Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash has online, amiibo support, and little else

I prefer it without the new mechanics

We’ve been wondering if Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash would be light on new content since E3. I played some more of it yesterday, and there are some things not previously talked about. There is online play, for one, including the ability to play online with two people on the same console (doubles). Always appreciated.

Ultra Smash also support amiibo. Like Smash, you can train a character by playing against them and save that data on one of your Nintendo toys. You can continue to play against this powered up character, or use them as your doubles partner if you’re lonely.

Boo, Daisy, and Waluigi were just confirmed a couple days ago, joining Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Wario, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong. Rosalina is playable, too; I wonder if Nintendo would ever consider bumping the stale Peach for this more modern princess. Probably not. Daisy’s still kicking around.

One other Wii U specific feature lets opponents play with one person watching the TV, the other watching the gamepad, so you don’t have to switch top and bottom orientation.

Otherwise, Ultra Smash is Mario Tennis. It keeps Mario Tennis Open‘s Chance Shots, directing you to a target where the ball will land and giving you a button prompt. The main addition is the Mega Mushroom the Toads will throw onto the court. I didn’t really like either, so I’m pretty thankful there’s a chance to turn both off completely for a classic Mario Tennis feel, even if that means Ultra Smash really isn’t offering anything new.