Nintendo really dropped the ball on the Wii U in 2015- coming into this year, on the back of an especially strong 2014, it looked like the Wii U’s 2015 lineup would be even more stacked. Instead, here we are on the cusp of the holiday season, all the big games delayed, and Nintendo’s tentpole release for the year a Mario Tennis game.

Seriously, that’s what we’ve come to- Mario Tennis Ultra Smash is the big Wii U holiday season game. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Mario Tennis is fun, but it’s more of a second tier game used to fill up the gaps in a lineup, not be the release to prop up an entire lineup on.

It is what it is, I suppose. Nintendo’s job now, in any case, is to promote the game, and so here we are with a brand new video for it. You can check it out for yourself below. Mario Tennis Ultra Smash launches exclusively for the Wii U later this month. Stay tuned for more coverage.

Nintendo has finally dated Mario Tennis Ultra Smash – it will be launching on November 20th for the Wii U according to the company’s Twitter.

Mario Tennis Ultra Smash adds quite a number of new features to the game including the Mega Mushroom power-up seen in recent Mario titles which increases player size exponentially. There’s also a new Jumpshot skill that lets you jump up high for slamming balls down. Along with matches against the AI, players can take part in 1 vs. 1 and 2 vs. 2 matches.

Ultra Smash will also apparently feature characters never before seen in a Mario Tennis game. Updates on this should be expected in the coming months along with more details on the power-ups we can expect in-game. Regardless, if past games are anything to go by, this should be a rollicking good time.

Are you looking forward to Mario Tennis Ultra Smash when it releases this November? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Nintendo has announced the release dates for three of its key titles – Star Fox Zero, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash and Xenoblade Chronicles X (for Western audiences).

Star Fox Zero and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash will be releasing on November 20th. Both were revealed at E3 2015 and despite Nintendo’s presentation itself coming under scrutiny, they both appear to be solid follow-ups to the franchise names. We’ll find out for ourselves how true that is when they actually release though.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is arguably one of the bigger Wii U titles to arrive in the West and will be out on December 4th. Having released first in Japan, Xenoblade Chronicles X garnered critical praise for its story, quests, combat mechanics and overall scale. It will be interesting to see how the sales shake out once it releases in North America and Europe.

Are you looking forward to any of the above titles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned for more information on the same.