Nintendo’s Sports series is back with Nintendo Switch Sports. This newest installment in the popular franchise brings athletics and outdoor sporting fun into your home, and wherever you want, thanks to the portability of the Nintendo Switch gaming console. Wii Sports kicked off the series back in 2006, revolutionizing the sports game genre by implementing motion controls with the Wii remote.
That tradition continues to this game, as the motion controls of the Switch’s Joy-Cons make you feel like you’re actually playing the sport instead of simply a simulation of one. Really swing a sword in arena combat! Really kick a soccer ball into a goal! This and more are ready to be enjoyed in Nintendo Switch Sports.
As the title implies, you have several sports ready to play, and with a variety of options. There are six different minigames to explore, some of which are carried over from previous titles in the series, but also some new ones. The lineup includes volleyball, badminton, bowling, soccer, cambara, and tennis.
Volleyball first entices you with 1 to 4-player volleyball action, a fresh new sport to try in the series. It lends itself so well to the motion controls, there’s little that’s more satisfying than spiking a volleyball over the net for the game-winning point. Best of all, if you were never great at playing volleyball for real (as I am), this is a perfect substitute to make you feel like an Olympic champion.
Badminton is another minigame new to the series. Its gameplay and controls are pretty similar compared to tennis, but thanks to the floating shuttlecock there’s enough difference in the movement to make it a unique challenge for veteran players.
Bowling is a familiar standby to anyone who played Wii Sports. Here it’s back, and somehow the controls have been improved even more. There are two modes, standard and special. Standard includes normal bowling, but special offers a memorable twist by posting obstacles in the lanes like barriers or ramps to add an extra challenge.
Soccer is a well-deserved new addition to the series, with plenty of alternative modes to satisfy. They include one on one, four on four, free practice, and shoot-out. The quirk to this minigame is that it can be played two ways; the two Joy-Cons let you kick the ball using your hands as substitutes for your legs, but there’s also an alternative control scheme that lets you use your legs as well. The game is packaged with a special harness that straps the Joy-Con to your leg, so that if you wish, you can kick at the virtual ball with your legs, just like real soccer!
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Chambara is a more traditional video game type of sport where you spar with another player using swords. Fight an opponent in an arena and, sumo style, try to knock them out of the circle. It’s simple but great fun. Three modes of using one sword, one charge sword, and twin swords offer a large amount of variety to this seemingly simple yet complex game.
The final minigame is Tennis, another familiar one to seasoned gamers. You can play the best of one, three, or five matches against three human or AI opponents.
Like the Wii and Wii U versions of the game before it, here you have a customizable player appearance that lets you feel more like you’ve been inserted into the game.
In addition to the games, the multiplayer feature is what makes this a must-have game for the holiday. Every minigame included can be played solo, or with at least one opponent. Those opponents can be computer-controlled, online human players, or best of all, friends or family in the room with you. Too often multiplayer games these days bypass couch co-op in favor of online multiplayer, but fortunately, Nintendo has the foresight to include both, and the game is all the better for it.
Another triumph from Nintendo, the game offers both familiar fun and novel enjoyment to players both new and old. A perfect gift for friends or family, it’s the exact game that will bring together people of all ages to provide hours of merriment this holiday season. Nintendo Switch Sports is available now in stores physically and digitally.
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***IttyBittyAtlas was sent a review copy of Nintendo Switch Sports by Nintendo. However, all thoughts and opinions are our own and in no way influenced by compensation or suggestion.