When comparing Just Dance 2018 vs Mario Tennis Aces, the Slant community recommends Mario Tennis Aces for most people. In the question“What are the best couch/local co-op games for the Nintendo Switch?” Mario Tennis Aces is ranked 34th while Just Dance 2018 is ranked 54th. The most important reason people chose Mario Tennis Aces is:
Playing with a friend right beside you makes the game much more enjoyable. Reacting to each other in real-time is just better than playing against a computer opponent. There's no online co-op -- only multiplayer matches against random people -- meaning you'll have to be in the same room together to play.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Great selection of pop songs to dance to
Just Dance 2018 has a really good list of 40 songs you can pick. The music isn't only from the year 2018--the songs here actually span across decades, though most of them are quite recent. Some of the tracks include hits like "Naughty Girl" by Beyoncé, "24K Magic" by Bruno Mars, "Slumber Party" by Britney Spears ft. Tinashe, "John Wayne" by Lady Gaga, "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen, "Make it Jingle" by Big Freedia, and many more. If you're into pop music, then you'll more than likely find some of your favorites here.
Pro Local co-op and online competitions are available
You can play with a group of friends together in one room, or you can go online to have a dance-off against a single opponent.
For local co-op, all you need to do is register how many players you have--up to four total--and then the songs you pick show the choreography moves that each individual person has to pull off. Even though you're dancing at the same time, the moves you do are still tailor-made for a synchronized group working in harmony. Meanwhile, online play is as simple as connecting against a random player and dancing well enough to get a better score at the end.
Playing alone isn't your only option with this game, since you might have more fun dancing with your friends and family or against someone online.
Pro Optional streaming service gives you access to the full Just Dance library of music
There's a streaming service that opens up hundreds more songs for you to dance to. It includes every single song from the long-running Just Dance franchise, letting you play through them without owning the older games in the series. While it does require an internet connection and a paid subscription, Just Dance 2018 comes with a free trial that lets you try it out to see if it'd work for you. If you want more than the initial 40 songs that the game offers, this is the perfect way to expand your library.
Pro Accessible for people of all ages
Anyone can enjoy Just Dance 2018 as long as they want to try it out. All you have to do is follow the prompts on-screen that show a silhouette of a person moving their legs, arms, or hips in a certain way or direction in-time with the beat. Whether you're thinking of getting the game for your kids or your older family members, they'll be able to learn the rules and jump right into the game.
Pro Couch co-op with a friend is tons of fun
Playing with a friend right beside you makes the game much more enjoyable. Reacting to each other in real-time is just better than playing against a computer opponent. There's no online co-op -- only multiplayer matches against random people -- meaning you'll have to be in the same room together to play.
Pro Solid roster of Nintendo characters to play as
There's a good variety of characters you can play as. If you're familiar with first party Nintendo games, then you'll see a lot of familiar faces here, like Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Luigi, Peach, and of course Mario. Everyone has their own playing styles, with bigger characters like Bowser and Donkey Kong favoring hard-hitting power shots, and others like Yoshi and Mario that have a more balanced approach. You can go with whichever style or character you prefer, practicing with them until you master everything. Getting to see all of these characters together in one game is great for fanservice as well.
Pro You can compete against others online in multiplayer
When you run out of single-player content to enjoy, you can hop online to play against random opponents. The main game mode is the tournaments you can play, which rewards you with special characters if you score well. Online connectivity is good too, especially with the choice to drop out of matches beforehand against players who have bad connections. Playing online is a really great way to test your skills and improve your play, since anyone you get matched with is an actual player who has their own strengths and weaknesses.
Pro Intense and engaging tennis matches
Mario Tennis Aces is incredibly addicting to play. Matches are fast-paced and exciting, with one particular mechanic that keeps things unpredictable. Every time you successfully hit the tennis ball to your opponent's end of the court, you build up a power meter that you can use in a couple of different ways.
When you want to quickly finish off a match, you can slow down time and take aim at a vulnerable corner of your opponent's court for an instant win. Or, if they try to do that to you, you can instead expend some of your power meter to quickly reach the ball and hit it back. Things can get pretty tricky when you both use up your power meters at the same time, leading to some satisfying wins.
Cons
Con You can't use a traditional controller; you have to physically dance
It's not possible to use a controller for button inputs like in other games. You have to set up your system's peripheral camera so that it faces you while you stand in an open space, and then you have to physically act out the choreography of the dances on-screen. If you're not a skilled dancer, then you may worry that you end up looking ridiculous trying to follow along to the moves. It can be fun when you just want to goof off with your friends and family for a party, though.
Con Not really worth it if you already own previous Just Dance titles
If you already have Just Dance 2017 or any of the earlier games, then there isn't much of a reason for you to get this latest one. Sure, there are a few more songs and the option to stream the franchise library, but if you're more interested in new features instead, there isn't anything new here for you. This is sadly one of those yearly franchise games that doesn't offer many improvements from title to title aside from the standard fare.
Con Very wide skill gap between experienced and inexperienced players
Mario Tennis Aces can be unwelcoming to new players. While playing co-op or online, it's tough to catch up with everyone else who knows how to time their power shots with the meter. If you don't pick up on this mechanic fairly quickly, you may feel like you're getting left behind. You don't necessarily have to use the mechanic if you and a friend agree not to, but this sadly makes matches pretty dull. Running against computer opponents is a good way to get your feet wet before moving up to other levels of play.
Con Limited gameplay options for solo players
If you're the type who prefers to game alone, then Mario Tennis Aces might not be for you. There's only one single-player mode, while the rest of the game is mostly dedicated to co-op and online play. The solo mode is also extremely short, clocking in at around four hours. Aside from that, there really isn't much else for you to do.
Con Certain characters are locked behind online tournaments
The primary way to unlock new characters is to win tournaments, but this isn't entirely fair. They're only available for a limited amount of time, with the rewards changing from tournament to tournament. Even though some of these characters are in the actual game as opponents in the single-player adventure mode, you can't get access to them unless you unlock them through these tournaments. If you don't like playing online, or if you don't have the means to pay for Nintendo's online service once it's implemented later on in 2018, then you're basically out of luck.
Con Single-player adventure mode is pretty difficult
The game's adventure mode makes up for its short length with some real difficulty. It's a rough introduction to the gameplay, as some of the matches and bosses are really hard. There's plenty of variety to things, like courts that have certain hazards in your way and uneven terrain such as tall grass, as well as inventive boss designs like a giant squid that shoots out tennis ball-shaped blobs of ink. But all of these things can get quite overwhelming, especially if you're using the single-player mode to get better at the game.