Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Mario Tennis Aces' Bowser Jr. is being nerfed again

Waluigi is also in harm's wah.

It's been a rough couple of weeks for poor old Bowser Jr., as the notes for Mario Tennis Aces update 1.2.0 have revealed Bowser's naughty son is due for a second nerfing.

The update notes, which are so far available only in Japanese, reveal Bowser Jr.'s character will receive a number of changes designed to weaken his abilities within the game. A translated copy of the notes (thanks, ResetEra) explains the range of Bowser Jr.'s lateral technical shots will be reduced, and the height at which he can hit the ball will be limited.

For many in the Mario Tennis Aces community, this will come as a welcome relief. Players had complained Bowser Jr. was overpowered for some time, pointing out he had exceptional reach and the ability to "trickshot on reaction". This led to a quick nerfing two weeks ago in update 1.1.2, and a pledge from Nintendo he would be weakened again (a promise which now seems to have been realised).

Things aren't looking so rosy for Waluigi either.

Yet Bowser Jr. isn't the only character to feel the pinch. Waluigi, a character both feared and revered on the Mario Tennis Aces subreddit, is also due to have his abilities altered. Like Bowser Jr., Waluigi will have the range of his lateral technical shots reduced, but his movement speed is also due to be slowed, and the update will see a slight reduction in the speed of his volleys. Wah-t a shame.

Hopefully, these changes - along with a range of other alterations announced, like the ability to quickly restart story levels without returning to the world map - will help improve Mario Tennis Aces and end problems with certain characters being overpowered. Will it bring a whole new meta to the game? We'll find out when the update hits later today.