Back during March’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced that Switch players could hit the courts early in a Mario Tennis Aces Pre-Launch Tournament. Dates for the tournament have now been announced, and it seems you can swing into the action very soon!

Starting from 1st June 2018, players can volley to their heart’s content in the free pre-launch tournament. There will be four characters that you’ll be able to compete with, Mario, Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser, plus, the more points you earn in the tournament-styled gameplay will unlock up to five additional characters for this demo.

Players can also compete in offline solo matches against computer players to hone your ball court skills. Additionally, all those that compete in the tournament will unlock a special costume for Mario to don in the full game, which launches on the 22nd June 2018.

The tournament is open from 15:00 BST on Friday 1st June until 23:59 BST on Sunday 3rd June 2018. Check out the full press release after the break. Please note the trailer is not yet available, but will embed it as soon as it is.

15th May 2018 – Fans looking forward to hitting the court with Mario and friends in Mario Tennis Aces for Nintendo Switch when it’s released on 22ndJune can get an early taste of the tennis action with a free pre-launch online tournament, starting on 1st June, as detailed in a new Mario Tennis Aces – Pre-launch Online Tournament trailer on YouTube.

Tennis hopefuls will be able to pick from four playable characters – Mario, Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser – and take part in online multiplayer matches in a tournament format. As they advance through the tournament stages, they’ll earn points based on their performance, with five additional characters available to unlock in the demo by gaining enough points.

On top of the online tournaments, players can also get in some practice by playing one-off single-player tennis battles against a computer-controlled opponent*. Whether battling it out online against other players or polishing their skills against the CPU, all participants will be able to unlock a free additional costume of Mario in his traditional dungarees for use in the full game.

By downloading the free software from Nintendo eShop before the tournament starts, players can look forward to a weekend of fast and fun tennis action, as the tournament is open from 16.00 CEST on Friday 1st June until 00.59 CEST on Monday 4th June.

Get a taste of the tennis action that awaits in Mario Tennis Aces with the Mario Tennis Aces pre-launch online tournament, available to download in advance of the tournament running from 16.00 CEST on Friday 1st June until 00.59 CEST on Monday 4th June. Mario Tennis Aces launches for Nintendo Switch on 22nd June.

Leon Fletcher

I am a huge Nintendo fan, hence why NintyBuzz exists. I especially love all things Zelda and Metroid. NintyBuzz was started by me back in the Summer of 2014, it started out mainly as a hobby, though the site has gradually grown, and I hope it grows for many years to come!