Nintendo Switch Sports

Nintendo Switch Sports
It's not as bad as Wii Sports Club, but we definitely could have gotten better than what we did.
Protagonist(s): Sportsmate/Mii Genre(s): Sports Game Platform(s): Nintendo Switch Release Date: April 29, 2022 Developer(s): Nintendo EPD Publisher(s): Nintendo Country: Japan Series: Wii Sports Predecessor: Wii Sports Club

Nintendo Switch Sports is a sports game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fourth game in the Wii Sports series, and the first to not be on a Wii family console.

Qualities That Should Be Kicked Out of Spocco Square

1. One of the biggest problems with this game is its stunning lack of content, especially when compared to Wii Sports Resort.
   • Only six sports were available at launch (Volleyball, Soccer, Badminton, Chambara, Bowling, and Tennis), while Golf was added on November 29, 2022 (which was a full seven months after the game launched) and Basketball released on July 9, 2024; this is four less than the twelve sports that Wii Sports Resort had. This makes it one of the worst victims of Nintendo's "release it now, finish it later" module.
   • It's also a HUGE missed opportunity to include fan-favorite sports such as Baseball, Archery, Boxing, etc.
2. About half of the available sports (Badminton, Tennis, and Volleyball) are variations of tennis, making the variety lacking compared to previous titles.
   • Soccer in particular is eerily reminiscent of Rocket League, as its appearance and layout are very similar. However, thanks to its hit or miss gameplay, soccer here lacks the charm that Rocket League had.
3. You can't look at or explore Spocco Square, especially during the credits. Some of the tips that require going outside, such as the "Spocco Square Amenities," imply that you can work, shop and eat there, but it is still unexplorable.
4. The Sportsmates (the default characters) are highly divisive characters: despite their attractive designs, they are a bit of a downgrade from the Miis from previous games.
5. Minor details that gave previous games more charm, such as throwing your bowling ball backwards and watching NPC's spin, are absent in this game; instead, the players drop their ball when they attempt to bowl.
6. While it is nice to have many customization options for your Sportsmate, the fact that they are locked behind Global Play (which requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership to access) makes it a chore to even obtain them.
   • This would carry over with Splatoon 3 due to the focus of Nintendo Switch Online for other major contents. Ironically enough, Splatoon 3 released five months after Nintendo Switch Sports, and coincidentally, enough, both Nintendo Switch Sports and Splatoon 3 came out in 2022.
7. While the English announcer sounds fine, the Japanese announcer's voice can be annoying due to its high pitch and sometimes sounds like it was made using AI.

Good Qualities

1. It is an improvement over Wii Sports Club, though not by much, sadly. However, it is still a massive improvement over Mario Sports Superstars, and retains the charm of its series, like Yoshi's New Island and unlike Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash.
   • Unlike Wii Sports Club, you don't have to pay for individual sports in this game.
2. Physical copies came with a Leg Strap accessory, for those who missed getting one from Ring Fit Adventure.
3. Decently beautiful graphics and music.
   • In fact, the graphics can be slightly fluid, alongside with the designs being as well colorful and creative.
4. The design of the Sportsmates, while controversial at first, is attractive (as stated in BQ #4), despite looking like Miis and Inklings/Octolings (due to the ability to change hair color and the teenager appearance) from Splatoon.

Reception

Nintendo Switch Sports received mixed reviews from critics (scoring a 72/100 on Metacritic) and mixed-to-negative reviews from users (scoring 5.9/10). Criticism was directed at the lack of content, inconsistent motion controls, and the requirement of NSO to play globally, while the graphics and music were praised. Despite the lukewarm reception, the game went on to become one of the Top 20 selling Nintendo Switch games of all time.

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