Welcome to the Year of Baby Waluigi!

The Mario Sports Universe is set to grow in February with the launch of Mario Tennis Fever, introducing a highly anticipated new character: Baby Waluigi. In a recent overview video, it was confirmed that this pint-sized version of Waluigi will join the roster of 38 playable Mario characters, marking a significant addition for this mischievous member of the Mario family.

If you’re feeling an inexplicable sense of excitement, you might just be catching Baby Waluigi Fever—unfortunately, there’s no cure in sight.

Nintendo had previously hinted at Baby Waluigi’s arrival in Mario Tennis Fever, and now it’s official that he will be playable alongside newcomers Goomba and Nabbit in the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 tennis title.

This de-aging has been a long time coming. Baby versions of Mario characters have been around for over 30 years, starting with Baby Mario and Baby Luigi in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. Waluigi made his debut five years later in the original Mario Tennis for Nintendo 64, originally designed as Wario’s doubles partner and often seen as a sidekick.

Now, with Mario Tennis Fever, Waluigi is getting a glow-up (while shrinking down) as he joins the ranks of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Rosalina, Daisy, Bowser, and Wario in their adorable baby forms.

The latest look at Mario Tennis Fever goes beyond just the excitement of Baby Waluigi. The overview video showcases the game’s new Fever Rackets, which include the Ice Racket that transforms parts of the court into a slippery ice patch, the Mini Mushroom Racket that shrinks opponents to a tiny size, and the Shadow Racket that creates a duplicate of your character to confuse foes. Other Fever Rackets featured in the trailer include the Golden Dash Racket and Pokey Racket, along with glimpses of a goop racket, Bullet Bill racket, and Thwomp racket.

Nintendo and the developers at Camelot aim to set Mario’s new tennis game apart not just with these innovative rackets, but also with a variety of new features.

You can catch all the details about Mario Tennis Fever in the overview video below. Take your time to soak it all in, especially if you’re feeling a bit under the weather.

Mario Tennis Fever launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on February 12.