Nintendo Switch Sports Review: Light on Content, Not on Fun

By Marc Deschamps - May 6, 2022 11:36 pm EDT

The launch of the Nintendo Wii is probably one of my fondest console launch memories. When the system debuted back in the fall of 2006, I had already been a longtime Nintendo fan, but it seemed like the company was struggling with relevance. Given that, I wasn't sure how the world would react to the Wii's motion controls. Of course, Wii Sports quickly helped sell the concept, and the system became the hottest item of that year's holiday season. Anyone that came to my house had to try it, and left a believer. The beauty of Wii Sports lied in its simplicity; anyone could pick it up and figure it out pretty quickly. That simplicity continues in Nintendo Switch Sports, but it's actually a little too simple this time around.

Like it's predecessor, Nintendo Switch Sports is a multiplayer-focused compilation offering a handful of activities for players to participate in. This time around, players can select from Tennis, Bowling, Chambara, Soccer, Volleyball, and Badminton. It's a good variety, but the biggest problem with Nintendo Switch Sports is that it feels bare bones. With Wii Sports, it was easy to ignore it, because it was a pack-in game. However, the $50 MSRP for Nintendo Switch Sports makes it a little tougher to overlook a lack of content.

The games themselves are good, though. Bowling and Tennis mostly play like their predecessors, and are probably the easiest to jump right into. They were two of the bigger highlights in Wii Sports, and that remains true here. Tennis offers a great way to work up a sweat, whether you're playing against in-game opponents, or another player. The optional addition of obstacles in Bowling is also welcome, adding an extra bit of challenge, and making it deeper than the Wii Sports version. Rounding out the trio of returning activities is Chambara, which appeared in Wii Sports Resort as Swordplay. Chambara was probably my least favorite of the activities included in the package. It's not bad, but I didn't find it as fun or engaging as the rest of the activities.

In addition to these three returning games, Nintendo Switch Sports has three that are making their debut. Badminton feels very similar to Tennis, which makes sense since the actual sports are fairly close. However, the court is significantly smaller, pitting just two players against one another, rather than four. The shuttlecock also has a lighter feel to it. Volleyball is another new sport, and I think it's the most difficult to master, but figuring out the different motion control movements feels worth it.

The final new addition is Soccer, and I think it's the game's biggest highlight. In Nintendo Switch Sports, it plays a little bit like Rocket League, given the size of the ball and how players move around the field. There's also an element of Mario Kart as players can get a chance to come back from a deficit since the game rewards double points when a Golden Ball appears. Unfortunately, Nintendo did not provide me with an opportunity to try Nintendo Switch Sports online prior to review, but I can absolutely see this finding a big following. In addition to the main Soccer game, Nintendo Switch Sports also includes a Shootout mode, where players go shot-for-shot in a best of five competition. The mode is controlled using a Joy-Con Leg Strap, requiring that players kick against an open net. It's actually quite a bit of fun, and a really nice extra. Given the strength of Soccer, I'm actually kind of surprised the developers opted to include Shootout, but I'm glad they did.

In terms of presentation, Nintendo Switch Sports is mostly strong. The game's music is catchy, and the graphics are good. Some Wii Sports purists have grumbled over the lack of Mii avatars (players can still use a Mii if they choose), but the new designs quickly grew on me. The game also takes a modern approach to gender selection, with all body type options in one section, rather than being lumped into "male" or "female" categories.

Players can unlock additional customization options for their avatar, but this is actually being handled in a bit of an unusual way. New customization options can be unlocked each week through online play, or through Trial Mode against CPU opponents, for those that don't subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online. I wish Nintendo had put all of the customization options in at the start, and made it possible to unlock new customization options regardless of whether the player chooses online or local play with friends and family. While the current method could give players more incentive to keep coming back weekly, it also makes the game feel a bit empty. I would have preferred a method similar to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, where it seems like there's a constant stream of new customization options being unlocked when playing.

While I had my issues with the bare-bones approach, and some of the decisions made by Nintendo, I want to stress that the low points of Nintendo Switch Sports shouldn't turn off anyone that was fond of Wii Sports. Once again, Nintendo has delivered a package of activities that are easy to learn and a blast with a roomful of people. Playing Nintendo Switch Sports really took me back to 2006, and it felt great to play something that made me feel the way the Wii did. Motion-heavy games like Wii Sports and Punch-Out!! often left me feeling energized, and it feels really good to have that again; in fact, I hope the absence of Boxing in this package means that Punch-Out!! might get a similar treatment on Switch. Nintendo Switch Sports shows that Nintendo still does motion control multiplayer games better than any other company, but a few different decisions would have made it a much easier recommendation.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Nintendo Switch Sports will release on April 29th on Nintendo Switch. The game was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review, and it was reviewed on a Nintendo Switch OLED.

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