Review by Gianluca “DottorKillex” Arena
Of the various sporting variations of Mario's brand, those concerning golf and tennis have proven, over the years, to be the most successful: either for the simplicity of the basic set of rules, or for the inspired direction of the Camelot boys, both on fixed console that on portable many of the titles that replicated these sports proved to be a guarantee, with the partial exception of the latest Mario Open Tennis, released three years ago on 3DS.
Starting from that base, enriched for the jump to high definition and with a new focus on multiplayer modes, Mario Tennis Ultra Smash, one of the most anticipated products of Nintendo's Christmas season, arrives on WiiU.
Better in company
The direction Nintendo has taken in recent years appears clear, especially on WiiU: after historical criticism of the lack of attention for online, the Kyoto house has produced a series of titles that are much more enjoyable in company than alone, of which Splatoon and Super Mario Maker are just two of the shining examples.
The change of direction is also evident from this new iteration of the Mario Tennis brand, fun but poor in content for the single player and definitely more crackling if in the company of friends, relatives or other online gamers.
But let's go in order, listing the methods available from the first access: the Scalata dei Campioni should represent the bulk of the "fat" for lone wolves, yet it is decidedly limited when compared to the usual campaign that characterizes Camelot productions, allowing only to face , one after the other, a series of tennis players from the kingdom of Mushrooms, in progressively more difficult matches.
Each game won yields an ever-increasing number of coins collected, as well as unlocking the next challenge, so as to replenish the player's wallet, which can then be emptied by purchasing additional fields, increasingly difficult opponents, alternative costumes and much more.
Classic Tennis tries to follow the traditional rules of the recreated sport, allowing you to choose between two sets of rules, of which the Simple one brings the game as close as possible to a simulation, even though it is such a transversal and colorful product.
The Mega Challenges replace the dry games seen in the past, throwing the player immediately into the arena, with the possibility to choose between the twelve tennis players initially unlocked, three types of different fields and various levels of difficulty: perfect for a quick game session, the Megasfide allow you to get satisfaction from the game even by dedicating just fifteen minutes to it, in spite of smartphone titles.
Megapalleggi, on the other hand, require more time, a mode played with a huge ball that must be kept in flight as long as possible, so as to collect the maximum amount of coins: almost a tennis version of volleyball, which soon gets bored by playing with the CPU and instead offers moments of pure hilarity in company.
The picture is closed by the online matches, sufficiently stable and fun during the hours of testing (carried out, we recall, with the title not yet on the shelves), but also poor in options for the player, unable to create personalized tournaments or give himself to online chat , in full Nintendo style, alas.
More mushrooms for everyone
Moving on to the actual gameplay, Ultra Smash does not deviate significantly from the dynamics that the series has ridden for years, opting for an arcade style of play but, at the same time, also for a series of small precautions that will divide, however, the rookie from the expert.
Loading the shots, anticipating the trajectory of the ball by a fraction of a second, is still the key to success, since, by doing so, it is possible to impart an otherwise impossible force to the shot, which, most of the time, will put in serious difficulty. the opponent.
The most characterizing feature of this last chapter is represented by the Megafungo, which peeps out from time to time on the playing field and allows the iconic transformation of our avatar into a giant with a racket, with the pros and cons of the case: if , on the one hand, the increased dimensions will make it possible to practically cover the entire field, on the other hand they will significantly obstruct the view, ending up with missing a few shots here and there because the ball was not seen starting in time.
It matters little, however, because, like the two aforementioned titles and many of those that have made the Nintendo brand great in the world, the focus on which the development team has concentrated is that of family fun, making this Mario Tennis release. almost more of a party game than a sports title.
This attention to multiplayer, both locally and online, does not prevent the production from having its say when the level of difficulty is raised and you opt, perhaps, for the hard court, which allows quick and much more technical exchanges than the grass and clay; even in these circumstances Ultra Smash becomes a pure simulation, it is better to clarify it immediately, but I believe that none of the potential buyers would buy it with such expectations.
The implementation of the Amiibo is very good, which can rise to the role of co-stars especially during the Climb of Champions, with the possibility of teaching them a style of play over time, so as to make them ideal double partners: the mode is that of writing. , for which the toys to life earn extra experience points and skills that are kept in memory.
The advice is to visit the official website of the big N to find out which figurines are supported: personally, I enjoyed making Luigi a sort of mustachioed Federer during the hours of testing.
60 fps
The technical side of the production inevitably reflects the choices made in game design, focusing on the astonishing amount of colors and fluidity on the screen rather than on a generous presentation in terms of polygons and finishes: Ultra Smash, for an unwary eye. to the details, it is spectacular, because the sixty frames per second and the attention in the creation of the character models guarantee games that are always flowing, fast and of great visual impact.
Wanting instead to fleas the latest Camelot effort, one cannot fail to notice how it is several spans under sacred monsters such as Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D World, which also moved a much greater amount of elements on the screen: the impression , despite discreet effects and the sympathy of the characters, is that Nintendo treated this episode of Mario Tennis as a secondary title, which did not deserve the usual attention to detail, contenting itself with a more than satisfactory glance.
The confirmation of this policy comes, as anticipated, also from the scarcity of content for single player, which places Ultra Smash in the last place (at least by heart ...) among all the sports titles made by Camelot and published by the Kyoto house: if, in the company of friends, the title will offer several afternoons of noisy and carefree fun, alone you will reach the end of the Climbing of Champions mode after a few hours.
Final comment
The final grade awarded to Mario Tennis Ultra Smash is a sort of mathematical average between the full eight that the title deserves if enjoyed in the company of other players, especially on the same sofa, and the seven that instead deserves general longevity, given its playability. accessible and fast and a feeling substantially unchanged compared to the recent past of the series.
With more attention to the cosmetics of the title, a greater choice of online modes and, above all, content for the more solitary players, Camelot's latest effort could have been nominated to be one of the best sports titles on WiiU, instead of " just ”the fun party game in tennis sauce that it is at present.
