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Nintendo Switch Sports Resort has arrived to provide gamers with peak nostalgia.
It’s been 20 years since the iconic Wii Sports captured people’s attention and transformed the gaming landscape. It will always be difficult to compete with the memories people have of their time playing Wii Sports but Nintendo has managed to hit the mark once again.
Now with the advanced hardware of the Switch 2 and its Joy-Cons, people can experience the non-stop excitement and tension better than ever. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is perfect for all ages and sure to be a staple for years to come at game nights, especially at gatherings this holiday season.
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Nintendo Switch Sports Resort features 12 competitions and Nintendo did a great job featuring a nearly-entire lineup of unique sports to avoid overlapping skillsets and becoming repetitive. Although Tennis and Table Tennis may seem similar at a glance, they play differently enough due to the style of play that it’s understandable to include both, especially since the motion controls are so responsive and smooth for swinging to hit the ball.
The other 10 competitions are extremely varied, featuring Archery, Basketball, Bowling, Boxing, Golf, Thumb Wrestling and Volleyball, plus three sports that fall in the ‘Leisure’ category, Prop Plane, Power Cruising, Skateboarding.
Archery returns from Wii Sports Resort and feels far more enhanced given the improvement in technology. Using both Joy-Cons to emulate holding a bow and arrow, pulling back one Joy-Con to ‘extend a bow’ while aiming with the other Joy-Con before finally releasing a shot feels surprisingly smooth and effortless. Archery demands precision, concentration and adapting to both distance and wind physics depending on the map. There’s definitely a learning curve, especially when it comes to recognizing the proper distance and wind speed while aiming, but there may not be a better feeling in the entire package than nailing a bullseye. It’s easy to see Archery becoming one of the most intense competitions among friends and family during parties, especially as rivals try to distract each other.
For Basketball, players can choose different competitions such as a three-point content or a shooting streak, in addition to a two vs. two game. As expected, this is one of the most active competitions in the game. It’s a lot of rapidly moving the Joy-Con up and down in order to dribble towards the basket or get in position to try to steal a pass. Players can swipe for a steal as well but positioning is extremely important, especially since shooting the ball is rather forgiving and will make players feel like they’re Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry at times. It certainly makes for a fun time and the shooting competitions will really help players get comfortable with the mechanics and should be a staple at parties.
Golf is another iconic game from the original Wii Sports and essential to include here. As expected, gamers can select from three different courses of varying difficulty. The motion controls are impressively accurate, recognizing even a slight twist in the wrist when swinging. Of course, there’s obstacles to take into consideration like trees, plus weather, to make for a life-like experience. Golf has been a mainstay here for two decades because it translates perfectly to motion controls and the form factor, plus advanced technology of the Joy-Cons, makes it the best way to play yet.
Bowling is better than ever thanks to the new Joy-Cons. The one-to-one motion of bowling is extremely intuitive, allowing players to adjust for speed and the spin of the ball to get rotation. Often a staple at parties, it wouldn’t surprise if it reigns supreme from this package because it run flawlessly. It’s an impressive display of perfect motion controls and the best version of one of the most successful games in franchise history.
There may not be a better display of the success of Nintendo Switch Sports Resort than Boxing. The motion controls are flawless, reacting to each punch and movement from the player. While holding the Joy-Cons upright, players can block their face and body from incoming punches, dodge from left to right and accurately swing to the opponent’s face or body. With a game like this where motion controls, timing and input lag will make or break the experience, it was immediately reassuring just how perfect everything came together. As soon as any movement happens, it is happening on the screen without any delay as if the player was standing in the ring inside the screen. Boxing can easily become one of the staples at parties because it is active, intense and exciting (but make sure to use the safety straps with the Joy-Cons to avoid them flying out of hands).
In Tennis, players can choose to play doubles with up to four people or a laid-back match with two people featuring a slow-moving ball. Players can choose to play on a hard court, clay court or grass court, which naturally cause games to play differently like in real life. The difference in surface is certainly noticeable so it makes for one of the more varied competitions in the package. When playing solo, the players by the net do a great job not interfering or hogging returns so it feels more like a one vs. one match, which is a wise design choice to avoid taking the player out of the experience. Overall, tennis is as enjoyable as ever. It’s a staple for a reason because it’s among the most accessible and entertaining games featured.
Table Tennis is far different from Tennis, requiring a different type of skill set to be featured. Here, it’s much more about managing the corners of the table, the spin of the ball and the slice. It requires deliberate placement of the ball during the volley and finally setting up a power shot to catch the opponent off guard. The motion controls and timing is flawless here, which is crucial because any type of delay or lag could really ruin the experience since Table Tennis requires such precision.
While Thumb Wrestling may be an unconventional choice, Nintendo deserves credit for its inclusion because it is extremely accessible. While technically all of the competitions could be played sitting down, Thumb Wrestling is by far the most accessible and the mechanics simply work. It likely won’t be a staple for many but does offer its own tension, quirkiness and charm. It may be an easy one to overlook compared to others but it definitely serves its purpose in a tournament setting and especially to include with younger or older players.
Volleyball may be the game that requires the most practice because it can be difficult to nail down the timing of and navigate the screen due to the camera perspective. The control scheme to bump, set, spike and block is intuitive and the motion is impressively instantaneous, which is why some people may have difficulty timing exactly when to make an action, resulting in being too early or late. It’s great that the CPU partner if playing solo or with an odd number of people is helpful in playing their role and it shouldn’t feel like somebody is playing from a disadvantage in those scenarios.
For the three ‘Leisure Sport’ options, Prop Plane is first up and allows players can go on a sightseeing tour of the island or fly freely. Sightseeing Tour is far more fun than it sounds as players will have five minutes to collect photos throughout the massive island and can shoot a blaster to pop balloons while listening to some smooth, catchy jazz music. It’s similar to a mashup of Star Fox action and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater collecting, so it’s definitely a mode worth checking out. A third mode is strictly multiplayer with 2-4 people and is a battle mode where players will compete to capture the most balls against each other within two minutes. Players can unlock different maps/courses for this. Utilizing a single Joy-Con to control the plane’s movement by simply tilting up, down, left or right, Prop Plane is one of the most accessible modes perfect for younger players, elderly or casual gamers. It’s a great way to introduce somebody to familiarize them with the Joy-Con’s motion controls.
Power Cruising is another ‘Leisure Sport’ and like Prop Plane, it includes the same type of Sightseeing Tour and free roam. For Wave Race fans, the third mode is Sea Sprint race riding through rings for speed bursts, with various courses available to choose from. Players hold out their arms horizontally while pressing the ZL and ZR buttons to move forward. Even though this is considered a ‘Leisure Sport,’ players will likely wish they were going faster as some may grow tired holding out their arms for the nearly two minutes it takes to complete the course.
The final ‘Leisure Sport’ is Skateboarding, once again consisting of the type of modes as Prop Plane and Power Cruising. This may feel like the most ‘tech demo’ of sorts for people because it requires holding the Joy-Con like a mouse and moving it backwards to mimic somebody gaining speed pushing their foot off the guard. The impressive tech of the Joy-Cons allows players to use even their thigh or any surface to perform this act and it’s magically excellent.
Throughout the countless hours players can spend playing Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, gamers will earn rewards for achievements and milestones, which will allow players to unlock many wardrobe items to customize their character. There’s a weekly and monthly rotation of items to keep players active and coming back to obtain everything. There’s even certain themes for what’s offered, which won’t be spoiled since it’ll be a fun surprise when entering the shop. It’s a nice touch to give players something to strive for beyond getting the best of their friends, family or random opponents online. Of course there’s a tutorial about how to play each sport but there’s also advice on how to strategize and succeed, which is surely to be helpful for many gamers as they familiarize themselves with the motion controls.
Like Nintendo Switch Sports on the original Nintendo Switch in 2022, gamers can play against other people online. It’s truly the complete package for players looking for this style of game.
Overall, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is another successful outing for Nintendo. For the past 20 years, Nintendo has impressively bridged the gap for all ages to come together and enjoy different competitions featuring motion controls.
Although there will always be people wanting more competitions to be included, especially since we’ve experienced some of these staples many times like Tennis and Bowling, it would be a real shame if these weren’t included given how much fun they are. For the sports that are included, Nintendo has mastered the gameplay, making them all feel comfortable to play as if somebody was playing the real sport. Now on Nintendo’s most advanced hardware to date, the motion controls feel smooth, responsive and effortless.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort releases at the perfect time ahead of the holiday season. From reminiscing about the glory days of Wii Sports to creating new memories (and rivalries), this is a fantastic choice for any party. Given how accessible it is and the endless multiplayer fun to be had, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is a worthy contender for these categories at The Game Awards.
