In the official successor to the million-seller «Wii Sports», you have access to six sports along with a number of special modes. In autumn you can download a free update that also brings golf to the game.Image: Nintendo
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With the official Switch successor to "Wii Sports", Nintendo proves once again – games don't have to be highly complex to be fun. In "Nintendo Switch Sports" you compete in six disciplines, all of which we were able to test for you in advance.
If you're one of the more than 100 million owners of Nintendo's Wii games console, you've definitely heard of «Wii Sports». The game, released in 2006, spread like wildfire and found its way into the collections of around 83 million Wii gamers – to date the sales record for a game on just a single platform! With the official successor "Nintendo Switch Sports", the Japanese manufacturer would like to repeat this success and introduces three completely new sports. We have found out for you what awaits you in football, badminton, volleyball, sword fighting, bowling and tennis and why it is also worthwhile for you to become a Joy-Con wrestler at the end of April.
All sports use motion control via Joy-Con. Serving in tennis feels particularly satisfying as your movements are appropriately translated into the game.Image: Nintendo
With motion control to victory
In "Nintendo Switch Sports" you have six sports to choose from right from the start – with golf, Nintendo will be adding an additional discipline in the fall via a free update. As usual in the series, you control them all with one, sometimes two Joy-Cons. Here and there you also have to press an action button, for example in Chambara's sword fight, to switch from attack to defense mode to block. However, the input is mainly via the motion sensors of the Joy-Cons.
In tennis or badminton, which is included for the first time in the series, your hitting movements are transferred exactly to your character. In Chambara, which can also be fought with two Joy-Cons in a double sword fight, you determine the sword position (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) for attacks and defense. You can cut the balls thrown in bowling as you like, throw them with more or less force in the direction of the pins. That was already the case in «Wii Sports» with the Wii Remote, but the movement sensors of the Joy-Cons work much more precisely, which increases immersion and playability in equal measure.
In Chambara Swordplay, you can fight with just one sword, a rechargeable electric baton, or with two swords. The latter gives you more tactical options, for example by blocking in several directions at the same time or hitting in two different directions at the same time.Image: Nintendo
While the precision of your movements is more important in these four sports, in volleyball, which is also brand new, it's more about the right timing when digging, paddling or a net block. You hardly have to worry about making more than the right gestures at the right time, because your avatar and the figures of your real or virtual teammates and opponents automatically move into a suitable position in volleyball.
You can, or rather you don't have to steer your character manually across the field in order to be able to reach a ball at all. That sounds very simplistic. However, the accessibility achieved in this way makes «Nintendo Switch Sports» playable and entertaining for a particularly broad target group. But even if you are an advanced player or an expert, the system offers plenty of room for perfection and opportunities to face greater challenges, especially in the online professional league that has already been announced.
Series permanent guest bowling is also included in «Nintendo Switch Sports». This is where you can prove your skill with the motion controls and slice the balls like a pro to clear as many pins as possibleImage: Nintendo
Football as an exception
Football, which has been proven to be the most popular sport worldwide and especially in Europe, is not only making its debut in «Nintendo Switch Sports», it is also more special than all the others. In the regular matches, you actually use the stick to move your highly customizable avatar around the field. At the push of a button, you ignite sprints that slowly consume your limited stamina.
You can also use other action buttons to jump or pass to your fellow players. Unfortunately, you are also not allowed to switch to team members controlled by the AI, so only ever control your own character, whether in one-on-one matches, with teams of two or four. Precisely because of the huge ball, football should remind you more than just a little of «Rocket League».
However, you don't shoot by pressing a button, but by means of movement control. You use different gestures for different types of shots, for example to move the pill to the right or left, flat or up with the Joy-Con across the field or into the goal. Even diving headers are part of your repertoire.
Visually, the football with the huge ball is reminiscent of "Rocket League". Unlike in all other sports, you direct your avatar freely over the playing field using a stickImage: Nintendo
With an update that is expected to be released free of charge in the summer, you will also be able to execute the shots more intuitively through pedaling movements. To do this, you strap on the leg strap included in the physical version, which you may already know from the «Ring Fit Adventure».
While we haven't been able to use it in normal games yet, we've already tried it out in the so-called shootout mode. It is vaguely reminiscent of a penalty shoot-out, where you are in a similar position, but you have to accommodate crosses hit by the AI in the (otherwise empty) goal. The competition with your opponent can theoretically go on indefinitely if both keep scoring or just forgive at the same time. As a result, the usually huge goal gets smaller and smaller later on, so that more and more precision is required of you to sink the ball into the net. It's definitely a lot of fun.
It will only be possible to say after the said update whether the leg strap shots also bring added value in the regular matches. Overall, however, the positive impressions from the hands-on clearly outweigh the negative.
If you're a Switch owner, make sure to mark the April 29 release date as it's a great place to have fun with friends and family of all ages.
At launch, you can only use the leg strap to kick balls in the shootout-style shootout mode. A free update in the summer will also allow this in the regular matches.Image: Nintendo
"Nintendo Switch Sports" will be released on April 29, 2022 exclusively for Nintendo Switch both as a downloadable version in the eShop and as a physical version including a leg strap. Six sports are included from the start, with golf following in a free update this fall.
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