Mario Tennis Aces: New Playable Characters, and an RPG-esque Campaign Mode

Mario Tennis is a classic series that has found its way into the hearts of many Nintendo fans. It seems the cast will be returning to the courts in Mario Tennis Aces. Today, Nintendo released a new trailer, showing off some features players can expect in the upcoming game.

Here are some highlights:

The cast of Mario Tennis Aces will include Bowser Jr., a Boo, and a Chain Chomp, who, having no hands, holds its tennis racket in its mouth. If that isn’t commitment to the sport, I don’t know what is.

Players with multiple Switch consoles will be able to play the same game on all of their screens. This feature highlights the Switch’s merit as a handheld controller, facilitating these multiplayer games practically anywhere.

There are multiple special maneuvers to pull on your opponents, including a chargeable “power shot.” When triggered, this move forces the attacking player’s perspective into a view reminiscent of a first-person shooter, aiming the tennis ball at one location before the wheel in the middle runs out.

And last, but certainly not least, Mario Tennis Aces will feature a “campaign mode.”

In past Mario Tennis games, we saw Wario and Waluigi take on the roles of antagonists, whether that role was for show or not. It appears they’ll be making a comeback there as well, or if they don’t, their visages will be used by some malicious being.

The “story mode” game features an interface that turns tennis into something of an RPG, allowing players to choose tennis rackets like weapons. Different rackets have different stat adjustments, allowing players to customize their approach to the game.

And as they travel through levels in story mode, they’ll encounter enemies of all kinds. Players will put Mario’s skills to the test by playing everywhere but a tennis court.

To see more from this game, check out the most recent trailer, available in Japanese. Mario Tennis Aces will be released June 22nd, 2018, available on the Nintendo Switch.