Thank you to Nintendo for providing Source Gaming with a review code of Nintendo Switch Sports.
At long last, the best-selling Wii game got a sequel that I didn’t even know I wanted. While there have been other titles in the Nintendo Console Sports series, I was never particularly interested or had the ability to play those titles when I was younger. But now, almost sixteen years since Wii Sports’ release, Nintendo Switch Sports exists within a brand new environment and generation. So, with my aged vision, let’s see if I still enjoy Nintendo’s Sports series with its varied gameplay and features, new and old.
Since Nintendo placed pop-ups and reminders of it, I’ll also remind you to make sure you keep the strap on. You’ll only be using your Joy-Con for this title and, personally, I wouldn’t prefer it any other way. For this review, we’ll be looking at each sport in terms of which I like from least to greatest.
Volleyball
Unlike the rest of the sports ahead of us, Volleyball is not my least favorite, but also the only one I don’t like.
Matched with one person against another team of two, Volleyball features both players bumping, setting up, and attempting to spike the ball onto the opposing team’s side. Now, I’ve never watched a game of volleyball before, so if I just explained what a normal game of volleyball is like, then perhaps it really isn’t the sport for me.
However, the reason why I don’t enjoy this sport in comparison to Tennis or Badminton, even though they’re all direct in how you play, is because of how scripted Volleyball feels. Not only will the game directly tell you at times what the next step is, but it will also tell you the quality of your serves and bumps. This prevents the visuals and audio from doing the work on their own like they’re designed to and already do within the aforementioned sports.
The one praise that I can give Volleyball is that I’m allowed to move left and right when trying to go for a bump and block, whereas sometimes I wish I could when playing Tennis or Badminton. On to the next sport!
Tennis
Now we’re at the sports that I like! However, I initially didn’t expect Tennis to be this low. Tennis is one of my favorite sports to play, so what happened?
For me, it’s a couple of things. Whether you’re playing online or offline, Tennis only allows for doubles matches, not single ones. I would like the option to choose between them rather than only going to Badminton for a pure one-on-one racket match. But that’s not the main reason why Tennis is here and Badminton isn’t following it.
After coming from an earlier Switch game, Mario Tennis Aces, I would like more control over the kind of shots I can perform, even if I’m unable to physically move my character. The opportunities to respond with a Strong Shot are minimal — and, likewise, seeing opponents retaliate with a Wobbly Shot is just as sparse. This feels more like an endurance test than an actual game of tennis; you’re not outplaying your opponent so much as you’re waiting to see who messes up first and that can happen due to your Sportmate not being able to make it to the ball or if someone happens to miss the ball. And speaking from experience, that can be due to making a mistake yourself or from the game moving you past the ball you were already close to.
I still take the time to play Tennis whenever I boot the game back up, as I do enjoy playing a match or two, but usually not more than that.
Chambara
Chambara sees you going blade to blade with another player in a best of three match to thwack them out of the ring and into the water. Aside from using the standard Sword, you can also pick between a Charge Sword and Twin Swords. While both allow you to charge and store power for stronger strikes, the Twin Swords allow you to mix your opponent up by quickly switching focus on which sword you’re using.
Although I did enjoy the one-on-one aspect of Boxing in Wii Sports, fighting one another with swords feels a lot cooler. When playing, you really have to make sure you’re getting past your opponent’s guard, not just because you know the opening, but because you were faster at striking it than they were at defending it.
Now, while I do generally enjoy Chambara a bit more than Tennis, the kind of players I’ve run into make me often reconsider. As you can defend at any time, as you should be able to, some players will flail around and spam their defenses so that it becomes incredibly difficult to decide how to play. Either they smack you each time and you lose, or you smack them each time and they lose. Those instances can really take away how much fun I end up having, but it doesn’t always happen.
Another issue is the readability of swings. Sometimes, I’ll thrust forward and not get the hit, or it’s read as a standard swing. Other times, I’ll swing for a diagonal strike, but it still feels like a horizontal strike came out instead. Despite these issues randomly occurring, Chambara is still very fun.
Badminton
While it may be similar to Tennis, in that you and your opponent take turns smacking the birdie until someone misses it, the way Badminton performs is a complete step up. Although you still don’t have full control over where you move, you do have control over what kind of shots you return with.
If you catch the birdie at a high point, swinging then will cause a strong yellow strike. See that your opponent is far from the net after challenging a bunch of strong serves? Use a drop shot to try and score a point close to their side of the net. It might even bait them into a shot they’ll mess up.
Unfortunately, the same can also happen to you, and if you’re not careful, you can trip and fall. It takes your Sportmates what feels like three whole seconds to get back up, basically giving your rival a free point. Still, that’s part of what makes Badminton very fun.
This game can be stressful. Rallies might go on for so long as players try tricking each other with a Drop Shot, or wait for the perfect opportunity to perform a Smash. Badminton is incredibly competitive, and that’s why it ended up being so much more rewarding than Tennis.
Presentation & Other Points
Now, before we get into the final two sports, let’s talk about the paint that Nintendo Switch Sports is coated in. Switch Sports is very lively in its environments and absolutely adorable with how expressive the Sportsmates are.
These sports take place at the Spocco Square Mall, a huge facility with layered, multi-leveled buildings that allow numerous people to watch you participate in each and every sport. You’ll hear them cheer and clap in the background of your matches. Truly, the only downside is that you’re not able to freely explore the mall. Between games, you’ll receive Tourist Trips about the area, and that made me think, “Oh, maybe you have to unlock the ability to walk around the area.” But, that doesn’t seem to be the case at all, and I think Nintendo should look into that for a future update.
Then you’ve got your Sportsmate! These cute representations of yourself will be lacking in their wardrobe at first, but after playing a few games and unlocking different pieces of clothing or sports equipment, you’ll be able to express yourself however you’d like. It seems that every week or two will see a roll-out of new cosmetics become available, and that does help give the game some longevity aside from wanting to become the highest-ranked at a sport. I do wish that some cosmetics, like a hoodie, didn’t prevent you from wearing earrings, but I do understand it’s so they don’t clip into one another. What I don’t understand is why Miis can’t wear any head-based cosmetics. The expressiveness and customizability of the Sportsmates remind me of the good old days of Miitomo, so the fact they aren’t fully customizable like that is a bit sad.
One last thing: if you play a sport enough times and perform well, you’ll then be able to participate in the Pro Leagues! These are sports-specific, so don’t expect to be in the Pro League for Badminton if you’ve only earned the Pro League for Tennis. You can also choose to pause your participation in the Pro League if you just want to play for fun, so don’t worry about it too much. Now that that’s out of the way, there’s just two sports left to talk about.
Soccer
Now we’re at the biggest sport here, literally. Soccer, or Futbol, pits you and three other players against another team of four where you’re walking, running, jumping, kicking, and headbutting this huge soccer ball across this huge field and into the opposing team’s huge goal. Although the ability to use the Leg Strap will be added in a later update, running around with your team and passing the ball to each other with both Joy-Con in hand is still fun and energetic.
While the entire match is timed to be three minutes long, it’s likely you’ll see yourself going past that with everyone fighting to get the ball away from their opponents. That isn’t any problem at all though, because within that time, if you’re paying attention, you’ll take notice of how your teammates and the opposing team are playing. From there, you should do your best to play accordingly. For example, since I expect most people to want to be in the action and close to the ball, I usually stay in the back so I can make it to the ball when no one else reasonably can. And from my experience, this often ends up working.
Although the game is set up to be a four-on-four game, it’s possible for some people to disconnect or leave early without anyone able to take their place. In those instances, which have happened only once to me so far, the matches will become extremely one-sided. But even when that is the case, I’ll still play my hardest to support the team and do the best I can. That’s what makes Soccer so fun, the energetic playstyle and the aspect of teamwork.
Bowling
My favorite sport in Wii Sports is also my favorite sport in Nintendo Switch Sports, and I swear I’m not biased. It’s Bowling, roll your Bowling ball down the lane to knock out as many pins as possible, aiming for a strike. Where Switch Sports mixes it up is by making this a game of Survival Bowling! It’s you against fifteen other players, aiming for the best scores, and those who don’t make the cut for the minimum placement of the round get axed.
Although you’re pitted against fifteen other people, Bowling will always depend on how good you are specifically, and that’s why it’s my number one sport. No other player has an influence on what you can do, where you can go, or how you can play — it’s completely based on how you decide to place yourself, aim, and curve your throw. The expression and showcase of your own skills are present the most here.
Now, when I first began playing, it did feel a little weird going from a Wiimote to a Joy-Con. From my rolls, it sometimes felt like my shots were constantly off or didn’t hold as much weight — even though I was constantly hitting strikes. However, as I kept playing, it felt more noticeable that if my toss was even slightly off towards the end of the arc, it would be captured within the game. You can’t just roll at the same spot and expect strike after strike, you have to be good at rolling the ball as well. But, once you’ve perfected your roll, you’ll know once you’ve hit strike after strike after strike.
Conclusion
Now, I haven’t talked much about the offline aspect of the game, and while it does exist and is fun, that isn’t really the focus. With Nintendo Switch Sports, the fun of the game comes from playing with other people, friends, or randos, and putting your skills to the test on your own or with a teammate. I do hope Nintendo adds more team-based sports, like Baseball or Dodgeball, as I want to enjoy the feeling of teamwork even more. We already know that more solo, skill-based sports are coming in the future with Golf.
But aside from what I hope comes in the future, I think Nintendo Switch Sports is a must-have for anyone with a Nintendo Switch. It’s a shame that Lite users won’t be able to fully enjoy it.
What do you think of Nintendo Switch Sports and the sports featured within? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Until the next review, make sure you subscribe so you’re always tuned into and ready for the source.
