Mario Tennis Fever is barely out. It launched exclusively on the Switch 2 on February 12 to fairly strong reviews, and players have already started locking in on a few key strategies that make winning matches easier.
That should not come as a surprise. Every Mario sports title has a competitive edge, and Mario Tennis Fever is no different. With solid online and offline modes, a deep roster of characters, and the usual stat differences between them, some picks are clearly rising above the rest.
If you are serious about climbing the ranked ladder, keeping up with these early trends is no longer optional. It is essential. Here is everything you need to know.
Full Mario Tennis Fever Character Roster
Since this is a Nintendo title, you can expect the usual suspects on the full character roster in Mario Tennis Fever, including Mario, Toad, Luigi, and Peach. There are also a few notable, and in some cases surprising, additions that longtime Nintendo fans may appreciate. Overall, there’s a total of 38 playable characters in the game, which are;
Power Characters
- Baby Luigi
- Baby Wario
- Boom Boom
- Bowser
- Chain Chomp
- Donkey Kong
- Dry Bowser
- Luigi
- Petey Piranha
- Spike
- Waluigi
- Wario
Speed Characters
- Baby Mario
- Birdo
- Diddy Kong
- Goomba
- Koopa Troopa
- Nabbit
- Pauline
- Toad
- Wiggler
- Yoshi
Control Characters
- Baby Peach
- Luma
- Paratroopa
- Peach
- Piranha Plant
- Shy Guy
- Toadette
Spin Characters
- Blooper
- Boo
- Bowser Jr.
- Dry Bones
- Kamek
Hybrid and All-Round Characters
- Baby Waluigi (Power/Spin)
- Daisy (Power/Control)
- Mario (Speed/Power/Control)
- Rosalina (All-round)
Mario Tennis Fever Character Tier List
You probably noticed how we divided the roster into categories, and that was intentional. Power characters focus on heavy shots that push opponents back and create openings for clean winners. Speed characters sacrifice raw strength but make up for it with faster court coverage and sharper reaction time.
Control and Spin characters take a different approach. Control types rely on precise ball placement to exploit gaps in positioning, while Spin specialists use unpredictable curves to force opponents into uncomfortable defensive spots. Hybrid characters sit in the middle. They can do a bit of everything listed above, but they do not truly dominate in any one area.
This early in the game’s life cycle, it is still difficult to point to one guaranteed pick that will carry you to easy wins. That said, early competitive trends suggest that Power-type characters are setting the pace in the S-Tier. Bowser and Chain Chomp, in particular, are standing out thanks to their ability to control rallies and dictate tempo.
Based on current observations, a preliminary tier list looks something like this:
S-Tier
- Bowser
- Waluigi
- Chain Chomp
A-Tier
- Toad
- Yoshi (Speed)
- Peach (Control)
- Boo (Spin)
The “All-Rounders”
- Mario
- Rosalina
Now, it should be noted that this tier list is based on overall trends the online community has been showing. It is not a definitive strategy, but this particular arrangement does seem to be working for a large portion of players right now.
That said, it is always better to find a character that actually fits your playstyle. Choosing an “all-rounder” and going up against an “S-tier” does not automatically put you at a disadvantage. In some cases, it is quite the opposite. Yoshi’s speed, for example, is often a strong counter to Bowser’s raw strength. Mario and Rosalina usually act as true jack-of-all-trades options against most opponents, requiring only minor adjustments here and there.
It also pays to pay attention to the occasional wild cards. Baby Waluigi brings solid Power and Spin stats, allowing for heavy hits with unpredictable curves. Piranha Plant’s fast pace can be a clear advantage when exploiting gaps against slower, Power-heavy characters.
Finally, since Mario Tennis Fever already has a sizable competitive online scene, it is a safe bet that Nintendo and Camelot Software will roll out regular updates to balance any major discrepancies. That means the list above is not set in stone. It can change, and it likely will.
Fever Rackets Win You Games
Mario Tennis Fever revolves around Fever Rackets, and they are special equipment items that characters can use to unlock unique abilities and boost certain stats. There are 30 Fever Rackets in total, many inspired by classic Super Mario lore, such as the Fire Flower and the Ice Flower. These rackets allow for environmental control by temporarily disabling specific areas of your opponent’s court and forcing them into more predictable movement patterns.
Another fan favorite is the Star Racket, which leans heavily into defense. It grants temporary invincibility along with a significant speed boost, letting you cover parts of the court that would normally be out of reach.
Of course, not every Fever Racket offers that level of dominance. Still, the most popular options so far tend to fall into three main categories:
- Environmental Control: The Fire Flower and Ice Flower rackets are currently dominating high-level play. By spawning fireballs or freezing hazards, players can effectively shrink the opponent’s side of the court, forcing them into predictable movement patterns.
- The Star Racket Bailout: For those playing a more defensive game, the Star Racket provides a crucial safety net, granting temporary invincibility and a speed boost to return otherwise impossible special shots.
- Psychological Warfare: The Mini Mushroom Racket has become a fan-favorite troll pick that is surprisingly effective, as shrinking an opponent drastically reduces their hitboxes and return power.
Additional Pro Tips
The current Mario Tennis Fever meta can be divided into two pillars. We’ll call them “Power Play” and “Attrition”:
- Power Play: Using heavy hitters and Tornado Rackets to overwhelm the opponent and end rallies in under five shots. Essentially, drowning the opposing player in powerful, tough-to-react-against moves.
- Attrition: UWhile not nearly as powerful as Bowser and other S-tier characters, high-speed characters like Toad or Yoshi are able to return every ball, dragging a match to an exhaustive, slow-progressing contest and possibly forcing the opponent to eventually mismanage their Fever gauge.
As for other tips on whatever works right now (that is, before Nintendo changes things with any forthcoming patch), here are some quick tips for you to try:
- Prioritize S-Tier Heavyweights like Bowser or Chain Chomp to dictate the match.
- Utilize Toad or Yoshi when facing Power-heavy opponents for a speed advantage.
- Treat the match as an RPG by using elemental attacks on the available space — Fire or Ice Flower Rackets — for active board control.
- Save the Star Racket defensive benefits for protection and buffing, never outright offensive plays.
- Hybrid characters are the best to catch opponents off-guard.
- The unspoken, 50-Match rule you see in games like Overwatch and Marvel Rivals — that is, sticking to a main character of your choice for at least 50 matches before switching and repeating the process — is also valid here, as it will help you to master every aspect for every single character on the roster.
Mario Tennis Fever is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2, and can be bought through Nintendo’s digital store or other marketplaces like Amazon.
