Mario Tennis Aces' big 3.0 update adds new Ring Shot mode, new Yoshi variants
And Kamek joins the playable roster.
We're a little over two months away from Mario Tennis Aces' first birthday, but the updates still aren't slowing - and Nintendo's latest offering, cannily titled version 3.0, is a little larger than normal, introducing new modes and more.
Mario Tennis Aces' 3.0 update brings a broad variety of adjustments and additions, with the first notable inclusion being the new Ring Shot mode - where players attempt to secure a high score by aiming their balls through the variously sized rings that appear on-court while maintaining their rally. This comes in three flavours, each playable either competitively or co-operatively: Ring Shot Singles, Ring Shot Doubles, and Yoshi's Ring Shot.
The first two variants can be played on every court with all hazards active, and Nintendo notes that further hazards have also been incorporated.
Yoshi's Ring Shot, meanwhile, is designed for up to four players, and adds an additional twist to the standard Ring Shot rules by awarding four times as many points to those players that manage to get their ball through a hoop that matches the colour of their Yoshi. A purple Yoshi skin can be earned if players are proficient enough to clear the Advanced VS Challenge.
There's also a special online Yoshi's Ring Shot Co-op Challenge which will run until June 1st, giving participants the chance to unlock pink, light blue, and orange Yoshi skin variants.
Additionally, there's a new opening cinematic movie for the single-player Adventure mode, offering a spot of narrative scene-setting in which Wario and Waluigi unearth forbidden treasures from within an ancient temple. Those already well into Adventure mode can watch the new movie from the Bonus menu, or just view it here.
For full information on Mario Tennis Aces' 3.0 update, including details on balance tweaks and other additions, you may scrutinise Nintendo's patch notes at your leisure.
As a reminder, players can currently gain early access to a new playable character in the form of the Tricky-class Kamek by participating in an Online Tournament throughout April. Kamek will be made available to everyone on May 1st. And based on previous suggestions from Nintendo, Dry Bones will likely be next month's new roster addition.