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New Mario sports games typically only come around once in a generation. So to get a fresh installment of tennis featuring a deep roster of characters this early in the Switch 2's lifecycle is rather exciting. And after getting a chance to play Mario Tennis Fever prior to its official release on February 12, the best entry to the franchise yet might only be a couple of weeks away. Once again, Mario Tennis Fever relies on the series' familiar mix of topspin, slice and flat (power) shots used in previous games. The big new mechanic for this title is that instead of Zone Shots from Mario Tennis Aces, you can equip each character with a different racket, similar to how you can choose between a range of vehicles in Mario Kart. Every racket features a different special ability that you can charge up by rallying back and forth. When the gauge is full, you can unleash a Fever Shot to potentially devastating results. The Fever Shot is just one of the special abilities from the 30 different rackets available in Mario Tennis Fever. Nintendo For example, the Fire Racket turns the ball into a fireball that leaves multiple embers on the court. If your opponent gets burned, they will slowly lose health, which will make them move slower or knock them out (but only temporarily) if you're playing doubles. Alternatively, the Pokey Racket can summon the giant cactus monster it's named after onto the court, which not only blocks your view but gets in the way as you chase down shots. And just like the game's large stable of characters (38 in total), there are almost just as many different Fever Rackets (30) to choose from. The thing I like most is that compared to special shots in previous titles, Fever Shots have built-in counterplay. Zone Shots from Mario Tennis Aces sometimes made it feel like you were playing a fighting game as people battled to conserve meter, while signature moves in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash often turned into automatic points. If someone sends a Fever Shot at you, you can send it back simply by returning the ball before it bounces. This naturally sets up some frenetic sequences as characters try to volley back and forth without letting the ball hit the ground in order to prevent the Fever Shot from taking effect on their side of the court. This is exactly the kind of chaos that makes Mario Tennis so fun it just feels a bit more balanced now. Pokey is here to be a thorn on your court. Nintendo That said, if you prefer a different kind of mayhem, there are also new Wonder Court Matches, which borrow the titular blue flower seeds from Mario's most recent 2D platformer. This game mode nixes Fever Rackets in favor of changing up the rules of the sport on the fly in weird and unexpected ways. Don't be surprised when you have a hard time hitting seeds with your shots to activate wondrous effects while spike balls get tossed at you or a parade of piranha decides to have a party on top of the net. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to play Mario Tennis Fever's Adventure mode, which is a bit of a shame as I've heard that it's deeper and more fleshed out. This is a welcome upgrade from the somewhat thin single-player campaign from Aces. Thankfully, the game still supports motion controls for younger players or anyone who'd rather swing a virtual racket instead of mashing buttons. I also appreciate that Nintendo is making it easy to get into multiplayer matches, as the game supports both online matches (ranked and unranked) and local wireless connectivity (LAN). For the latter, you can also use the Switch 2's Game Share feature to send the title to other nearby systems so people can try out Mario Tennis Fever for themselves, even if they don't own a copy. Wonder Court Matches are another new way to upend the rules of Mario Tennis. Nintendo So if you're like me and you've always preferred sports games that are more bombastic instead of realistic, Mario Tennis Fever ($70) is shaping up to be a real grand slam. Pre-orders are live now ahead of the title's official release on February 12. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/mario-tennis-fever-preview-a-racket-smashing-blast-140000408.html?src=rss
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If you've been inside all winter gaming then it might be time to upgrade your gear. Right now, the 8Bitdo Pro 3 Bluetooth Controller is available for just over $48, down from $70. The 31 percent discount is the lowest price we've seen yet for the controller. Notably, the sale is only available on the Gray model. The new 8Bitdo Pro 3 came out in August and offers TMR Joysticks with a 12-bit ADC sampling chip. It also has a Trigger Mode Switch, 2 Pro paddle buttons and swappable magnetic ABXY buttons for moving between the Switch and Xbox layouts. Plus, it has an integrated charging dock. This 8Bitdo controller is compatible with Apple, SteamOS, Android devices, PC, Switch, and Switch 2 devices. Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-8bitdo-pro-3-bluetooth-controller-is-down-to-a-new-all-time-low-143036684.html?src=rss
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Proton VPN is running a solid deal right now, dropping its two-year Proton VPN Plus plan to $2.99 per month. That works out to $72 billed upfront for the first 24 months, which represents a 70 percent discount compared to its regular pricing. Weve rated Proton VPN highly thanks to its strong privacy credentials, transparent nonprofit backing and consistently fast performance. Its one of the services we recommend in our guide to the best VPNs, and this deal also shows up alongside other standout offers in our ongoing roundup of the best VPN deals. Its a good option if youre looking to lock in long-term protection at a lower monthly cost.In our Proton VPN review, the service impressed us with consistently fast performance and strong privacy protections. We measured average download speeds at 88 percent of our unprotected connection and upload speeds at 98 percent, which is more than enough for 4K streaming, gaming and torrenting. It also unblocked Netflix in every region we tested, and while its Mac and iOS apps arent quite as polished as the Windows and Android versions, the service is still easy to install and largely set-it-and-forget-it across platforms. We gave Proton VPN a score of 90 out of 100.Proton VPN Plus is the companys premium tier and includes access to its full server network, which now spans more than 15,000 servers across 120-plus countries. A single subscription covers up to 10 devices at once and unlocks features like NetShield ad and malware blocking, Secure Core double hop connections, split tunneling, custom DNS controls and priority customer support. Proton VPN Plus also supports fast P2P traffic on nearly all paid servers and includes VPN Accelerator, which helps maintain high speeds over long-distance connections.Right now, Proton VPN Plus is discounted to $2.99 per month when you commit to two years, billed as $72 upfront for the first 24 months. After that, the plan renews annually at $83.88. Thats a 70 percent discount compared to the standard monthly rate. As with Protons other paid plans, the subscription comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free if youre not ready to lock in long term.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/proton-vpn-two-year-subscriptions-are-70-percent-off-right-now-123000972.html?src=rss
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