Last night, Nintendo dropped a new update for Mario Tennis Fever that is surprisingly more robust than one would expect for a free add-on. Included in version 1.1.0 is a new Super Mario Galaxy themed court, which includes gimmicks taken straight from the game and a decreased ball speed to represent space. Alongside that, though, is a major update for GameShare which allows for online support in exhibition matches. Finally, you can play with friends who don’t own the game as long as they have a Nintendo Switch 2.
Let’s break everything down.
The Super Galaxy Court
The Super Mario Galaxy court is set on a small planetoid that changes its shape based on which mode you’re in, i.e. Free Play, Ranked, or Special Match. The ball speed is slower because of the lessened gravity, but it bounces much higher than normal. As Nintendo says, this will make rallies last longer, requiring more strategy as it gets drawn out.
Black Hole Racket
The Galaxy court also introduces a new Fever Racket called the “Black Hole Racket.” When performing a fever shot with this, a black hole will appear on the ground wherever the ball bounces. Black holes will grow in size over a short period and if players gets close to them, their HP will deplete. Upon hitting zero, players get sucked into the black hole and are temporarily disabled.
Prankster Comets
To stay with the theming, the Galaxy court also introduces a new Special Match type that throws Prankster Comets into the mix. Based on a similar idea to Super Mario Galaxy, Prankster Comets introduce match modifiers that can tip the odds either for or against you. Rounding out the additions are five new colors for Luma, and a classic Mario costume for the eponymous plumber.
GameShare via GameChat
The last major addition in this update is “GameShare via GameChat” support. Somehow absent from the original release, you can now finally play online matches with your friends who do not own Mario Tennis Fever. It’s not entirely clear if the feature is limited to specific modes, but at least you don’t need to convince everyone to spend $70 just to experience Mario Tennis.
Check out more Mario content
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
