Nintendo just put out a demo for Mario Tennis Fever, which launches on Nintendo Switch 2 next week–but you can’t download it from the eShop. Instead, you’ll have to venture to a brick-and-mortar store, which might be a lot to ask for anyone in the United States still experiencing below-freezing temperatures. Be sure not to get an actual fever from running out to your local retailer.
According to Nintendo, the Mario Tennis Fever demo is playable on kiosks at select Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart locations. With no guarantee that your store might have the demo, it’s best to contact them directly to check beforehand.
Naturally, disappointed replies followed Nintendo’s announcement, pointing out that the previous Mario Tennis game, Mario Tennis Aces for Switch, got an online tournament demo before the game’s release in June 2018.
Ready for tennis practice? A free demo of #MarioTennisFever is now available to try at participating Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Walmart stores.
Learn more: https://t.co/87nSCcYaDc pic.twitter.com/3p9M4hdnNX— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 6, 2026
The practice of releasing demos exclusively to retailers is strange in 2026, but not unusual for Nintendo. Switch 2 kiosks at stores also have short gameplay trials for Mario Kart World and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, though neither title got an eShop demo. On the other hand, a Donkey Kong Bananza demo was available on the eShop, as was a limited-time online test session for Drag x Drive.
Mario Tennis Fever is a Switch 2-exclusive game launching on February 12. The game boasts a cast of 38 playable characters–a roster that, for better or worse, includes Baby Waluigi.
New features in this installment include Fever Rackets, which grant characters special abilities and effects on the court. GameSpot’s preview of Mario Tennis Fever said that these rackets “have such wild impacts on the court that at times Fever felt more like a party game than a sports title.”
