Nintendo Switch Sports Reviews
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.
Nintendo Switch Sports is a fun and nostalgic romp that offers nicely-upgraded visuals and well-implemented motion controls, but there simply isn't enough of it. With a meagre six sports (only two of which bring anything truly new to the table) and very few extras, this one probably won't compete for your attention for long.
Nintendo has been criticized for porting Wii and Wii U games to the Switch and selling them at a high MSRP. However, in this case, I feel like we’d have gotten a better deal if Nintendo had just updated Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort to use the Joy-Cons. Nintendo Switch Sports has a weird emphasis on online play, a frustrating unlock system, and is sadly underwhelming compared to its predecessors, which launched over a decade ago.
A motion control party game that's best in couch co-op, but doesn't possess the same revolutionary novelty as its predecessor.
Switch Sports is a fine game and generally does feel great to play. Where I find issue with it is in the lack of replayability and variety for its sports, especially in an offline setting. It's fine, but after seeing the gold standard of this series in Wii Sports Resort, it could have, and really should have, been so much more.
Although the foundations of the experience are quite solid, the lack of content and restricting the progression in the online component are Nintendo Switch Sports' biggest mistakes.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
For those looking for a quick, fun outing or those that have a constant need to challenge friends or family, you won’t be disappointed with what Switch Sports has to offer. However, for those looking for something with depth, great detail or something innovative, you are unlikely to find it here.
Nintendo Switch Sports is a good update to Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resorts even if it misses some sports like golf. This is a game that puts the technology of the Joy-Con to the front, which Nintendo hasn't necessarily done enough for my taste since the release of the Switch. However, I doubt that people will spend as much time with it as they did on the Wii given the cost of entry and the lack of content. On the other hand, if you are looking for a fun experience that will get the whole house moving, this is definitely a very good option.
Review in French | Read full review
Nintendo Switch Sports offers the same pick-up and play fun that its predecessors did before it. While it doesn't reach new heights, it at least offers more polish than ever before, and the potential for some extremely memorable local multiplayer gameplay.
Rationally, several aspects detract from the overall quality of the set: a Wii Sports Resort-level amount of sports would be desirable, and decisions such as limiting play with friends to TV Mode and a disproportionate emphasis on online mode can conflict with the experience. Yet, this appreciation and conditioning are out of line with the reality of playing Nintendo Switch Sports: this sequel marks the successful return of the addictive fun of Wii Sports, especially with friends, but surprisingly also with strangers via the online mode.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
You can have a lot of fun with Nintendo Switch Sports, whether online or in person with friends. If you’re playing alone, though, its severe lack of content won’t keep you busy for long. Of course, that would be forgivable if it were a pack-in like the game that spawned this series, but as a game you have to actually purchase, players should expect more.
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.
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.
Nintendo Switch Sports is an admirable attempt to fill the void left by the Wii Sports series, but a lack of offline progression and small selection of sports means it doesn't quite reach those heights.
Nintendo Switch Sports will exhaust all fans of previous installments of the series, because new sports offer a lot of pleasant gameplay, and well-known competitions again do not disappoint. Gameplay rewards a lot, but in terms of content – I was hoping for more.
Review in Polish | Read full review
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 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.
The Wii games felt so revolutionary because they did something deeply innovative with the medium. Switch Sports effectively does the opposite. It's still incredibly fun, especially if you're feeling nostalgic for the halcyon days of motion controls, but in trading content out for accuracy and immersion, it feels empty-even compared to games from 16 years ago.
In summary, Nintendo Switch Sports is a great, modern day glow up to the classic Wii Sports and a ton of fun to bust out in family, friend or party settings. It’s not without its faults and it can get repetitive after a while but it’s a game you’ll find you keep coming back to when the situation is right for it.