When comparing Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy vs Mario Tennis Aces, the Slant community recommends Mario Tennis Aces for most people. In the question“What are the best single-player games for the Nintendo Switch?” Mario Tennis Aces is ranked 17th while Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is ranked 31st. 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 Fun 3D platforming gameplay
The platforming in these Crash Bandicoot games is pretty great. It's simple to grasp, with you controlling the main character, Crash, through mostly linear environments with boxes to break open for bonuses and checkpoints. Jumping over gaps and obstacles with precise jumps while breaking open those boxes feels quite satisfying to pull off, especially in the second and third Crash games that have better level designs with craftier hoops to jump through. And you get to see how the games improve with each iteration, with more exiting jumps to pull off and cool loot to collect as you go along.
Pro Faithful update of three classic games
Everything is lovingly recreated as a faithful update of the first three Crash Bandicoot games. Crash himself looks just like he did back during the PlayStation 1 era, with his charming design and expressive movesets. Longtime fans will likely find the levels to be just as they remember them, with updated textures and fuller colors. The music sounds mostly as it was in the original games, though with a few tweaks here and there to keep things current and up-to-date. There's tons of nostalgia here for anyone who grew up with the Crash Bandicoot games, though new players may find a lot to appreciate in how the games look and feel like modern classics.
Pro Three games in one is pretty good value for your money
The N. Sane Trilogy comes bundled with the first three Crash Bandicoot games: Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Whether you're a longtime fan of the series or a new player looking for a solid deal, this is a good collection to consider.
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 Difficult
These games are hard. Timing your jumps precisely is key, but this isn't always so easy. The mix of changing camera angles with traps and obstacles on the ground makes it highly important that you pay attention to how much space you have to navigate. It requires a lot of accuracy to pull things off at a consistent level without falling to your death or getting caught by a boss. Of course, practice makes perfect, though this is all just something to keep in mind if you decide to pick these games up.
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.