Mario Tennis Aces Release Date Confirmed, First Gameplay Details Revealed

Earlier today, we reported on a potential leak for Mario Tennis Aces on Nintendo Switch, the company's latest Mario-themed sports game. We found out some first details about the game, including a potential release date, as well as the confirmation of several characters, including Peach, Rosalina (from Super Mario Galaxy) and Yoshi.

As expected, Nintendo has not only confirmed the title and its great new visuals for Nintendo Switch, but also its release date. The game will be swinging its rackets your way starting on June 22, giving the company yet another strong game for the summer season.

Mario Tennis Aces will once again feature a major focus on multiplayer, as you can challenge players both locally and online across a series of modes, showing your tennis superiority through both regular shots and energy-consuming Ultimate Shots that give your character a bit of an edge when it comes to scoring. Of course, you'll want to use these at the proper time, so you don't end up putting yourself in a last place position. There are also Zone Shots, but you'll need to hit them at the proper time. If you don't, you could damage your racket and KO the match automatically. So be careful!

You can also block Zone Shots with a block, which protects your racket and saves you from a humiliating defeat.

The game will also feature a variety of cool characters (15 in all at launch, possibly more to come) and modes to choose from, along with gameplay that will no doubt show some improvement from the Wii U version of Mario Tennis, Ultra Smash, which some fans were critical of due to the drastic changes it made to the formula. It appears that Aces will be a return to form – and it's just the right time for it. It's more about deep strategic play this time around.

Oh, and motion controls? Confirmed. Just don't go swinging like crazy, as there are different shots to master.

Based on what we've seen with the Nintendo Direct special, get an idea of just what kind of gameplay the title will have, and the entertaining multiplayer that we've been enjoying since the early days of Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64 -- oh, and the Story Mode looks great, too. Plus, more features are likely to be unveiled for the game as the months go on, including more characters and possible bonuses to be thrown in. We wouldn't be surprised if we saw more info emerge at E3, just before the game hits the market.

Finally, there will be a pre-launch online tournament before the game's release, so you can try before you buy. The details will come at a later time.

Mario Tennis Aces should bring some great service to the Nintendo Switch when it debuts this summer. We can't wait to start stirring a racket.

---
ComicBook.com & Warner Bros Home Entertainment are teaming up to bring one lucky Justice League fan the prize pack of a lifetime! Click here for the chance to win a big-screen TV, a copy of the movie and more!