 2004 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>25th Feb 2005 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gamecube\/mario_power_tennis\">Mario Power Tennis<\/a> was packed with cool courts, items, and effects that had forms or simpler equivalents on N64 but this entry nevertheless stepped it up a notch. It really was the core experience from the 64-bit entry once again, but powered up.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Mario Kart-esque items and quirky court types there were also plenty of modes, with various tournaments that were straight-up tennis or &#8216;gimmick&#8217; focused. There were also eight minigames, some of which were fun diversions, but like with its home console predecessor, many fond memories revolve around local multiplayer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"list-item\">\n<aside class=\"list-hero\" data-subject=\"games\/n64\/mario_tennis\">\n<div class=\"scanlines-before\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/30a34e7dbc16b\/mario-tennis-artwork.900x250.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"250\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis (N64)\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"cover scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/n64\/mario_tennis\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/8b3e46ae775ad\/mario-tennis-cover.cover_small.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"105\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Mario Tennis (N64)\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"list-hero-info\">\n<p><span>Publisher: <\/span><strong>Nintendo<\/strong> \/ <span>Developer: <\/span><strong>Camelot<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"release\"><span>Release Date: <\/span><strong>28th Aug 2000 (<abbr title=\"United States \/ North America\">USA<\/abbr>)<\/strong> \/ <strong>3rd Nov 2000 (<abbr title=\"UK \/ European\">UK\/EU<\/abbr>)<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"subscriptions\"><span>Available On: <\/span><strong><abbr title=\"Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack\">NSO + Expansion Pack<\/abbr><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"picture embed pictures\" id=\"screenshots\"><\/aside>\n<p>The first in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/n64\/mario_tennis\">Mario Tennis<\/a> series (second, if you count <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/virtualboy\/marios_tennis\">Mario&#8217;s Tennis<\/a> for the Virtual Boy) was one half of a winning doubles team in the Mushroom Kingdom sports department from Camelot \u2014 the studio also released the brilliant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/n64\/mario_golf\">Mario Golf<\/a> for N64, as well as Game Boy Color versions of each game that linked up with their home console cousins via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2019\/07\/feature_the_legacy_of_nintendo_64s_transfer_pak\">the Transfer Pak<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Mario&#8217;s played a lot of tennis over the years, but this remains one of his finest on-court displays.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<p>Game, set, and match! Well done for making it through to the final.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"best-mario-tennis-games-faq\">Best Mario Tennis Games FAQ<\/h2>\n<p>Before we head into the dressing rooms, let&#8217;s grab a fresh shirt and have a quick post-match ceremony followed by an awkward chat with a royal and getting our pictures snapped with a big shiny plate.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, and let&#8217;s answer some common Mario Tennis questions during the press conference.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"what-was-the-first-mario-tennis-game\">What was the first Mario Tennis game?<\/h3>\n<p>Mario&#8217;s Tennis for Virtual Boy was the first game in the series. It launched in Japan on 21st July 1995, and in North America on 14th August. The Virtual Boy was never released in Europe.<\/p>\n<p>Camelot&#8217;s Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64 was the first game in the series to be released in all three major territories. It launched in Japan on 21st July 2000.<\/p>\n<p>Mario <em>did<\/em> appear in the excellent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/gameboy\/tennis\">Tennis<\/a> for Famicom \/ NES \/ Game Boy as a referee (as he did in several other early Nintendo sports games), but he wasn&#8217;t a playable character.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"hang-on-what-about-mario-sports-superstars-thats-got-tennis\">Hang on, what about Mario Sports Superstars? That&#8217;s got Tennis!<\/h3>\n<p>That&#8217;s true, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/3ds\/mario_sports_superstars\">Mario Sports Superstars<\/a> for 3DS does feature Tennis as one of the five sports, although it&#8217;s not exclusively a Tennis game, so we didn&#8217;t include it in this list.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re interested to see how it ranks with the games above, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/guides\/best-mario-sports-games-of-all-time\">our Mario sports games list<\/a> which ranks all the plumber&#8217;s sporty escapades.<\/p>\n<p><!-- cache: html:nintendolife.com\/ssl\/related-articles:178007 @ 1771663736 --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"block object-related\"> <\/aside>\n<h3 id=\"which-mario-tennis-games-are-on-nintendo-switch-online\">Which Mario Tennis games are on Nintendo Switch Online?<\/h3>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a list of all the Mario Tennis games currently playable on Switch with an NSO subscription (you&#8217;ll need to be on the Expansion Pack tier to access the N64 games).<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"game-boy-color\">Game Boy (Color)<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Mario Tennis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4 id=\"n64\">N64<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Mario Tennis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Note. Mario&#8217;s Tennis for Virtual Boy is coming to the Expansion Pack, too, sometime in 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- cache: html:nintendolife.com\/ssl\/related-articles:92427 @ 1771667061 --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"block object-related\"> <\/aside>\n<h3 id=\"how-can-i-change-the-ranking-in-this-article\">How can I change the ranking in this article?<\/h3>\n<p>Disagree with this ranking? Feel free to search for your favourite Mario Tennis game below, give them the score they deserve, and potentially influence the order above. Just for the game and the set and the match of it.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"widget-game-ratings\" data-search=\"series:&quot;mario-tennis&quot;\"> <\/aside>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image: Nintendo Life Updated with Mario Tennis Fever. And if you&#8217;re wondering how Mario&#8217;s latest racket romp measures up to his other sporting achievements, do we have a ranked list for you! Coming in second behind his mightily successful karting exploits, Tennis is Mario&#8217;s next most prolific pastime &#8211; that is if you don&#8217;t count [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-136174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136174\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}