When comparing Pokkén Tournament DX 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 Pokkén Tournament DX is ranked 50th. 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 Simple to pick up and play
It's really easy to learn how to play Pokkén Tournament DX. New players who aren't familiar with fighting games should be able to get the hang of the controls in no time. You don't have to memorize long strings of complex combos or anything like that; the basics are enough for you to get by without worrying. The tutorial is straight-forward as well, gradually teaching you the ropes without overwhelming you. This is a great game for anyone looking to get started with the fighting genre, or even for veterans who want to figure out the more high-level gameplay styles at their own pace.
Pro Great for Pokémon fans
Pokkén Tournament DX is a fine game to pick up if you're into the Pokémon anime and video games. The range of available fighters spans across the many generations of different Pokémon, going all the way back to the original GameBoy games with long-time favorites like Pikachu and Charizard. This is perfect for fans of the series who maybe don't normally play fighting games, since you get the chance to try something new.
Pro Local and online multiplayer makes the game more fun
All the excitement and dynamic gameplay from single-player gets amped up while playing against a friend through co-op or against another player online. This is a ton of fun to play with someone sitting right beside you via splitscreen co-op for some friendly competition. Connecting online to face off against random players is great for challenging yourself and reaching that next level of expert play. With the ability to play on the go with the handheld dock, this is a pretty good game for co-op when you're away from home.
Pro The gameplay changes itself up in cool ways
Playing matches feels dynamic thanks to the ways the game constantly changes things up. There are two different "modes" during every battle: field mode where you play in a 3D view with full directional control of your Pokémon, and duel mode where you play in a traditional 2D view. Starting off in field mode lets you gauge your opponent's style to make out any patterns, while duel mode opens up more skills and combos for you to punish your foe. This constant switching between field mode and duel mode is a great way to make sure gameplay doesn't get stale, as you have to adjust your playstyle on the fly with each change.
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 Not many incentives to pick this up if you have the original
If you already own the Wii U version of Pokkén Tournament, then this DX port might not be worth another purchase. Sure, there are a few more characters, ranked online matches, 3v3 team battles, and quality of life improvements to the controls for local co-op, but this may not be enough for some players. For anyone on the fence about picking this up at full price, you can get away with waiting for a price drop without missing out on much.
Con Bland voice acting
The voice acting in this game is pretty unremarkable. Everyone sounds so stilted and robotic, with no emotion whatsoever. If it grates on your nerves too much, there's an option to turn the voices off altogether.
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.