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Topic: Mario Tennis Aces

Posts 121 to 140 of 311

EvilLucario

Dude, this demo is so much fun. Nuking rackets into oblivion is so cathartic.

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hirokun

I think this demo does a disservice to what the game will be honestly thus far. The NPC is one difficulty:innebriated invalid, and let's be honest, the trick shot stuff is nice for the people who enjoy it, but racket breaking is extremely terrible. Just too many new wacky things.

Also I'd like to have been able to custom map some buttons. Yes I want to make it control the way it did on gameboy I won't lie. I can't intuitively lob or drop shot by using the same stick I use to move my character.

Let us be honest we are all mostly jazzed for the idea of the return of Camelot's excellent RPGesque campaign. Would have been nice to have a bit of that. I played half the demo before giving up as it just went on far too long for what should be a straightforward game of tennis.

I'll wait and see what the critics show about the story mode and if it isn't like how Camelot did it, I'll probably skip this game again and maybe pick up a GBA mario tennis from ebay instead.

Edited on by hirokun

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OorWullie

I've played a good few matches and so far have had no trouble with lag.I've connected to opponents quicky,every match smooth as can be against opponents who (mostly) were on my level. As for the trick shots ,I figured them after a few attempts.

Great game!

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SuperWeird

Is there really no motion controls in this game? That's what I was looking forward to most, being able to swing my joy con like a racket. I normally hate motion controls, and the one time I'm looking forward to them in a game where it actually makes sense to include it, it's not an option.

Also why can't I play with friends? 2 family members were willing to give this game a try with me online. But nope.

Was ready to pre-order this game but now I'll probably pass.

SuperWeird

hirokun

AlternateButtons wrote:

@hirokun The Raquet breaking is what kills it for me. The timing is WAY too strict and it's not clear at all when you should return the serve. There's no indication whatsoever. It feels like luck to me.

IMO its just terrible game design.

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JayJ

I don't like the special abilities in this game at all, it just seems to detract from the competitive aspects of tennis and turns it into something else. I could maybe get into it in single player, but it feels like a lame way to play a competitive game online. All you have to do is master the special abilities and then it's like you no longer even need to play real tennis. Being able to slow down time just feels cheap, as does the "trick shot" ability to just fly across the court. The special power shots are nothing new, and I wasn't a fan of them before, but now that they have this racket breaking gimmick they feel like they change the objective in tennis far too much.

Basically, take away all of the special ability nonsense and I feel like this could be a great tennis game. It doesn't need these gimmicks when you think about it, the standard abilities to power up shots and change your shot types feels like it offers enough depth as it is.

Edited on by JayJ

JayJ

veeflames

@SuperWeird Yes, there are motion controls in the game; it’s just not available in this demo. And in the full game you’ll be able to play with friends online.
This demo is just for online tournaments. Basically a way to get a feel of the game’s new mechanics.

@AlternateButtons To deal with Zone Shots (and Specials, too), you have to use Zone Speed. Slow down the ball, and hit the ball when it darn close to you. It’s tricky at first, but you should get a feel for it after some time. It’s like countering enemy attacks in Paper Mario TTYD (but a tad easier, IMO) - seems impossible at first because the required timing is ridiculously precise, but as you play you learn and adapt.
About the Trick Shots.. yeah, I’ll admit I don’t use them very much because 90% of the time I don’t judge the timing correctly. And I’m not sure about mapping trick shots to Up + X(2), because I accidentally activate it when I was just trying to perform a lob. Despite this, I’m still willing to give Trick Shots a chance, because other players using it to rekt me tells me that it can be quite a powerful tool in the hands of skilled players.

Oh, and by the way, it’s very important that you use the Energy Gauge wisely. Always make sure to build energy, and don’t hesitate to use Zone Shots when you can. And if you can fire them without using too much energy, then it’s pretty much a game of mental gymnastics between you and the opponent. And I’m loving that, even though it can be quite frustrating when I lose multiple times in a row.

Either way, I’m actually happy so far. The game is fun, as expected. If anything, I only have issues with keeping up with other players’ Flat Shots, but I think aim getting the hang of it.

I guess I’m keeping my pre-order, then.

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JayJ

@Tsurii I agree with you that the matchmaking feels awful. I was immediately matched up with some guy who had thousands of points right after I got done with the tutorial. I actually manged to keep a somewhat close game with him, but he wound up winning every game and the match. After that I was just like "screw this" and decided that the online matchmaking just isn't worth getting into right now. I don't like playing this game competitively with the special abilities for the reasons I mentioned earlier. I am sure once I can play it normally without all this BS I will enjoy it a lot more. Hopefully then it will just feel like a proper tennis match and not some "who can spam the specials the most" competition.

JayJ

GeeEmm

Im hoping to be able to map buttons as well. Id prefer A - Flat, B - Top Spin and Y - Slice.
All the different abilities/power shots just make it so overwhelming.

GeeEmm

veeflames

@AlternateButtons Except you can build up your energy gauge when you charge up your shots. Also, I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone - both during my playtime and the streams I’ve watched - spam Zone Shots. If an opponent can spam Zone Shots, then I’m pretty sure you could spam Zone Speed in return. After all, both players have the same options for filling their Energy Gauge.

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SuperWeird

@Vee_Flames
If that's the case, then that's good to hear, and I'll reconsider it.

SuperWeird

Maxz

AlternateButtons wrote:

I REALLY dont like these advanced shots. There is NO way to combat against a zone shot unless you use zone speed, trick shots are so difficult to use that they're not even worth it, and it the different ways to hit the ball overcomplicates things. Oh and NEVER do a lob. The computer will just shoot it right back at you.

This was gonna be a day one purchase. Not anymore.

The fact that Zone/Special Shots in most case need to be countered with Zone Speed doesn't seem that outrageous to me. It takes energy to initiate them, so it makes sense that some energy is required to counter them. If done well, you can end up using less energy countering them than in takes to initiate them, meaning you're one up on the resource management game that underlies the new mechanics.

Furthermore, if your opponent is in a position where they can constantly spam Zone Shots then you're already on the back foot, as they require a star symbol to initiate, and - just like normal shots - more charge time to hit faster. Special shots don't require much skill to initiate (definitely a 'get out of jail free' card), but are incredibly easy to block providing your energy gauge is at least yellow; just run up to the net with Zone Speed and then hit the ball when it's next to you. I've won quite a few rallies just countering the 'all powerful' special shots.

Trick shots are incredibly easy to pull off once you know the (fairly generous) parameters, and in my opinion they're a little overpowered. Basically, don't use them if you're anywhere near the ball (your standard reach will suffice). If you're not near it, just flick the R-stick in the direction of the ball and you should fly across the court to make the otherwise impossible return. It takes a bit of energy, but not much.

Having three standard hits (slice, flat, and topspin) is not excessive, and you'll rarely be punished heavily for using one over the other. They keep a nice level of variety in the game on a basic level. Lobs are fantastic - for lobbing your opponent. In order to successfully lob someone, they must be standing pretty close to the net. Their efficacy depends of your opponent's playstyle. Sometimes I don't use a single lob in a game (if the opponent generally occupies the back of the court). Sometimes I'll win half my points with them (if they're very net happy). Saying lobs are useless if like saying hitting to the right hand side of the court in useless. If there's someone standing there waiting for you, it's probably not going to win you the be all that effective. They're probably the most situational shot in the game, but can work wonders when the situation arises.

Still, the matchmaking is admittedly non-existent, other than the fact that you're more likely to get an easier player in the early stages of the tournament (but you could equally be paired with the tournaments' future champion). Maybe that'll change when the full game releases, and it's basically a free-for-all at the moment.

There are some definite things that need adjusting to - even for experienced Mario Tennis players - but my general impression is that it all works rather well in total. And it seems 'simple rules' are just as well supported, even if they're not available on the demo. The main disadvantage of a demo like this is that the 'cautiously interested' group who the demo is aiming to seduce will probably just get their rackets handed to them by the elite, and might pass up on the full game which is full of single player content designed to teach you how to actually play properly.

Edited on by Maxz

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JoyBoy

@Maxz Don’t forget about the lobs that counter people who keep distance at the back of the court. Just over the net. Quite effective.

Overall, I like the it. The gameplay feels good and there seem to be enough variables to keep things interesting. Still need to play more, though, but first impressions are good.

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Grumblevolcano

There's a counter to everything except the horrible lag. Blocks for zone shots and special shots, drop shots for those who stay at the back of the court, lobs for those who stay near the net, etc.

Grumblevolcano

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Maxz

@Grumblevolcano There's even a counter for the lag; before accepting a challenge you can actually see the signal strength of your opponent. If it's too low for your liking, you can choose not to accept the match, which is very useful.

Edited on by Maxz

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Grumblevolcano

@Maxz I've had many 3+ bars matches turn to 1 bar rather early on.

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Maxz

@Grumblevolcano Yeah, this is true actually. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this issue is somewhat resolvable. I think previous demo versions of online games have been a little iffy, so hopefully it can be smoothed out for the actual release.

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EvilLucario

Trick Shots are, well, tricky, but how you do them is that you should be a set distance away from a ball , then flick the R-stick and you'll get there. If you mess up the timing, either you just completely miss the ball (happened to me multiple times when practicing them), or you'll automatically use up some energy so you can hit the ball. Basically, you should be far away from the ball, then preemptively flick the stick. An example here: https://twitter.com/EvilLucario/status/1002904097119334400

Zone Shots and Speed seem pretty balanced to me. The only thing that doesn't seem balanced is Rosalina, who is just a monster in the court. She can charge up shots while moving at a very fast pace, she doesn't slow down to molasses. I can nuke the stuffings out of anyone if I pick Rosalina. Perhaps her stat distributions might be a bit off. I hear Waluigi is also OP, but I never picked him because I don't really care about him.

Special Shots are pretty bad if you don't know how to use them. Every time my opponent used one, I either countered with my own Special Shot or I just straight-up block it. I never lost a point or racket due to a Special Shot so far.

Racket breaking is really fun and I love it. Though I do raise an eyebrow at how if you get two of them destroyed, you completely lose the match regardless of points. On one hand, that's a pretty damn great way of a comeback if you're really losing. On the other hand, it can potentially be very punishing. However, I haven't lost due to losing all of my rackets much, and I haven't won much due to the same either. It's probably reasonably balanced as is. I'm a bit conflicted on how I feel, but ultimately I think it's a great addition.

And if you hate all that stuff, turn that off and go simple mode. But what I love about these mechanics is that it's still wacky and goofy like all the other well-designed Mario sports games, but it still feels like tennis and not just stupid totally-unrelated-to tennis, and they're all extremely well-balanced with each other on a level of Smash Bros or something. It's still gimmicky, but the gimmicks are a ton of fun and still make sense for tennis. That's just so deserving of praise, dude.

So yeah, I'm in love with this demo already. Only complaints/concerns are:

  • Character balance may need one final tweak. Rosalina seems too good compared to everyone else I feel?
  • Lag, but this isn't completely Mario Tennis specific so eh. It definitely is a big complaint though and can single-handedly ruin even the best-made games.

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Grumblevolcano

@Maxz If it does end up like that where the demo helps get the actual game up to good online standards, Nintendo should do something similar for Smash Switch. I'm sure plenty would be satisfied with online being paid if Smash actually works properly online this time.

@EvilLucario I'd add another point, get rid of the ability to have a serve count as a zone shot. Seriously try it, press ZR when you're serving and have yellow, green or blue energy.

Edited on by Grumblevolcano

Grumblevolcano

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I’m always wary of character balance early on now. Achieving a balanced game is difficult as there will almost certainly be a top tier choice.

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