Nintendo Switch Sports Reviews
Besides the absences of baseball and boxing, the six sports on show here are smooth, responsive, and fun. While Nintendo Switch Sports could do more for the players that play solo, the game is at its best when you play locally with friends.
Switch Sports will be adding golf in a future update, so there will be more than the six sports available on launch day in the future. While the online could sway the eventual review score one way or the other, I'm extremely positive on Switch Sports and look forward to playing it more with friends and family locally as well hopping online and unlocking new gear and equipment and trying to join the Pro Leagues. We'll be back soon with a final verdict on Nintendo Switch Sports.
Frustrations aside, there’s plenty of fun to be had in Nintendo Switch Sports, no matter how you choose to play. It’s a valiant nod back to Wii Sports, slightly more grown-up and refined this time around. Perhaps it’s not quite as fun – though maybe that’s just because we’re older and more world-weary than we were back in 2006 – but it’ll undoubtedly still be a game to pull out at any family gathering. It’s just a shame that earning new cosmetic items is locked to online play.
Nintendo's manic revival of Wii Sports could use more variety, but its lively appeal is a joy for the whole family
A motion control party game that's best in couch co-op, but doesn't possess the same revolutionary novelty as its predecessor.
In my mind it’s incredible that Nintendo Switch Sports even exists. It’s a sequel that I didn’t exactly see coming, but I’m not disappointed in the slightest that it’s here. Is it a perfect game? No, there are definitely improvements that could be made, especially to a somewhat hollow single player experience, but the online modes are stellar in their own right.
This game should have been released 5 years ago as a free bonus to the console itself, just like Wii Sports years ago. As a stand-alone game for a full price, Nintendo Switch Sports simply doesn’t cut it.
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Switch Sports’ singleplayer is bafflingly hollow. All six events are available, but the reward system is absent. Gratification might come from defeating the CPU on the inconsistent “Strong” or “Powerhouse” difficulties, but don’t expect to receive anything flashy in exchange. As of right now, there are no incentives in place to keep casual players invested in returning to their favorite sports, which is a disservice to a sizeable percentage of the fanbase.
Nintendo's latest sports compilation is too simple to be much fun alone, but shines when played with friends and family. Read our review.
Nintendo Switch Sports brings the classic motion sports from the Wii era to the company’s modern console.
Nintendo Switch Sports sticks wisely to the winning Wii Sports formula, while adding a slick online multiplayer mode.
NSS bowling doesn't yet include its "challenge" lanes in online matchmaking, but I hope these come in a patch because they're the exact twist that the Wii Sports formula needs. As played in either local multiplayer or online friends-only matches, these include static and moving obstacles in lanes, and they randomly rotate in each frame. I like how they force players to shift their throwing position and wrist rotation to get different kinds of strikes, instead of doing the same wrist-waggle "cheese" moves repeatedly. The default bowling mode is fine, but the challenge mode is where it's at for consistently refreshing virtual bowling.
Nintendo Switch Sports really is a game of two halves. Offline the game is sorely lacking in features but may still be enough for 'casual' families looking for some simple fun. Solo players, however, will want to head online, which is where the game's progression system (and its real longevity) can be found.
Ultimately, though, these games are so refined, and delivered with such odd, coffee-shop-and-library charm, that it doesn't matter how you play. My daughter is of the age where she completely missed the Wii, so when this new game arrived and we started moving the furniture around, she didn't have a clue what we were up to. But that afternoon we must have played together for hours, with breaks for when a diving header animation made her laugh so much she needed her breath back. The whole thing was intoxicating.
Nintendo Switch Sports is a fun sequel that does online right. Those looking for that throwback Wii Sports feel with solid online play will fit right at home. It's great with friends and family in the living-room, too. The main drawback, however, is the lack of content - Golf being absent at launch and returning sports. Nintendo Switch Sports is a solid start, with that familiar feel and the potential to add more content in the future.
Switch Sports, much like the original, is meant to be enjoyed in person, and the best way to play is in short bursts with friends. That’s when it's easy to pick up and play, and it'll even get non-gaming muggles involved.
Solid and definitely have an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
Nintendo Switch Sports delivers on what it promises while leaving the door open for more updates in the future. Despite some control hiccups and occasional network disconnections, Nintendo Switch Sports is an excellent entry in the Switch library.
As much fun as Nintendo Switch Sports games are, it’s hard not to feel as if Nintendo didn’t exactly push the boat out on the game. 6 games might have been enough for a new game in 2006, but not these days, and not for a full-priced game. That and the lack of extra modes and options make it feel like it’s a half-game, something that should have been bundled in with Nintendo Switch Online instead of sold at full price. It’s still a fun distraction, perfect for engaging the non-gamers in your family… as long as you’ve spent enough hours unlocking some accessories first.
While Switch Sports' liberal difficulty levels help it seem more approachable than its predecessors, having additional methods to customize the experience would go a long way in this case as well. Nintendo Switch Sports is undoubtedly a worthy successor, but it doesn't come for free because of how quickly the world has evolved since Wii Sports.