Nintendo Switch Sports resurrects one of Ninty’s biggest-ever surprise hits, Wii Sports, and gives it a new lease on life. Whether you want to use it for a bit of daily exercise, or are excited to relive the glory days of Wii Sports with the family, this one’s destined to be a crowd-pleaser for gamers of any age. To help answer any lingering questions you might have, we’ve collected everything we know about Nintendo’s next big party game success story for you below.
This is like Wii Sports, right?
It is just like the Wii Sports you remember. Nintendo Switch Sports is a collection of simple sports mini-games that anyone could play. This accessibility and replayability made the original one of Ninty’s biggest-ever successes. Multiplayer rivalries were fierce, and the motion controls felt simple yet seamless. If Nintendo can recapture even a small part of that feeling then it will be set for another smash hit at multiplayer game nights and family gatherings over the holidays.
When can I play it?
Nintendo Switch Sports launches on 29 April 2022, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. If you’re looking to grab a cheap copy, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a full bargain round-up. It is being developed by Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development (or Nintendo EPD), the largest internal division producing and developing first-party Nintendo titles. Games like New Super Mario Bros, Metroid Dread, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel were all created at Nintendo EAD.
Which sports are included?
So which sports can you expect to play in Nintendo Switch Sports? Of the original six sports, only two old favourites return: bowling and tennis. There are four new sports to fill in the roster, however, and they are:
- Badminton
- Chambara
- Football
- Volleyball
For clarity, when Nintendo Switch Sports says football, it means soccer, not rugby or American football. Those of you who own Ring Fit Adventure will be able to use your leg strap for the football game! The boxed copy of Nintendo Switch Sports comes with a spare leg strap if you don’t have one already. Some of you reading this might also be thinking “what the hell is chambara?” Great question! Simply put, chambara is a Japanese style of sword fighting. It’s very similar to Swordplay mini-game from Wii Sports Resort. Two players face off atop an elevated platform over water. The goal is to use the movement controls to block, parry, and joust your opponent off the ledge and into the water below.
Some might also argue, wait a minute, badminton and tennis? Aren’t they the same game? And … yes, they are indeed very similar. However, badminton has more in common with ping pong than it does full-blooded tennis. It’s faster, played on a smaller court, and its racquets are much smaller.
Does the game still use Miis?
Technically, yes. Wii Sports famously used the Wii’s built-in character creator to put personalised Miis into the game. While Miis certainly still exist, Nintendo Switch Sports seems to be going with similarly doll-like characters that are similar to (but do not quite resemble) the classic Miis. This may mean your greasy, bung-eyed and completely hairless Mii can no longer demonstrate their athletic superiority. Nintendo is trying to yassify all our horrible goblin Miis. Please attempt to contain your disappointment. We know it will be difficult.
Will Nintendo add more sports as DLC?
The indication seems to be yes! So far, Nintendo has confirmed that golf will be added in an update planned for later in 2022. Some particularly crafty folks online were able to datamine a wealth of information about sports that may be coming to the game down the line but, officially, Nintendo hasn’t said anything about a regular program of post-launch DLC. We agree that the game seems like a prime candidate for regular DLC drops, and it wouldn’t surprise us if Nintendo was to announce something along those lines in the months ahead.
That’s a great opportunity to hear from you, actually. If Nintendo was to start adding DLC sports, which ones would you want them to see get the go-ahead? It could be anything. Archery? Swimming? Full-blown laser tag? Bring back boxing? Let us know in the comments below.
Nintendo Switch Sports trailers
Let’s all watch some trailers, shall we? Here’s the announcement trailer from when Nintendo first unveiled the game in February.
And a follow-up trailer from late March that will walk you through all of the game’s sports and how they work.
And here’s the Fun For All trailer released in mid-April.
Nintendo Switch Sports launches on April 29, 2022, exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
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