Four years ago, Nintendo returned to the world of motion-controlled sports games with Nintendo Switch Sports. This spiritual successor to the smash hit Wii Sports series ended up being one of the Switch’s best-sellers, although it garnered mixed reviews.
Now, Nintendo is returning to the well with Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, and thankfully, this go-around is more successful.
Right off the bat, it features 12 sports versus the eight in its predecessor. What’s more, they’re much more varied. In addition to such staples as Bowling, Golf, Tennis and Volleyball, you’ve got newcomers like Thumb Wrestling and Skateboarding. What’s more, that last minigame, as well as returning ones like Prop Plane and Power Cruising, feature free roaming options that let you explore a mini open-world without any specific objectives. It’s a nice change of pace, although there’s not very much to see, so the novelty of navigating via motion controls eventually wears thin.
Naturally, then, the meat of the experience remains the competitive sports, and most of them are pretty good. My personal favourites were Bowling (it’s a classic for a reason), Archery (the aiming, drawing and shooting with both Joy-Cons felt pretty intuitive) and Table Tennis (it can get surprisingly intense).
With that said, some of the minigames are underwhelming, the biggest of which being Basketball. After Nintendo’s conceptually novel but mechanically frustrating Drag and Drive, I was hoping for Switch Sports Resorts‘ take on hoops to scratch that itch, but it, too, is lacking, focusing on ostensibly turn-based rounds every time you steal the ball or take a shot instead of one single, free-flowing match.
I will give credit, though, to an effort to improve the single-player options, especially through the gauntlet-focused Island Crown mode. Further, you earn in-game currency by playing matches and completing objectives, like getting your first strike in bowling or maintaining a volley of 10 consecutive shots in a single volleyball match. This money can be used on cosmetics to customize your character, providing a little bit of reward to the gameplay loop.
Ultimately, though, the whole package feels a tad slight, even with its larger-than-ever content offering. Even its best minigames are simply fun but fleeting diversions, and I’m not sure it’s something that I’d personally stick with for very long, even with friends. (I’d certainly suggest we play something like Mario Party Jamboree or Smash Bros. instead.) The fact that this is $84.99 ($69.99 if you buy digitally) also makes it a bit tougher to recommend.
But if nothing else, I could see the simple, pick-up-to-play nature of these minigames clicking more with certain audiences, especially those with larger families than me. And with so many games nowadays wanting to eat up so much of your time, the focus on bite-sized experiences is undeniably appealing. You might not want to stay for very long, but this is one resort that’s still worth visiting.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is now available on Nintendo Switch 2.
Image credit: Nintendo
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