I generally don't put too much stock in critic averages when it comes to these Mario sports games (e.g. 69 for Mario Super Sluggers is criminal!), but I found this to be interesting: Mario Tennis Fever sits as most critically revered Mario sports game released on home console since 2007, back when Mario Strikers Charged released for the Wii.

Mario Tennis Fever also sits as the fourth highest rated Mario tennis game, the sixth highest rated Mario sports game on home console, and the ninth highest rated Mario sports game overall.

In short: Mario Tennis fans have won this Thursday. Nintendo's first Mario sports game of the Switch 2 is a massive turn around from the Switch 1. Finally!! :)

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Top ten highest rated Mario sports games by MetaCritic aggregate score:

1. Mario Golf [N64, June 1999] (91)
2. Mario Tennis [N64, August 2000] (91)
3. Mario Golf: Advance Tour [GBA, June 2004] (84)
4. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour [GCN, July 2003] (81)
5. Mario Tennis: Power Tour [GBA, December 2005] (81)
6. Mario Power Tennis [GCN, November 2004] (80)
7. Mario Strikers Charged [Wii, July 2007] (79)
8. Mario Golf: World Tour [3DS, May 2014] (78)
9. Mario Tennis Fever [NS2, February 2026] (77)
10. Super Mario Strikers [GCN, December 2005] (76)

That title made me think it'd got 85+ or something lol.

These games do not review well lol. Again, critics don't mix well with Mario sports— the highest rated game post-N64 (and excluding GBA) sits at an 81. For Fever to have hit 77 is very solid! Even better than Aces, which I absolutely adore. And even outperforming some of the GCN sports games (Strikers, Baseball, Sluggers (Wii)). That's pretty darn good if you ask me.

I feel like I have the unpopular opinion that most of the Switch mario sports games were a lot better than most of the older mario sports games. Aces was really solid and had plenty of content. Super rush was also really solid and had plenty to do. Mario strikers was the only one that was actually disappointing. I feel like people are way too nostalgic for some of those older games.

Mario Strikers Charged having a 79 is criminal. Game is an absolute blast, still play it today.

price tag of $70 is off putting. For $40 I would probably pony up. But it strikes me as a game I would play here and there.

Mario Strikers Charged was the most recent Mario Sports title I would recommend. It was pretty good at the very least.
I played a little of Battle League after getting it on clearance and I don't think I will play much more of it. The game seems too bland.
It's saying something that one of the best MC scores for a Mario Sports game in 20 years is 77.

To me, every time one of these gets announced or launched it's just a painful reminder that Camelot is wasting their time and talent on the umpteenth, clonic and mediocre Mario Sports game. Seriously, I'm all in for some senseless fun. I love Mario Kart, I love Mario Party (when they actually put some effort into it). But Mario Sports games have been nothing but shovelware titles created to grab some easy money since the 3DS and Wii U days. And worst of all: they contribute to deprive us from a new Golden Sun game or something actually good from Camelot.

Oh, wait. Nevermind: the worst part is Nintendo asking 70 dolars for this. The nerve xD

TBF I can’t think of a single tennis game over the past 20y to hit 80MC. Not a dig at the quality of tennis games, but more of a reflection of critics’ taste. I really enjoyed my time with Aces, legitimately a highlight for the Switch generation for me. Fever is looking to scratch a similar itch, but I understand not every game is for everyone. 

Oomphf this comment wreaks of the internet’s toxic negativity.