Screenshots & trailers
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 75 | 20 |
| Creator reviews (3 tracked) | – | 78 | 3 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 72 | 361 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 59 | 750 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (86)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 40
“Showing little appreciation for what makes tennis a fascinating sport, Mario Tennis Aces is like a server who can't stop committing double faults.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“We’re used to seeing Wii U games transfer to Switch, but for Ultra Smash to have moved across without a substantial makeover would have been disastrous. Aces, wonderfully, is anything but that, it’s a superb arcade sports game that’s generous with its suite of player options and only occasionally guilty of being a little cheap in its Adventure Mode. The presentation is spot on, and the core tennis action is absorbing whether you’re trading simple strokes or firing off special shots. Some animations and voice overs are identical to Ultra Smash’s, but everything around them has been overhauled to quite splendid heights. This is something of a Switch Port Plus, then, not quite a whole new experience, but so improved as to be near unrecognisable next to its preceding title. ”
read full review ↗ - 60
“From the initial outset, Mario Tennis Aces looks and sounds like it should, with vibrant colours and familiar sounds. Camelot has gone far enough to refine the controls and gameplay to feel ostensibly different from other tennis games. However, the back to basics approach has left behind the legacy, rendering this as a title that has a severe lack of content when compared to the past greats.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“As long as the online keeps running well, Mario Tennis Aces will be worth revisiting. I still have my concerns of the new mechanics being a little too focused on the ability to block, but Mario’s grand sports return has more than enough good in it to make up for smaller miscues like that. This is an encouraging return to form for Camelot.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Mario Tennis Aces is a fine addition to the series and a far cry from the bare-bones offering from the Wii U. The single player mode offers up plenty for solo players while the online and local play will keep me coming back.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“A highly entertaining and surprisingly nuanced multiplayer game that comes up short with its single-player offering.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Mario Tennis Aces is a solid but incomplete title, which also lacks that note of color and imagination that we loved in Mario Power Tennis for GameCube. The technical and rewarding control system promotes competitive confrontation, and if Nintendo plans to frequently update the game with new contents and events, we will surely have a lot of fun for a long time.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It speaks volumes that even the multiplayer limitations don't entirely dampen my enthusiasm for Aces. The Tetris Effect is in full swing here; days after the credits rolled, I still crave the satisfying thwack from a Power Shot, mentally replay matches and imagine how I might do things differently given a bit more focus and know-how. Mario Tennis Aces does what this series has done best, and for the most part, improves what it's rarely gotten right prior.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Mario Tennis Aces is an improvement over its predecessor with the long-awaited return of the story mode and exciting new mechanics which make for much more intense and enjoyable matches. The limited scale of the story mode and lack of additional challenges, especially in regards to the mini-games, do hurt its appeal. The online mode is solid, if not a bit sparse, so your mileage may vary depending on your affinity for multiplayer. It’s not quite at the level of earlier installments, but Aces shows that the Mario Tennis series is back on the right track.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Mario Tennis Aces looks and performs as well as anything you'd expect from the House of 'Tache, but its family friendly appearance disguises a brutally difficult single player experience that will surely alienate younger players. With a high skill threshold, it also loses out on the simple delights of pick up and play local multiplayer, but for those willing to put in the time and effort there's still enjoyment to be found in its surprisingly challenging, albeit embellished, take on the sport.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Mario Tennis Aces brings an improved Mario Tennis formula to the Nintendo Switch, adding new elements of gameplay and good multiplayer options as well as some fun and interesting ideas for a game plot, even if they are not groundbreaking but they help adding fun to the single player campaign.”
read full review ↗ - 78
“The core of Mario Tennis was always good but by adding fighting game-like mechanics the game has turned out even better and more competitive. Even though Mario Tennis Aces lacks a few small details its core gameplay is strong enough to keep the franchise alive.”
read full review ↗
Slant Magazine
Nintendo Life
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Easy Allies
TheSixthAxis
FNintendo
Power Unlimited…and 74 more tracked reviews.