Mario Tennis Aces released last year to mostly solid reviews, though some felt it lacked in content a bit. Well, Nintendo has been working to correct that, as the game has received various updates with new characters and modes post-launch. Today we get a look at another addition to the growing roster with the Fire Piranha Plant.

You can see the character reveal trailer below. Piranha Plant has already shown up in Smash, so perhaps it’s only natural that he show up in this corner of the Nintendo universe to dominate another sport. He’s surprisingly agile for a giant plant in a little pot, as he can do very quick spin shots, and, like his name implies, he uses fire with his hits for that little extra burn.

Mario Tennis Aces is available now for Nintendo Switch. Fire Piranha Plant will be available to those who play in the newest online tournament June 1-30th. After that he will be available to all players starting July 1st.

KILLZONE

Billed as the Halo-killer prior to launch, Killzone 1 on the PS2 couldn’t even kill a fly. It was a beautiful looking game, but was dragged down by stupid AI, timid shooting, and a bland campaign. A whole lot of people gave in to the enormous hype surrounding it, and a whole lot of people were immensely disappointed with the investment they made in its purchase.

Mario Tennis Aces came out last year, but is still getting frequent updates, including one earlier this month when they added the new Ring Shot Mode. Now it seems like Nintendo intends to get more eyes on the game, as they have released a special demo for the title that will run for the weekend, or an entire week, depending on region.

You can download the demo now, and it will allow you to play various online modes, either solo or co-op. If you don’t have Nintendo Switch Online, the demo will cover you, as you’ll get an e-mail after downloading the demo for a free week long trial. You can check out the product page for all the details. Those in the US will see the demo event for April 26^th-28^th, while those in the UK region will get to play a full week up to May 3^rd. Players who participate can even unlock Mario’s classic overall look for use in the full game.

Mario Tennis Aces is available now exclusively for the Switch, and you can read our review to see our take on the game.

Today Nintendo released a new update, 3.0.0, for their latest entry in the Mario-inspired sports genre title, Mario Tennis Aces. The update will include a new opening film that sees Wario and Waluigi getting into hijinks that end badly for them (which you can see below). Along with the goofy new opening the game will see a new mode, the Ring Shot mode, and a limited time event centered on the new mode, Yoshi’s Ring Shot.

Ring Shot is a new mode where the goal is to pass the ball through different colored rings. The limited event will run through June 1^st. By passing the balls through rings, you can collect points which you can use to get Yoshis of different colors. These can then be used in Free Play or in tournaments.

Mario Tennis Aces is available now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, and you can check out our take on the game here.

While Mario Tennis Aces launched with a pretty poor spate of content, Nintendo and Camelot have since been fleshing it out with more characters added to the game on a frequent basis. The newest addition to the game’s roster is none other than Pauline. While Pauline is technically among the oldest Mario characters (she is older than the Super Mario series proper), she has mostly kept out of the limelight in the mainline Mario games, as well as the spin-offs.

It seems as though her turn in Super Mario Odyssey, as well as the great reception to it, has led to her inclusion in spin-offs too. In Mario Tennis Aces, she’s going to be a Speedy character, which means she can bound about the court, but her shots won’t have the kind of power more aggressive players might want. You can check out what she plays like for yourself in the trailer below.

Mario Tennis Aces is out now, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo continues to introduce characters in Mario Tennis Aces with Boom Boom, one of Bowser’s most notable minions. A new trailer has been released, showcasing the spiky boy’s skills and his defensive playstyle. Check it out below.

Boom Boom will be available to earn for those who participate in an online tournament for the game. You’ll have to do this from February 1st to 28th. For those who don’t want to participate, Boom Boom will be available for all on March 1st. The problem is having to wait till then.

Mario Tennis Aces has had a pretty solid line-up of post-launch characters thus far. It kicked off with Koopa Paratroopa, followed by Shy Guy and Petey Piranha joining the party. Nintendo confirmed last November that we’d see three new characters in Q1 2019 – Boom Boom, Pauline from Super Mario Odyssey, and Luma from Super Mario Galaxy. Stay tuned for more information on other characters in the coming months.

Owlboy

D-Pad Studio’s Owlboy first released in 2016 following years and years of development. Its charming art-style and believable characterization meshed well with the quasi-Metroidvania platforming it had to offer. Playing as Otis and flying through the skies to battle pirates and learn the truth about the world may not have been revolutionary but it’s utterly amazing adventure all the same.

UPDATE: The original source has removed the tweet in question, and has apologized in subsequent tweets for the previous report to “avoid miscommunication”.

ORIGINAL STORY:

While Nintendo’s Mario spin offs have traditionally been the domain of the Mushroom kingdom and all of its inhabitants, in recent times, we have started to see some more crossovers with other Nintendo franchises. The excellent Mario Kart 8 and its Deluxe incarnation, for example, include Link from The Legend of Zelda, Isabelle from Animal Crossing, and the Inklings from Splatoon as playable characters.

Now, Link might be getting ready to cross into another realm—the tennis realm, to be specific. Dataminers have unearthed evidence in Mario Tennis Aces’ code that Link is set to be added to the title, with his Champion’s Tunic, traditional green tunic, and Dark Link tunic available as the various costumes that will be available for him. If true, this marks not only the first non-Mario character in Mario Tennis Aces, it marks the first non-Mario character in any Mario Tennis game, period.

As of right now, this is not officially confirmed, though as mentioned, evidence does exist thanks to the Mario Tennis Aces Club having shared the data they have found on Twitter. Hopefully an official announcement is made soon.

Though Nintendo has confirmed three new post-launch characters for Mario Tennis Aces in Q1 2019, namely Luma, Daisy and Boom Boom, it still has two new characters coming up in December. These are Petey Piranha, introduced in Super Mario Sunshine, and series mainstay Shy Guy. Check out their newest gameplay trailers below.

While players can unlock them starting from December 1^st, there are a few conditions. For Petey Piranha, players must participate in an online singles tournament. Shy Guy can be earned by participating in an online doubles tournament. Both tournaments will be available from December 1^st 2018 to January 1^st 2019.

On January 1^st 2019, both characters can be earned normally and without online participation. This pretty much follows the pattern for previous DLC characters like Koopa Troopa and Blooper. Other characters that have joined the roster after launch include Birdo, Diddy Kong, and Koopa Paratroopa. To learn more about the base game, check out GamingBolt’s review here.

Three more characters are hitting the courts in Mario Tennis Aces, Nintendo’s Switch-exclusive tennis game. They include Luma from Super Mario Galaxy, Pauline in her Super Mario Odyssey attire, and Boom Boom, who’s been seen throughout the Mario franchise. Check them all out below.

These new characters are scheduled to release in Q1 2019. If the experience with previous characters like Koopa Troopa and Blooper is any indication, then we’ll likely see tournaments to unlock the newcomers early. Players who earned a set number of points in online tournaments will receive access before the new characters were released to all.

Of course, you should expect Luma, Pauline, and Boom Boom to release separately instead of all at once. In the meantime, players can unlock Koopa Paratroopa with a Nintendo Switch Online account, or play around with Birdo and Diddy Kong. Will there more post-launch characters in 2019? Time will tell, but Nintendo’s support is certainly appreciated.