Developer: Nintendo, Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Switch
Tested on: Switch
Nintendo Switch Sports – Review
It’s hard to imagine it has already been since 2006 that we were waving our arms like a Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man hoping to score some extra points playing digital tennis. Back then, the Wii took the world by storm, and many stores actually were facing the same issue they are now facing with the next-gen consoles: a lack of stock. Nonetheless, when people bought a Wii, the console came with the now-iconic Wii Sports. This title was great for young and old, and it showed the world what motion controls could bring to home entertainment. Those buying the console at a later date found the sequel in the box, Wii Sports Resort, which built upon the foundation of Wii Sports. Now, nearly 16 years after the release of the original, we once again channel our inner Serena and Venus Williams in order to beat the competition, be it offline or online.
Story
Even though the loading screens of the game sometimes throw in random facts about the game’s different playing fields, there is absolutely no story content to be found in Nintendo Switch Sports. This is quite understandable for a game such as this, but we feel the loading screen texts hinted at more. That being said, most people will just play this game with friends or online, thus omitting any value a story would have.
Graphics
Even though some of the backdrops and character models have received a serious overhaul since Wii Sports, the game itself still looks reasonably simplistic. This isn’t a bad thing, as it’s all about the gameplay. The current inclusion of unlockable costumes and other collectibles do spice things up a bit more, but the game still looks like the old-school 2006 game. We do have to state that some of the backdrops are very nicely designed, such as the entire bowling hall in which you can play with fifteen other players simultaneously.
Sound
The sound design of Nintendo Switch Sports is quite reminiscent of the earlier entries in the series. The background music is somewhat akin to upbeat elevator music, which is actually quite charming. While the tunes may be very repetitive, they never grow annoying. The sound effects are quite basic, but they properly accompany everything that happens on screen. Perhaps, for a few of the disciplines, it would have been amusing to have the option to turn on commentaries.
Gameplay
Nintendo Switch Sports is a sports game that is all about motion controls. The game will have you play through six disciplines, be it alone, with friends, or online. The offset is very simple, as you just pick the sports you want to play, and you’re good to go. The games with more complex controls will have a short tutorial allowing you to learn the basics, but for the most part, this game is very accessible for young and old.
The game offers Tennis, Badminton, Volleyball, Football (Soccer), Bowling, and Chanbara (Swordfighting). Tennis and Badminton are straightforward affairs, and you’ll understand the basics after a single match. We did find Tennis a lot less precise than its actual 2006 counterpart. Volleyball is an interesting new addition, and the controls are very simple. We loved the fact that we could actually make the proper motions of the real-life sport. Bowling is still very much like it used to be, with challenges and slow-paced bowling when playing offline. The new mode that comes with online play is that you can take on fifteen other players in a battle-royale-styled bowling tournament. We probably spent most of our time playing this mode. Football is a fun new mode, with the option to play this mini-game with a leg strap. We, however, just played with the arm motions, and we quite enjoyed the experience. The free roam controls are a bit harder for younger players. Last but not least was Chanbara, in which you pick a sword to fight with and then try to thrash your opponent. While tactics (blocking) may aid you a bit here, eventually you’re just flailing your arms around like a madman.
While the game itself is very fun, we did have a few issues with certain aspects of the game. This title is very focused on online play, which isn’t a big issue, but the experience gets dragged down for players who’d rather play solo or with friends locally. These players will not earn points, and thus they cannot unlock new outfits and other collectibles. Things get even worse when you invite a friend over to actually play online. The friend, who will use a secondary profile, cannot earn more than two rewards a week, as they do not have a subscription linked to that profile. This feels a bit too forced, and it’s not really that family-friendly to force everyone in a household to have a subscription. We realize the family bundle exists for this reason, but if it’s only for a few sessions of Nintendo Switch Sports, it’s still an extra fee you’ll have to pay on top of buying this game.
Conclusion
Nintendo Switch Sports is a fun continuation of the series, and it is guaranteed to be a hit with friends and family. If you love to play online against other people, this is also a no-brainer. If, however, you’d rather stick to offline play, then you’ll be sorely disappointed that Nintendo is forcing you to get a subscription every step of the way to unlock some new content. It even gets worse that if you want to play online with friends (locally) you also need an extra subscription for the second player. Money-grabbing tactics aside, this game is a lot of fun, even if you’re not able to unlock new costumes by playing offline. If you liked the earlier entries in the series, this one will entertain you just as much.
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