5 Characters We Want Added to Mario Tennis Aces

Ahh, Mario Tennis Aces. It brings that wonderful time of year when the Mushroom Kingdom’s finest take their rackets in hand, saunter to the courts, and settle all of their many differences through a distinguished game of tennis. Mario and Bowser may be mortal enemies, but they sure seem receptive to the idea that fights to the death can be settled through more innocuous means.

The usual suspects are always there: Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Peach… Even the legendary Waluigi first made his debut in this quirky tennis series. Alas, there are other aspiring athletes who seem to keep misplacing their invite for one reason or another, and it’s an absolute tragedy. Now is their chance to be heard once and for all: here’s our wishlist of who we hope to finally see hoisting that glorious golden trophy into the air in Mario Tennis Aces.

Goomba

Conventional wisdom would suggest that a Goomba would be a particularly poor tennis player, what with their short stature, subpar athleticism and – most damning of all – a distinct lack of arms. However, the Mushroom Kingdom is a whimsical place where dreams are made, and in the latest Mario Tennis entry, we have seen far less likely culprits manage to make the cut.

One need look no further than Chain Chomp to understand that the bar has been lowered significantly en route to qualification (perhaps in the interest of more entry fees, because Mario loves himself those sweet sweet gold coins), and though the squat mushroom thug is a few rungs down on the minion pecking order, there have been examples of Goombas that have achieved great things.

Both Goombario and Goombella traveled the lands of Paper Mario in search of adventure, while one Goomba is set to finally crack the playable roster in Super Mario Party. We’ll call him Tim. Tim the Party Goomba.

And last, but most certainly not least – is the fact that we have seen Goombas play baseball prior to this. Not with the bat clutched haphazardly between its teeth, mind you, but by floating it in mid-air. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Donkey Kong Jr.

Once upon a time, Donkey Kong, Jr. had surpassed his more famous father to become the resident Kong representative in the spin-off titles. It’s unclear why, exactly, but in Super Mario Kart and Mario’s Tennis on the Virtual Boy, this leotard-wearing ape got to play with the big boys. Once Rare had redesigned his pop, however, to the modern look that we all know and love today, DK Jr. went back into the doldrums. His final hurrah, fittingly, was in Mario Tennis on the N64, before being retconned out of Nintendo continuity.

Once proclaimed to be the younger version of the current Donkey Kong, DK Jr.’s true identity is now something of a mystery. Is he his father? Is he Diddy Kong from an alternate universe? Is he a conspiracy planted by the government? Nobody knows for sure, but the one thing that’s certain is that once they introduced Baby Donkey Kong into the lore, everything we had known to be was thrown into chaos. Donkey Kong Jr. is nothing more than a paradox now.

But that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get another chance at redemption, however. He loves bananas and mathematics, and is therefore an excellent role model for the children. Besides, if they can find a way to make the Koopalings coexist alongside Bowser Jr., then anything is possible. It’s not like this is prose worthy of a Pulitzer Prize – it’s fictional monkeys playing imaginary tennis. Dammit Nintendo, just make it happen. Release Donkey Kong Jr. from the void.

Dixie Kong

A much more likely Kong cohort to make the modern sporting roster, Dixie Kong was thankfully reintroduced from her post-Rare recess in the Donkey Konga series, before at last cracking the Mario roster in Mario Superstar Baseball. Her appearances have been sporadic since then, but her chances for success have perhaps never been greater than they are now.

It’s apparent that Nintendo is  feeling something of a Kong Fever at present (don’t worry, it’s not fatal as long as you don’t try to climb unfamiliar vines), with the big ape gifted his own DLC chapter in Mario + Rabbids, as well as a well-received port of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Moreover, Diddy Kong has been confirmed as a later call-up to the Mario Tennis Aces lineup, and – fingers crossed – our girl Dixie could see the light of day, too.

She is a natural choice for the ‘defense’ style of play first seen in Mario Power Tennis, found in characters with long reach that allows them to keep the ball in play. In Dixie’s case, her ponytail has proven to give her the power of flight, so it’s more than capable of brandishing a tennis racket, should the situation call for it. The addition of Funky Kong in Tropical Freeze might make him the more lucrative gorilla at the moment, but let’s be honest, guys: he’s just DK with sunglasses and a ‘tude. You don’t see Swanky Kong rearing his head lately, now do you?

Alex/ Nina

It would be the ultimate nod to the series’ past – resurrecting the protagonists from the spectacular GameBoy Color version, a duo who haven’t been seen since their supporting roles in Mario Tennis: Power Tour on the Game Boy Advance. It’s not completely without merit, considering that Mario Tennis Aces features a story mode, something that had previously only been found in the handheld titles. Admittedly however, Alex and Nina are a little generic, a consistent issue that has plagued all of the Camelot-exclusive cast. Do you remember Plum? You shouldn’t, she was straight up trash.

Despite this, Alex and Nina are representatives of the series, and particularly of the role-playing aspect. If they returned, it would be a wonderful mix of reactions; long-time fans delighted by the wave of nostalgia, while the greater majority of the world respond with complete bemusement.

They probably wouldn’t ever pull the trigger on this reunion, more likely to opt for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe route by introducing guest characters from other Nintendo franchises. Surely Link should be befuddled by the completely foreign sport of tennis, but he seemed to pick up driving pretty quickly. Our vote, however, would be for the surprise selection of the avatar from Styling Savvy. She may not have an official name, but she definitely has official style.

Link

But now that we think about the idea of Link running around in those little shorts, beads of sweat cascading down his forehead and a racket clutched tightly in his palm, we retract our previous statement, and anoint Link as the heir apparent for Mario Tennis Aces. I say we, but to be perfectly honest, this is my damned fantasy, and I have the perverse fanfiction to prove it.

Once Nintendo tainted the purity of the Mario series by allowing a non-canon character into the hallowed halls of Mario Kart DS – R.O.B., of all the people children’s toys in the world! – all bets were off. It had become a crossover melting pot for anyone with a driver’s license and a disregard for proper road safety.

As the Mario Tennis series is much younger and less prestigious than its kart-racing cousin, people are less likely to turn their nose up at a guest character like Link. He’d be an all-rounder with some sort of Triforce-related special techniques. And possibly a tennis racket that looks like Epona, because that would be totes adorbs. Would a Master Sword-esque tennis racket be a more sensible idea? Perhaps.

Who would you like to see make their mark in Mario Tennis Aces? Are you Team Link all the way? Or are you one of the five people who desperately long for Alex and Nina to return? Let us know in the comments below!