Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is a no-brainer for the hugely popular Switch 2. A sports collection has been a mainstay of every Nintendo console since motion controls were introduced with the Wii, and the collection has diversified to include a mixture of familiar staples and non-traditional sports. GameRant was recently able to get hands on almost all the 12 sports that will be available when Nintendo Switch Sports Resort releases later this month, and while my time was short with each individual game, I came away eager to play more.
Nintendo’s motion-controlled sports collections jump barriers, from gaming experience to age to dexterity. It’s something that made the original Wii Sports such a huge hit and what makes Nintendo Switch Sports Resort work so well in a party atmosphere or casual setting. This is as eclectic of a collection as you can get, with some old standbys and some surprising new additions, all of which use the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons in some creative ways.
Bowling
Bowling has consistently been a win for motion control experiences, and, from what I’ve played, Switch Sports Resort looks to continue that trend. I had previously played the 100-pin bowling mode, which offered goofy fun, but this time around, I was able to compete against a Polygon colleague in a full game. The precision afforded by the Joy-Con controller gives Switch Sports Resort the closest approximation of truly rolling a bowling ball. You can put subtle twists on the controller to create both left-to-right and right-to-left spin, in the hopes of making strikes a little easier like the pros do.
Over the course of the 10 frames, I never felt like I had perfectly dialed in my approach, which speaks to how much form matters in bowling. In Wii Sports, for example, there came a time when I could effortlessly bowl strikes, but here, I think it more closely mirrors the real thing. One slight curve of the wrist, or being just a hair off your usual line, can leave some pins standing. Maybe that will change the more time players spend with bowling, but for a first impression, it appears there is a lot more player agency in your performance, and I love that.
Table Tennis
There’s something innately exciting about Tennis and Table Tennis in a motion control experience. The added precision of the Joy-Cons allows you to put backspin, top spin, and curve on the ball, which I could say creates a high skill ceiling for Table Tennis. Alongside bowling, this was the experience that felt the most familiar, but also the most “right.” That back and forth brings energy to every moment and typifies what makes Table Tennis a returning favorite for me.
Archery
Like Bowling, I was able to sample Archery at an earlier hands-on event, but this time I got to dig into one of the sport’s competitive modes. In it, competitors are given quarters of the target that are color-coded to your Mii. Each quarter of the target has sections that offer ascending score values, starting at the lowest on the outer portion and getting higher as you get closer to the bullseye. What mixes things up here is that if you miss your zone, your opponent receives that score instead of you. So the risk is greater the closer you aim towards the bullseye, where the chance of a missfire can lead to you scoring for your opponent.
Using one Joy-Con to aim the bow and the other to pull back the arrow feels natural and gives you a lot of freedom to aim. Obviously, you need to take into account distance and wind speed to hit your intended target, but I never found that the arrow was flying completely off course. It does take some time to get used to everything, but once you do, it’s so satisfying to hit a bullseye. I also appreciate how this mode helps give every player a catch-up mechanic in two different forms. During each round, the final arrow offers you a 2x score multiplier round, which encourages taking greater risks to close the gap with the leader. And in each round, the size of your quarter of the target is bigger or smaller based on your placement on the leaderboard. I’ll admit that this catch-up mechanic allowed me to jump from last to first at the very end, but I imagine it will keep things interesting as well.
Skateboarding
Skateboarding was one of three sports where we were able to check out the tour mode. In this mode, you are free to explore specific portions of the Wuhu Island in a sort of free roam. There are items to collect for score, but the real goal here is collecting different photo spots throughout the map. It encourages going off the beaten path and also some trickier maneuvers, like grinding through a volcano.
In terms of movement, we used the Joy-Con in mouse mode for skateboarding, pulling the controller back across a surface to mimic pedaling on a board. You can tilt the Joy-Con ever so slightly to turn and lift it off the surface to ollie. It’s a novel mechanic, and I can’t wait to see how things evolve once you get into a competitive environment.
Prop Plane
This was another tour mode where we explored the environment, only in the sky instead of on the ground. Prop Plane works by holding a single Joy-Con kind of like you would a paper airplane, in between your thumb and pointer finger. You turn the Joy-Con as if you are holding the plane in the air, and thrust it forward to speed up or pull it back to slow down. Again, there’s a lot of precision in your ability to control the plane in the air, and I can see players pulling off some incredible feats in this sport. Like with skateboarding, it was nice to have a casual mode with low stakes where you could appreciate Wuhu Island and, if playing with a friend, cooperate to collect as many photo spots as possibl.
Power Cruising
This was the third of the exploration modes, only this time we were able to shift the time of day to evening. It doesn’t change too much about the scenario beyond the lighting, but it’s an option for those who want a different look at Wuhu island. Power Cruising feels like the most involved of the sports, allowing you to hold both Joy-Cons out like the handlebars of an aquatic vehicle. You turn them back to get a little speed boost, and aim for waves to launch into the air.
Of the sports I’ve played thus far, this feels the most unique. Whether or not that will translate into a fun experience for different levels of gamer is yet to be determined, but I can appreciate the ode to Wave Race 64 all the same.
Boxing
Boxing introduced me to the Island Crown mode, where you rise up a ladder by challenging different AI opponents. I think boxing is well-tread territory for motion games – you can punch high, mid, or low while simultaneously blocking or dodging incoming jabs – and I’d say that this was my least favorite of the experiences during my preview. I think it will be plenty of fun in a party setting, but there was some inconsistency in terms of where I wanted my punches to go and where they ended up. And against an AI opponent, the best strategy felt like attacking first and worrying about defense later.
Thumb Wrestling
When I played Thumb Wrestling back at San Diego Comic-Con, I felt like it could be the sleeper hit in the Nintendo Switch Sports Resort selection. Against an AI opponent, I thought that there were obvious openings where the computer was looking for you to strike, and if you took advantage, you could win easily. Not to mention, you need to actually put your thumb in a vulnerable position to even make the competition remotely interesting.
Against a real opponent, everything about Thumb Wrestling improves. That “baiting” of laying your own thumb down to entice your opposition is a strong strategy and makes for a fun cat-and-mouse experience. It’s a bit like a lot of non-traditional competitive sports, where only when you truly engage your opponent do you start to understand the nuances of a seemingly simple experience. I don’t know if Thumb Wrestling has legs, but I can see this being a great opener for Switch Sports Resort and one you regularly break out with friends.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort: Final Impressions
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is more than just minigames. There are a handful of modes for each sport, with different ways to compete against live opponents or AI, and even casual exploration modes for things like Power Cruising and Skateboarding. I haven’t experienced all 12 of the sports on offer, but I know this is going to be great to break out at parties. More than that, though, I’m also looking forward to spending some free time honing my skills in each sport, going for that 300 in bowling and trying to hit a bullseye with each arrow in archery. That, to me, is a sign of a winning formula.
