The first Mario Tennis Aces tournament has been announced, and it is due to take place even before the game’s release. The Pre-Launch Online Tournament demo event will be taking place from June 1 6pm PT (9pm ET) to June 3 11:59pm PT (2:59am ET), giving players the chance to show off their skills weeks in advance.
According to the official website, a limited number of playable characters will be available at first (Mario, Yoshi, Peach and Bowser), but by beating opponents and earning points, additional characters will be unlocked. So if Luigi is your main man, you’ll have to keep at it before you can unleash him on the unsuspecting tennis world.
All participants will be rewarded with Mario’s classic outfit in the full game, and it is unclear at this point whether there will be another opportunity to procure the familiar blue overalls, so if you’re a traditionalist, make sure to jump in!
The Pre-Launch Online Tournament demo will be downloadable in late May from the Nintendo eShop, and Mario Tennis Aces will be launching officially on June 22. It is the latest entry in the Mario Tennis series from Camelot, and will be the first console offering to have RPG elements similar to those found in the handheld versions.
