If you’ve been enjoying Mario Tennis Aces for Nintendo Switch, you may eventually find yourself wondering how to defeat the game’s 6 different bosses. While most of the bosses are pretty predictable and easy to beat, some of the bosses found during the later stages of Adventure Mode can be particularly challenging.
Of course, defeating these 6 bosses is worthwhile in the end, as doing so will enable you to unlock new court stages in Mario Tennis Aces. To ensure you’re properly prepared to wipe the floor with your opponents, we put together a guide that’ll walk you through how to defeat all 6 bosses in Mario Tennis Aces!
How to Defeat all 6 Bosses in Mario Tennis Aces
In Mario Tennis Aces, you’re given a time limit of 300 seconds (5 minutes) to defeat each of the game’s 6 bosses. All of the bosses have similar setups such as three hearts and three phases where you’re able to gradually wear their purple meter down. This can be done by returning the ball to the boss, then dealing damage with a Zone Shot.
Between phases, you’ll also need to dodge their unique attacks using Trick Shot. In doing so, you’ll earn some of your meter back should your dodge prove successful. While this is all pretty straightforward, you can also be dealt time penalties that make defeating a boss a lot more difficult. Here are the following boss fight time penalties to keep an eye on in Mario Tennis Aces…
- Miss a ball (-5 seconds)
- Body shot (-5 seconds)
- Damaged by boss attacks (-10 seconds)
How to Defeat Boss #1: Petey Piranha
The first boss in Mario Tennis Aces is Petey Piranha who can be found in Piranha Plant Forest on the Ancient Altar. The setup for this boss is simple in that all you’re expect to do is hit the ball to the boss, have the boss return the ball, and then continue playing as you would a normal match. However, something you’ll need to pay close attention to is the meter of the boss and the amount of time remaining.
When a Zone Shot star appears, be sure to utilize it to knock the ball into Petey Piranha’s weak spot. In response, Petey will launch his tornado winds which you’ll need to use your Trick Shot to dodge. Petey launches five total waves of wind, giving you ample opportunity to charge your meter via successful dodges.
In the second phase, Petey will begin using his Star Shot which slows time before launching. To counter Petey’s Star Shot, you can also slow time using [R] before lining up your ball. In the final wave, you’ll encounter more tornadoes and Star Shots from Petey. Use your Zone Speed here to time your shots and if you have enough meter, use your Special Shot to finish whittling him down.
How to Defeat Boss #2: Mirror Queen
The second boss in Mario Tennis Aces is Mirror Queen who can be found in Mirage Mansion inside the Royal Chamber. Mirror Queen is a bit harder to defeat than Petey Piranha as she relies heavily on tricky Spin Shots and Lob Shots. These can be hard to counter. To best deal with Mirror Queen, be sure to stand in the center of the court whenever possible.
Note to return as many lobs as you can, and use your Zone Shot to avoid her turned mirrors. Between phases, Mirror Queen summons floating furniture. Again, stand in the center. During these phases, use your Trick Shot when the furniture comes at you to dodge it. At the beginning of the second phase, use your Zone Speed to deal additional damage whenever you return Star Shots to Mirror Queen.
Note you can knock the mirror out with your Zone Shot, then use another Zone Shot to hit the mirror again. The final phase is undoubtedly the hardest as Mirror Queen will be able to send furniture flying directly at you (making it harder to dodge). Don’t stay still during this time and don’t keep yourself to just the center. If you do, you’ll be hit. Instead, be sure to keep moving as the furniture flies toward you.
During this final phase, Mirror Queen will primarily rely on Star Shots so use Zone Speed and Zone Shot a handful of times and you should be able to defeat Mirror Queen with plenty of time remaining.
How to Defeat Boss #3: Snow Ogre
The third boss in Mario Tennis Aces is Snow Ogre who can be found in Snowfall Mountain on the Snowfall Mountain Summit. Snow Ogre is one of the most challenging bosses to defeat in Mario Tennis Aces. He has some pretty intimidating features such as two ice hands with eye in the center, and he has a tendency to attack you during the initial “Tennis Phase” of the match.
Snow Ogre tends to follow a pattern where he uses one hand to volley the ball, and the other to try and crush you. Both hands have the ability to use Star Shot from the get-go. This can be hard to counter, especially in the beginning your meter is low. To make things easier for yourself, it’s recommended that you unlock additional rackets (Ice Racket) before entering the fight against Snow Ogre.
The more rackets you have, the more wiggle room you have to swing and hit either too early or too late. This damages your racket, but saves you time. As you work the boss down, use Zone Shot to slam through Snow Ogre’s guarding hand. In doing so, you’ll be able to hit the exposed eye on the fallen hand. Snow Ogre will send ice cubes during the later phases which you can use Trick Shot to jump over and dodge.
To avoid running out of time, use your Special Shot whenever possible and aim them at Snow Ogre’s hands. During the last phase, Snow Ogre will use consistent Star Shots. Use Zone Speed to block these and keep an eye on Snow Ogre in order to damage him when he’s stunned. Snow Ogre is tough, but with enough patience and precision, you should be able to take him down before the clock runs out.
How to Defeat Boss #4: Gooper Blooper
The fourth boss in Mario Tennis Aces is Gooper Blooper who can be found in Savage Sea at the Savage Sea Bay. Gooper Blooper is quite different from other bosses in Mario Tennis Aces in that this squid boss plants a tentacle on the court. You absolutely should not touch this tentacle as touching it will cause you to lose time.
The tentacle will shoot balls of ink which covers your screen if you hit it. The more ink balls you hit, the more your screen will become blocked. In response, you’ll want to try and dodge the ink balls whenever possible. To deal with Gooper Blooper’s tentacle, you can use Trick Shot to get around it.
During later phases when Gooper Blooper uses Star Shot, you’ll need to try and use your Trick Shot and volley back as many ink balls as you can here. Additionally, you can use Zone Speed to send Gooper Blooper’s Star Shot ink back to him. When Gooper Blooper sends out bubbles, dodging is pretty simple. Avoid the bubbles, then head to the center and Trick Shot right or left to avoid his swinging tentacles.
How to Defeat Boss #5: Treasure Guardian
The fifth boss in Mario Tennis Aces is Treasure Guardian who can be found on Inferno Island inside Bowser’s Castle. Treasure Guardian is even more of a challenge than even Snow Ogre and can be a tough opponent to defeat. Especially if you don’t come prepared. Treasure Guardian is essentially a statue of Bowser who shoots fireballs at the court which you’ll need to dodge.
If you come in contact with the lava from these fireballs, though, you’ll get a -10 second penalty so be sure to keep on your toes. You can return these fireballs, though they tend to be a bit high so you’ll need to stand back on the court to meet them. The pattern is hit one, run to the second, and use your Trick Shot on the third.
Timing is important here, so be sure to have your Trick Shots ready. Aside from fireballs, Treasure Guardian also has a nasty laser beam that leaves a trail of fire when shot. Dodge this by sticking to the outskirts of the court before heading back into the center. When Treasure Guardian uses his Star Shot, it’s massive which makes it easy to counter.
Use your Zone Speed but avoid standing too close to the statue. During the match, build your meter and use your Special Shot whenever possible to whittle him down and defeat him. It’s a grueling match, especially when you take the time limit into account. Nevertheless, by avoiding Treasure Guardian’s fireballs and laser beams accordingly, you should be able to defeat this boss on the first try.
How to Defeat Boss #6: Bowcien
The sixth and final boss in Mario Tennis Aces is Bowcien (Bowser + Lucian) who’s located at the Temple of Bask’s Shrine. As with any final boss, Bowcien is the hardest to defeat. In order to defeat Bowcien, you’ll need to know how to block Star Shots without relying on Zone Speed, and you’ll also need to know how to aim shots with Topspin, Flat, and Lob Shots.
This can require a bit of practice, so be sure to practice your shot types before entering the battle against Bowcien. You can damage Bowcien’s meter by hitting the purple orbs which generate balls. These orbs appear in three tiers. If you miss and hit the shield, you won’t incur a penalty. However, after missing a number of times, the orbs will move away to new positions.
To hit these orbs, aim your shots accordingly. Flat Shots require you to hit the bottom row, Topspin Shots require you to hit the center row, and Lob Shots require you to hit the top row. A good pattern to follow is hitting the bottom row first with Flat Shots, then the top row with Lob Shots, and follow up with the center row last using Topspin Shots.
Don’t get frustrated if they miss, as this is common. Successfully block a Star Shot and you’ll be able to knock the orb out instantly. Using Block, do your best to counter Bowcien’s Star Shots and again, don’t rely on Zone Speed. This is because if you rely heavily on Zone Speed every time you Block, you won’t be able to win in time. When all the orbs are knocked out, volley a Star Shot to Bowcien.
Note you’ll have to Block his Star Shot four times in a row without missing. In doing so, you’ll be able to Zone Shot. During each phase, you’ll need to dodge Bowcien’s various wind attacks and blast waves. The last phase is the hardest. Block as many Star Shots as you can in order to build your Special Meter. Here, you’ll want to use your Special Shot as much as possible and aim for the largest cluster of orbs.
Hit them and you’ll be able to damage Bowcien’s meter. Note that Bowcien’s Star Shots are impossibly fast so you’ll need to try and hit your shot button right before Bowcien’s Star Shot reaches you. Defeating Bowcien may take you a few tries depending how good you are with the controls and timing in Mario Tennis Aces. However, by focusing on proper Blocks and rhythm, you should eventually be able to bring this baddie down!
Again, most bosses are easy to defeat in Mario Tennis Aces. The key is knowing your way around the various shot types, and learning the unique moves and timing of each boss. With a little persistence, you should be able to power through and successfully defeat all 6 bosses in Mario Tennis Aces!
For more on Mario Tennis Aces, be sure to check out some of our other guides such as our complete Mario Tennis Aces tier list, and how to block Zone and Special Shots in Mario Tennis Aces.
By reading through this guide, you should be able to defeat all 6 bosses in Mario Tennis Aces!