Nintendo Switch Sports in the test: a worthy Wii Sports

When Nintendo launched the Wii Sports sports game in 2006 together with the Wii, the video game world shook through. The innovative movement control, coupled with a simple sports game collection, even let Grandma and Grandpa swing the controller. 16 years later, the cold coffee is, but still a success story that, very surprisingly, inspired a Switch successor: Nintendo Switch Sports, which steps in big footsteps, but can only partially fill it.

Note: At the time of the test, the online multiplayer, including Pro League and unlockable rewards, was not available. Our experiences are based on the single player and local multiplayer matches. The basic game principle remains the same online.

a good mix of old and new

As on the Wii, we compete against each other in Switch Sports by movement control in simply simulated sports. In the pretty and colorful Spocco Square Sport Center, real and AI opponents are waiting for us in six sports. While we already know tennis, bowling and Chanbara - a kind of sword fight - from Wii Sports, football, badminton and volleyball have been added.

The sports fluctuate in their complexity, but are so intuitively implemented with their pace and true to the role models that even inexperienced people quickly get the shoot.

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Exercise explanation training

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Saved at the wrong end: If you have any questions, the well -made tutorials help - if you exist. Because only volleyball, football and Chanbara are explained more precisely. So many useful information about the rest of the disciplines is simply withheld from us. We had to find out ourselves for example how we miss the bowling ball.

Tennis (1-4 players)

We swing the Joy-Con like a real tennis racket and in this way perform simple blows, but also top spins, slices and praise.

When and how we swing the controller is crucial in the single and double matches. With a AI at our side, it is also important to react quickly. Our AI partner is not a Roger Federer imitation that helps us out of the terminal, but rather a passive second character with which we can attack ourselves when it is closer to the ball.

Chanbara (1-2 players)

Chanbara is a martial arts with sticks that we use like swords. The aim is to push our counterpart from the platform with attacks, blocks and counterattacks. There are normal swords, energy and twin swords to choose from.

While we need two joy-cons per person for the twin swords, the energy value brings in more tactics with a strong attack that can be recharged through blocks. And this is also necessary if we do not want to stuck and be defeated in an attack chain of the opponent.

bowling (1-16 players)

In contrast to Wii Sports, we can not only hope for strikes with conventional bowling, but also try to incorporate the movable obstacles, gradients and bridges into the train in special bowling.

The special bowling alleys are a welcome change to the otherwise quite "simple" bowling. SPARES is still not uncommon thanks to the adjustable finish lines. We can also miss the ball through controller tendency due to the low difficulty, which, contrary to the other disciplines, cannot be adapted to bowling, this is not necessary anyway.

Volleyball (1-4 players)

Volleyball seems more complex. Surcks, excavators, platforms and other maneuvers have to be properly timed to land points.

Nevertheless, volleyball plays very accessible, since the movements can also be based on the original sport and can be carried out intuitively. In addition, we do not have to concentrate on where we run because our figure automatically moves across the field - but there are still small time windows for manual movement. Notes on the next action like blocks make life easier for us.

In contrast, however, there is the not always understandable trajectory of the ball. The perspective allows you to take a wrong position from time to time, which costs points. This problem increases in local multiplayer mode with split screen.

badminton (1-2 players)

Also in the badminton, the controller also imitates the racket with which we specifically carry out simple blows, stop balls and strong smashes

However, it feels very simple in terms of play, as if we were only moving up and down our arm, for example, since the stop ball is not triggered by our movement, but by pressing a button.

Football (1-8 players)

In football, two Joy-Con controllers per person are mandatory. Because here, unlike volleyball, we move the figure and camera ourselves. In addition to shots and flight head balls, we can also sprint (which consumes perseverance) and jump while we try to shoot a huge ball into the goal.

With normal matches there are 1vs1 and 4VS4 to choose from, in shootout mode we can also test our skills alone by increasingly difficult challenges. In contrast to the matches, in shootout mode, we cannot simply control the ball with our hands by controller movements, but also shoot with our own foot thanks to a separately available bins, which is transmitted as a movement.

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Game shootout leg belt

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Updates are on the way: If you are wondering why we cannot use the leg belt shots in the normal matches: a free update in summer should deliver the function. In addition, Golf has already announced a new sport as a free update for autumn 2022.

new coat of paint that is doing well

Nintendo Switch Sports is not a graphic bomb, but still a pretty game with a clear user interface. It is not stingy with strong colors, but still does not overwhelm you. The new look feels round, which is also caused by the music and sounds with Wii Sports-Vibes.

Sportmates are the new Miis

With the fresh look, Nintendo has also introduced new avatars that we use instead of the MIIS. We can design our sports mate freely and not only dress sportily, provided that we unlock new clothes with the points collected at online matches. But don't worry: the Miis were not completely retired. Optionally, we can provide our sports mate with the face of our Miis - great fan service.

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Sportsmate Mii variant

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Intuitive movement control that likes to forgive

Switch Sports does not want to be detailed sports simulation, but a game for every1. On the one hand, this means that the movements are similar to those from real sports and therefore go intuitively from hand. On the other hand, this also means that not every movement has to sit 100 %. We kept noticing that this is the case.

Timing and the correct position of the controller play an important role, but the movement control also likes to forgive inaccuracies. For example, while we somehow lift the ball over the network without a perfect backhand, volleyball somehow ends up on the opposing side even with bad timing. A plus for accessibility, a minus point for everyone who wants to prove themselves through precise control.

Family fun with tennis arm risk

If you had fun with Wii Sports, Switch Sports will also be for loved ones: a small collection of sports that can be played intuitively without great familiarization, so even grandma and grandpa have fun. It is a shame that baseball and boxes are not there again, but Golf also makes it into play afterwards - maybe Nintendo also thinks of these two disciplines. The accents that Nintendo sets with new sports and variants such as special bowling are much more important. So Switch Sports feels familiar, but not dusted.

It is a shame, however, that the Pro League in the online multiplayer requires a paid Nintendo Switch online subscription. Here only those who pay for it get the activable items and ranks that give more incentive for long -term motivation.

Switch Sports multiplayer modes :

Nintendo Switch Sports Review

  • Local multiplayer: 1 to 4 people (partly with split screen)
  • Online multiplayer: 1 to 16 people (matchmaking assign you equal people from all over the world)
  • Online multiplayer with friends

The number of Switch consoles and Joy-Con controller depends on the sport and the selected mode. The payment subscription Nintendo Switch Online is required for online functions. In addition, an internet connection is generally required when playing.

Whoever puts it on it will sweat

Experienced players who play a lot with the AI will quickly feel under demand on the normal level of difficulty, but you can easily raise the level of difficulty - with the exception of bowling. In addition, equal opponents are waiting for us in online mode. So if you really want to measure yourself, you can do that.

Otherwise, with its simplicity and local multiplayer, Switch Sports offers a lot of potential for group fun again, without having to climb into sports clothes. Only those who put it on it can be sweated here. But be careful: sore muscles or a tennis arm are still possible - we speak from experience.

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