Nintendo Switch Sports Preview: The return of flail bowling

This is an article from our content partner "PC Games". Here you can find the original article by author Antonia Dressler.

The Wii release title Wii Sports wasn't just celebrated because it was included with every console purchase. What made the game special was that really almost everyone could play it. Both gamers and the non-gaming population could relate to Wii Sports because of its simplicity thanks to intuitive motion controls. Why a title like Switch Sports wouldn't hit the stores until years after the eponymous console was released certainly raises questions, and not just for us. During our hands-on event, we didn't get any answers to this question, but we did get a glimpse of the game, which is still scheduled for release at the end of April.

Nintendo has already done its homework when it comes to the selection of sports. Tennis and bowling were the most popular competitions on the Wii and they will certainly take their places as crowd favorites in the current Sports part as well. Both sports are reasonably close to their predecessors and convey the same gameplay feel we've come to expect from Wii Sports.

Note: We didn't get a chance to try out the online multiplayer features during our playthrough session, so they won't be covered in our preview.

Save the Strike

When bowling, we are still able to control both our position and the angle to the lane, and even a bit more comfortably than on the Wii, since we don't have to switch between the different functions first. With the joystick, we have a second input method besides the directional pad, which was missing on the Wii Remote at the time.

Pressing a button, swinging the Joy-Con like a bowling ball and releasing it at the right moment are also basic mechanics that are familiar to all sports veterans. Giving the ball a spin is again part of the repertoire, but requires some practice. It's especially noticeable in bowling that the controls are more precise, but also more sensitive than before when it comes to misses and the frustration that comes with them.

Who serves?

Tennis feels even more rounded, where we control both players on one side at the same time. If we mess up the shot with the person in front, the person behind gets into the worst case scenario of not being able to save the current ball.

Coupled with the need to time the balls correctly, because otherwise they'll go out of bounds, there's a certain tactical depth that makes tennis the absolute hit of Switch Sports. For those who want to put friendships and family bonds to the test in other ways, there are several new game modes to look forward to.

En Garde!

Chanbara, the modern sports version of what used to be Japanese sword fighting, particularly catches our eye. In the tutorial, we are shown how to block the opponent's sword with ours and how to hit him at the same time.

More action is provided by other modes, in which we either swing an energy sword or double blades. We're already familiar with this in a similar way from Wii Sports Resort, but the game naturally benefits from the more precise, modern contoller technology here as well.

With the energy sword we can charge a devastating blow with successful blocks, the double blades allow a whirlwind attack after several attacks. The player who pushes his opponent off the mat or off the platform into the water wins. It doesn't really feel tactical, though, since the fights are only short.

While in Switch Sports boxing makes us sweat and is almost physically demanding, Chanbara is more nerve-wracking. Like a mental game of rock-paper-scissors, we circle the opponent and try to predict in which direction he will strike. However, these duels usually end very quickly, as soon as the first blow has fallen.

Light as a feather

Other new sports are soccer, volleyball and badminton, which also offer refreshing approaches, but also have to prove themselves in extensive testing. Badminton felt like a variation of tennis during limited play, which isn't quite as fun. Of course, that bar is set high here, but why include a mode that can't do more than lose in comparison?

No matter how stupid we get, we can't send the ball out of bounds in badminton, but only determine the directions left or right; moreover, whether it lands further forward or back. The peculiarity compared to tennis is that the hardness of our stroke has a direct effect in the game, namely it can cause a smash.

Volley without sand

More interesting are soccer and volleyball, which are mainly family and party games. In volleyball, we experience an interplay of digging, hitting, jumping and smashing, which should be interesting primarily with a real game partner.

The mode isn't particularly challenging, since it mainly consists of executing a movement at the right moment. Both the time slots and the movements always remain the same in the end. What quickly becomes tedious for hardcore gamers, however, could be the perfect mix especially for beginners and less gamers. After all, when playing with friends and family, you're not necessarily interested in learning complicated movement patterns.

FIFA for beginners

Soccer makes more demands on our skills and requires us to use the joysticks, multiple buttons as well as motion controls. Someone who doesn't usually play games is likely to be overwhelmed here, while others will find it a challenge to master. We already know the one-on-one mode from the trailer, where it's probably mainly about ball control and you have to defeat your opponent with intelligent maneuvers.

The four-against-four mode unfortunately doesn't offer the possibility to hold a simulated soccer match with a large group. Instead, a maximum of two of us can each take a position in a team.

Through passes and sensible positional play, everyone can give free rein to their personal national coach and prove that they have always had the most clue. As with volleyball, this is a sport that is not designed for solo play - a fact that is quite inherent in team sports.

Take it to the long corner

Absolute hit potential comes from the shootout mode, in which we take turns competing in penalty kicks. The shots here take place with leg straps by real kicking and depend on the right timing.

This alone decides whether the ball flies into the goal or not; you look for a goalkeeper in vain. Instead, the goals get smaller and smaller depending on the progress in points; now and then there are golden balls that bring more points.

Accessibility

As with Wii Sports, opinions on the individual sports will differ and everyone will discover their favorites. As early as this fall, the sport of golf will be added for free, which, like tennis and bowling, should also be very similar to its predecessor.

Primarily due to the new sports, however, the general accessibility of Switch Sports is not unrestricted. Some games require two Joy-Cons, others only one. That's not a huge problem, but simply picking up the controller and getting started without thinking too much is just not possible here.

Not less than I expected, but not more either.

Wii Sports shaped many years of my childhood and gave me fun in sports where other games failed. Only a new generation of gamers can say whether Switch Sports can live up to this glaring legacy. However, the old familiar sports modes in particular are incredibly good again, if not better, because they are just as fun as they were anno dazumal. The new modes have yet to prove themselves and at least don't consistently give the impression of really enriching the gaming experience.

New ideas paired with old favorites could be just the combination we've all been waiting for. There's still no answer as to why Switch Sports is only coming now, - but there are some interesting, fresh sports. And those who remember the predecessor Wii Sports with anticipation in their stomachs can relax and be sure that Nintendo will live up to the expectations placed on the successor.