The art of a strong multiplayer game can be hard to convey. The Nintendo Switch offers games of all shapes and sizes, and finding one that does the multiplayer trick isn't easy. Aeolis Tournament gets a lot of fundamentals right like simple controls, a nice selection of modes, and very goofy characters. That being said, it lacks the variety needed to make it a truly outstanding game.

In Aeolis Tournament, players control a variety of goofy characters that include pirates and two-legged animals. You will hold an air cannon that acts differently each time, depending on the event you are playing. For example, the player will find themself in a Snowball Battle, shooting at your foes with full power. This is really where the power of Aeolis Tournament shows itself. You move around, see what the gun does this time and start playing. Particularly with people who play smaller games, you will find that they quickly adapt to the play style. With support for up to eight people and a Joy-Con at the ready, Aeolis Tournament knows how to make a first impression.

The game has six events in total, with half being solo and the others being team based. It isn't hard to quickly find a favorite. For me, I got heavily into ''Sportsball,'' which is basically Soccer/Football. Another positive was ''Marble Thief,'' where you collect as many marbles as possible and place them into your own goal. As unique as these options are, the same simple gun mechanic is stretched real thin. Even though some smaller things do change, the primary action alters very little. If the air cannon's ideas were further apart, I don't think anyone would've noticed. However, you press the same buttons and the steps don't change at all. That is where Aeolis Tournament could've stood out more.

The game tries to keep players locked in with power-ups and goals to shoot for, which is neat at least. With the goals, players are tasked with shooting a number of players or not even shooting at all. I mostly found myself going for these goals as they kept me on the edge of my seat. The power-ups really depend on the game you are playing. More range and faster movements can be nice, but it can really screw up your path to victory, particularly in moments where precision is a requirement.

Aeolis Tournament can be played both locally and online, with easy to set up options on both ends. With the matches being short, you can easily get a good number of rounds in. The game threw everything it had in an afternoon, which isn't particularly bad. It ran fine overall, with characters and environments having a simple look. Frankly, I don't remember the soundtrack even one bit, simply because the tunes weren't that exciting to begin with.

Aeolis Tournament is a fine multiplayer outing. While the modes could've been more diverse, I did enjoy playing the game with friends. You got your rounds in pretty fast, particularly since there is barely a learning curve. Aeolis Tournament, in that sense, is for those in need of something simple and direct. Naturally, you can go for additional goals and power-ups, but the core works well enough for an hour or two. Frankly, I can't see myself keeping it long in my rotation, but the game works well for how long it lasts.