Nintendo has a long history of sports games; it made its Wii console infamous with Wii Sports being included with the console, and from there a few sequels and spin-offs have come to each console after. In this latest instalment, we return to Wuhu Island from the Wii Sports Resort game with some classic games like bowling and added some new ones like thumb wrestling.
The game does its best to show off the extreme, almost pinpoint accuracy and HD Rumble 2 on the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons, and for that purpose, it is the perfect showcase. The graphics, of course, have been improved from previous titles, making the island look lush and inviting while being a lot of fun to romp around.
Get Your Head in the Game
The game starts off by welcoming you to Wuhu Island, a vast tropical paradise that is jam-packed with sports games for you to dive into. There are a total of 12 sports to participate in, and if you are playing solo or forcing your partner to grab a Joy-Con 2 for the very first time because you have to complete a review, there is so much fun to be had, and a little bit of competition.
You have complete control over which mini-game you want to play, and there are no locked game types, so you can easily jump into whichever game you wish to play immediately on boot-up. Before that, though you do get a chance to create and customise your character, you can do through this through the Mii creator or simply edit the Nintendo Switch Sports Resort default characters to match your style.
The benefit of doing this is that the Mii creator characters can’t use items and accessories that you get access to and unlock as you play the games. Once you get into the sports selection, you can then choose your favourite. Let’s dive into each individual sport and run through by type.
The OG Sports
Let’s take it back to the OG, the GOAT, Wii Sports. The sports that have carried over from this title include Tennis, Golf, Boxing and of course Bowling. While essentially these all play the same, just with improved graphics and a few extra modes, there’s a reason why they remain popular and earn their place in this new collection.
Tennis was the first choice for the test, and you can select from 1 player right up to 4. You do need to separate the Joy-Cons from the console and use one of the Joy-Con 2s as your racket. The game can be played in a classic match which is a classic doubles match, you can also select laid back match from 1 to 2 players which is a larger slow loving ball which is good if you are new to the sport or just want a bit more of a relaxed play. The swing of the racket was quite responsive; it just didn’t seem to have much of an impact if you swing hard.
You can use the thumbsticks to run around the court, but it is kind of awkward to do when you are focusing on where the ball is going and what your opponent is doing. Boxing is where things get interesting; there definitely is a plan to it: you punch directly in front of you to get the face, you can also punch down to get the lower body, and there is a block function as well. The problem, you can just aggressively punch at the screen with no direction and still win. I did it four times in a row, much to the other players’ disgust, so there could have been some more thoughts here.
Golf is, well, golf; you use a Joy-Con as your golf club and swing to get the ball in the hole in as few shots as possible. The game will automatically choose which type of golf club depending on where you are in the match, which takes out the need for selecting the right one, which may not be a good thing for those wanting more of a challenge, but this really worked for me as one less thing to worry about.
You can also choose between 3-, 9-, or 18-hole matches over 27 different courses ranging from Beginner, Advanced and Expert. When it comes to longevity and replay value, Golf stands out as the most valued in this package.
It wouldn’t be a Sports collection without bowling, and it’s all here. You can choose from a classic 1 -4 player to knock down as many pins as you can to get the highest score, or there is a 100 Pin game which packs the lane with 100 pins to get a perfect score of 3,000. There is an online match as well if you don’t have anyone around and want to play against a human. The big notable difference here is how great the graphics are and the responsiveness of the Joy-Con controller acting like a bowling ball.
Next up are the four sports resort titles, including archery, volleyball, table tennis, basketball and thumb wrestling. Now this is where things get interesting. Basketball is my least favourite game of the entire collection. The training for it is long and monotonous, and when it comes to actually playing, there are way too many rules and caveats that just keep this from feeling anything but fun.
The dribbling mechanics, moving around the court, passing, and dunking are frustrating to use with the Joy-Con 2 controller and as such it stands out as my least favourite sport. Volleyball isn’t much better; relying on the game’s AI to move you around the court to return the ball is frustratingly slow, and the convoluted motion controls do take a bit longer to master. The problem is, there are just too many other great sports to play, so I didn’t spend too much more time here.
New Ways to Play
The new additions of thumb wrestling and table tennis fortunately are a great showcase for the Joy-Con 2 as well as offering up something different. Table tennis is fast-paced and gets intense rather quickly. Using the Joy-Cons as a smaller racket to lobby back and forth against your opponent quickly. It is an easy way to work up a sweat and have a lot of fun.
Changing pace was thumb wrestling; you move the Joy-Cons to face a different way and play a game of chicken essentially with your opponent to see who will blink first. The catch is, if you hold down your thumb, it builds up a “power-up” option that can help you win the match more easily. It feels a little goofy at first, but the responsive controls and Nintendo-esque fun of what the game is asking you to do kick in, and you lose yourself in the fun.
Archery is the final of the sports lineup; you use two Joy-Con controllers to point and aim at a range of targets across the island, either on the beach or around the park areas. It is the slowest speed of the sports titles and requires a lot of concentration and practise to get good.
Lastly, my personal favourite of the games are the Leisure Sports; these include the Prop Plane, skateboarding and power cruising. These sports involve collecting photos from around the island on the three modes. The Prop Plane takes you to the skies, and you hold your Joy-Con like a paper plane to manoeuvre around. It was the most awkward to hold and difficult to control, but it felt like more of a challenge than an annoyance.
Skateboarding involves using the mouse controls to move the board around the island, performing tricks and free-roaming around the different areas. Power cruising lets you control a jet ski and explore the other smaller islands surrounding, collecting photos, mini inflatable tubes and looking at how beautiful the water is.
Final Thoughts
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort takes the classic sports formula and completely reinvents it for the Nintendo Switch 2. The studio has not lost sight of the fun that comes from humans gathering together, putting a Joy-Con in your hand and floundering around.
The island is beautifully decorated and makes it feel like a living, breathing paradise. The new sports take advantage of the new Joy-Con controllers and inject the party fun that these titles are known for.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is simply the best game in the series thus far.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Plenty of sports to choose from; Fun with friends; Solid performance; Customisable Miis and free-roaming elements add variety
Lowlights: Some sports feel a little underwhelming
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Available: Now
Review conducted on Nintendo Switch 2 with a code provided by the publisher.
All images are screenshots captured by the author via in-game footage.
