Nintendo Switch Sports: Resurrection Or Failure?

There’s just something different about Nintendo Switch Sports. Maybe it’s in the name. It just doesn’t flow the same way as Wii Sports does. Or maybe it is that the original title left such a deep impact in the history of gaming that it is now almost impossible to ever top the legacy that is left behind. Wii Sports is over for all that we know, and Nintendo Switch Sports is where the cool kids are at now. But is it any better than its predecessor? Does it manage to retain the fun factor that the original had, involving everyone around including your friends and family in the game? These are some pretty tough questions to answer, especially considering the stakes here.

While the Nintendo Switch definitely changed things for the better after the disappointing Wii U from Nintendo, it is still a handheld console that is miles different from the likes of the original Wii. When the original Wii Sports came out, almost every gamer around the world wanted to get their hands on the Wii. Families that were technologically savvy and were ahead of the time went ahead and bought the game for tons of fun for everyone. Everyone wanted to get their hands on the new sports games by Nintendo. In essence, Wii Sports was kind of a big deal, and the fact that everyone knew it, made it iconic. In fact, it can almost be considered a phenomenon.

But nothing is complete without a detailed discussion on the subject, so this is about time we look at what it is that makes the new Nintendo Switch Sports different from its predecessor. Is it just a sham made to onboard current players of the Nintendo Switch onto something recycled, or is there something substantial to talk about here?

Nintendo Switch Sports: An Overview

A Little History

If you haven’t been following so far, then don’t worry at all. I’ll catch you up on everything. Now, if you are a gamer, then there is a really good chance that you must have heard of the Nintendo consoles. In fact, it is a common phrase that is used by almost everyone as an alternative to the term video games. So there is a good chance that you have actually heard about it. So when the Wii came out and Nintendo was doing really good with its new technology combining motion and games for tons of fun. Around the same time that the console made its mark, Wii Sports became the iconic title that would go on to become the unique selling point that set Nintendo apart from the rest.

Wii Sports was a collection of sports video games that operated using the motion controllers that had been provided by Nintendo along with the Wii. The motion sensors took a huge leap forward and actually got gamers off the couch for hours of playing. Needless to say, the innovative concept became a huge hit among the masses and almost everyone wanted to get their hands on one. The new console meant that gaming was now not only limited to the young and tech-savvy. Almost anyone could now game without much of a learning curve. In fact, the game became so popular that more than 80 million people around the world played it. That is a huge figure by any standard, and Nintendo achieved it using just one game.

A New Beginning

Now, following the success of the original Wii Sports, Nintendo has now come up with the Nintendo Switch Sports. After Nintendo launched the Switch back in 2017, it quickly came back into the market strong but with a different focus and a different console this time around. The Switch was handheld, portable, and clearly not focused on the family fun that the Wii was focused on. But this didn’t make it a bad console at all. Rather, the new console is one of the best that you can buy today. And it also features the trademark motion-sensing technologies using the Bluetooth Joycons that are provided with the console. Now it seems that Nintendo is making the best of it and bringing the Nintendo Switch Sports to the market for another round of focused family fun.

Nintendo Switch Sports: A Win For Nintendo?

Nintendo may have cashed in on the history that it made with Wii Sports over 15 years ago, but that doesn’t mean that everyone is going to go for their new game or even consider it. It says nothing about the quality of the game or whether it is one that properly honors the legacy of the original. However, that does not go to say that the game is bad for any reason. It’s just that the game has to stand on its own and cannot simply coast on the legacy of its predecessors. And for the most part, it does. Again, there are a few caveats, but with the size of the console and the scope that Nintendo had for it, there are sacrifices to be made. You can’t have everything at once.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

To begin with, Nintendo Switch Sports is really comfortable. And that is a big compliment for the game. I say this because the original Wii Sports were really easy to get into and had a really low barrier for those who were not exactly gamers. And it seems that Nintendo is following the same strategy with Nintendo Switch Sports. They have kept the user interface for the game quite simple and intuitive, so you won’t have problems getting into the game if you’re not really the kind of person who plays games everyday.

Things are quite similar as they were with the Wii. However, the games have seen a bit of a downgrade, with a lot of the sports from the original game being taken out and a more limited selection is offered. While tennis, bowling, and the chambara make a return, the same cannot be said for the other sports that the original Wii Sports or even the successor Wii Sports Resort offered. However, Soccer, Volleyball, and Badminton make their mark here and are entertaining and engaging in their own right.

But all of this is really held back by the joycons that Nintendo provides in the box with the console. So this is a big problem for the game. The movement simply doesn’t stand up to that of the Nintendo Wii and the shoddy connection of the Joycons is mediocre at best. The joycons need to poll the console every time a movement happens and that translates to a really choppy experience over Bluetooth. The motion sensing isn’t as accurate as it used to be on the Wii Sports and it is simply annoying. That said though, there is a lot more here to counter that, with the impressive online play and the new world that Nintendo has created.

Final Thoughts

Overall, all things considered from the intuitive user interface to the way that the game plays and the entertainment value that it provides, Nintendo Switch Sports is definitely a win for Nintendo. It manages to revive the action that made the Wii so great and that had families looking at their television screens in tough competition. However, despite winning, the new world simply doesn’t stand up to the legacy of Wii Sports. But then there is something to appreciate here, and that can be done without drawing comparisons.

Nintendo Switch Sports: Should You Buy It

Now, coming to the question of whether you should buy the latest and newest addition to the Nintendo franchise, the answer is a definite yes. Nintendo Switch Sports manages to be an all rounder and brings home the action of the old Nintendo franchise into a smaller form factor. Despite its caveats, the title gets a solid thumbs up from me.

Nintendo Switch Sports is available on the Official Nintendo Website. You may check it out here.

Alternatively, you may also check out your local Gamestop or your local Amazon website for the title.

Also check out the trailer for Nintendo Switch Sports here:

What do you think about the latest addition in the Sports franchise by Nintendo? Have you played it yet? If you have, what did you think about it? Let me know all about it in the comments down below.

And as usual, stay tuned in to the Franchise Hound for the latest entertainment and gaming updates.