Nintendo Serves Free Mario Tennis Aces Trial for Nintendo Switch Online Members

Nintendo of America announced a special, limited-time trial of Mario Tennis Aces will be available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. 

The trial runs from 10 a.m. PST/1 p.m. EST on August 7 until 11:59 p.m. PST/2:59 a.m. EST on August 13/14.

The news comes shortly after Nintendo of Japan announced yesterday a similar trial for Captain Toad: Treasure Trackers and Nintendo of Europe doing the same for Mario Tennis Aces this morning.

Starting on August 7 and ending August 20, there’s also a 30% off discount on the digital version of Aces purchased through the Nintendo eShop. Those who decide to buy the game after the trial ends can transfer their progress.

This is similar to the limited-time demo Nintendo released earlier this year for Splatoon 2, which was also accompanied by a discount. Yet, where the Splatoon 2 trial was limited to only a few modes, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers are getting full access to Mario Tennis Aces game during the trial.

As for why it’s limited to Nintendo Switch Online members, it’s likely because the bulk of the game’s content lies in its online multiplayer components.

It could be the first step towards something bigger, though.

These kinds of free trial sessions are a first for Nintendo. However, it’s a setup increasingly common across other publishers and studios, from the various Xbox Game Passes and PlayStation Plus to EA’s continually expanding Access program.

Naturally, Nintendo hasn’t said whether these kinds of offerings will continue in the future. But given the company’s goal of increasing value for Nintendo Switch Online members — and the current lack of incentive to subscribe — it’s always possible Nintendo could expand this to include other trials or even early access to upcoming games.