Nintendo Switch finally has an entry in the Wii Sports series, and these are my impressions after about five hours with the game so far. There are six playable sports, all using motion controls: Volleyball, badminton, bowling, soccer, chambara (swordfighting), and tennis.
When you first start up, you can customize your appearance: skin color, hair color, eye color, hairstyle, and so on. Unfortunately, there are only six hairstyles to choose from at the start. You also have the option of using a Mii instead of the customizable characters.
One curious aspect of this game is that your ranking/progress are based only on online matches. Older Wii Sports games had you battling CPU-controlled opponents that gradually increased in difficulty as your skill rating grew. Here, offline matches don’t count for anything. I’m not a fan of this change. The many unlockable custom options for your character also require online play. So if you don’t have a Nintendo Switch Online account, don’t expect much out of the one-player modes.
Bowling
Bowling was the first game I tried out. One change that’s immediately noticeable is that you no longer release the back button (ZR in this case, B on Wii) as you release the bowling ball. I’m not sure why they changed this mechanic, but I got used to the new controls quickly.
The online setup is a bit curious, to say the least. The game gathers a whopping 16 players before you can begin. And then, after every three frames, a large portion of the bowlers are eliminated. Half of the players are eliminated after three frames, and only three out of the 16 players gets to play the full game!
Once you get to the “pro league,” most players are pretty good. So even a tiny mistake can mean your game ends after just three frames. I really hate this setup; I don’t understand why all 16 players can’t bowl the complete game. And in the pro league, regular lanes are sometimes replaced with annoying obstacles. As much as I enjoy bowling, it could have been so much better.
On the bright side, I do like the way you can see how the other bowlers are doing in other lanes as you play. And if you finish before the others, the game may focus on someone to show you what they’re doing. It’s a nice touch.
- Have I made Pro League yet? Yes.
Tennis
Tennis plays very much like the Wii Sports versions. It’s a 2-on-2 game, but you control both players (unless you’re teaming up with a friend). But I’ve noticed that players seem to have a superhero-like ability to dive for unrealistically long distances. They almost seem to be flying at times.
Tennis is a lot of fun, just as it was in Wii Sports. It’s my favorite of the six mini-games to this point (and that’s unlikely to change later on).
Have I made Pro League yet? Yes.
Volleyball
Volleyball is new to the series, and it has controls for serving, bumping, setting, spiking, and blocking. Online matches are played with four players, two on each team. Teamwork is required; if your teammate isn’t competent, you don’t have a chance.
The gameplay is a bit…formulaic? It follows a repeatable pattern: Bump, set, spike, bump, set, spike…and timing plays a key role. But that’s not a bad thing, because volleyball is surprisingly enjoyable.
Have I made Pro League yet? Yes, right before finishing this blog entry.
Badminton
Badminton may resemble tennis at first, but it is quite a different sport. The game is played in one-on-one matches (instead of 2-on-2), and on a much smaller court. With less ground to cover, each point can drag on for a while with long volleys.
I’m not as good at this as I am at tennis, and I’m not even sure why. I feel like there’s something I’m missing. Well, I certainly need more practice.
- Have I made Pro League yet? No.
Soccer
Soccer is probably the oddest sport included in Nintendo Switch Sports. It’s a bit weird to play a game normally played with your feet by swinging your arm/wrist. (Yes, there is a shootout mode that you can play with your leg, but that’s not the main attraction.)
The game is played by eight players (4-on-4), and the ball is huge. Larger than the characters! And unlike most sports in this compilation, you can actually move your character around with the control stick on the left Joy-Con.
Most of your time is spent just moving around with the left stick, and constantly adjusting the awful camera with the right stick. The motion controls are basically only needed when you’re right at the ball, which isn’t very often. There have been matches that I’ve barely touched the ball at all. I’m really not a fan of soccer so far.
- Have I made Pro League yet? Not even close.
Chambara
This is basically swordfighting, like the swordplay duels in Wii Sports Resort. This is, by far, the sport I’ve played the least…due to my lack of interest. You try to hit your opponent to push them back, eventually knocking them off a tower and into a pool. You can block attacks with the guard button (ZR) if your sword is perpendicular to your opponent’s as he/she strikes.
- Have I made Pro League yet? Heck no.
No Help
The game sometimes gives you tips for a game after you play it, instead of before (or during). And these “tips” are sometimes just basic controls that should be spelled out in an accessible manual somewhere…but aren’t. There are some playable tutorials, but only for three of the sports. Why not a summary of the moves for each sport? 🤔
Nice Touches
Just like in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can give yourself a title that is viewable by other players. New title words can be unlocked as you play online matches.
And even though I started out by giving the new characters a try, I’ve lately gone back to using Miis. It can really make you stand out during online matches. If you’d like to see some of my Miis, check here. Unfortunately, you can’t scan those QR codes with a Switch, but you can on 3DS and I think there’s complicated process to transfer them over, but I don’t remember the details. 😂
Ranking the Sports
Since this is just my impressions and not a final review, this list is subject to change. But after 5+ hours with the game, here is a list of my favorites from best to worst:
- Tennis
- Bowling
- Volleyball
- Badminton
- Soccer
- Chambara
Perhaps the most likely to switch places may be volleyball and badminton. I’ve kinda gone back and forth between which I like more, so they’re pretty close in my opinion. Are you all enjoying the game? Have any tips you’d like to share? Leave a comment below!
Want to buy Nintendo Switch Sports at Amazon?
its strange that the “battle royale” style bowling mode is the only option. it seems like it would be fun to play sometimes, but a more normal option would be nice to have as well.
The way to bring over Miis on Switch from 3DS and Wii U was registering them as an owner to an Amiibo and then scanning them on the Switch within the Mii maker that is hidden away within the System Settings. For each Mii you want to transfer over, you will need to repeat the process every time.
Figured I’d post it here just to refresh our memories. 😛
Also, it doesn’t have to be amiibo figures- Animal Crossing amiibo cards will work, too. I suppose the limited edition Mario Odyssey cereal box works too, but I never bought any so I wouldn’t know.
I do not plan on buying this anytime soon. I love Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort but I am not interested in this.
Nintendo Switch Sports is not necessarily a bad game, but it is missing some things. One thing to note is that you can’t change how long the soccer games are in offline play or when playing with friends. Another thing is that you can’t choose how the tennis teams are set up like you can in Wii Sports. Ranking/progress not being saved in offline play, one thing you’ve already pointed out, is pretty disappointing and needs to be looked into.
Playing Nintendo Switch Sports online, like its local mode, is best experienced in short bursts before it starts to feel repetitive, even if playing against real players can feel more rewarding than the CPU.