Mario Tennis Aces serves up a free pre-launch tournament on June 1st

Curious about Mario Tennis Aces for the Nintendo Switch, but not curious enough to pre-order or buy the game quite yet? Well you’re in luck, since Nintendo is planning on releasing a free “pre-launch” demo version of the game for players to grab from the eShop and check out in advance of the release.

What’s special about this pre-launch tournament is that players will get online and duke it out from June 1st through 3rd, via the Nintendo Switch Online service … prior to the June 22nd, 2018 launch.

See some of the details below and check out a fresh new trailer too.

Mario Tennis Aces – Adventure Mode Trailer – Nintendo Switch:

From June 1 to June 3, you will be able to hop online to participate in a free pre-launch tournament for Mario Tennis Aces. This will give you plenty of time to practice your Trick Shots before the game launches for Nintendo Switch on June 22.

To access the tournament, just download the free software from Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch between May 24 and the start of the tournament. Once you join the tournament between June 1 and June 3, you can select between four main playable characters (Mario, Peach, Yoshi or Bowser) and compete in a series of online multiplayer matches. The winners of each match will earn points based on their performance, with five additional characters to unlock by gaining enough points. (We?ll let you discover who these characters are for yourself as you advance through the demo.)

Even if you don?t want to participate in the tournament proper, you can still try out the game offline and get in some practice playing on-off single-player battles against a computer-controlled opponent.

Regardless of whether you play online or offline, by playing the demo you can unlock Mario?s classic outfit in the full game once it launches on June 22.

The free pre-launch tournament is open from 6 p.m. PT on June 1 to 11:59 p.m. PT on June 3.

To learn more about Mario Tennis Aces, you can watch a newly released trailer detailing the game?s engaging new Adventure mode.