Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is here, and this new first-party Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive has big shoes to fill. You see, when Wii Sports entered the scene 20 years ago, it was a total phenomenon. It was a smash hit thanks to its simplistic yet addictive gameplay, enticing players of all ages…even your grandparents could get involved. Review info
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2 only
Release date: October 22, 2026
Its successor, Wii Sports Resort , expanded on the formula, adding more sports, more depth, and more precise controls. And Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is attempting to do the very same for a new generation — to refine the relatively basic Nintendo Switch Sports and create a more fleshed-out experience, all while retaining that sense of widespread appeal for players of all ages. But can Nintendo Switch Sports Resort pull off this seemingly daunting task? I’ve spent about 15 hours playing the game solo, with friends, and with fellow gaming journalists online, and this is my verdict. Getting sporty on Switch 2
(Image credit: Nintendo) The original Nintendo Switch Sports was a decent overall experience. It was a bit thin at launch and lacked single-player replayability, but the version we know today has a solid lineup of events, with fairly responsive controls, and is a good party game to enjoy with friends. And luckily, it feels like Nintendo Switch Sports Resort has fixed a lot of the issues I had with its predecessor. Let’s start off by talking about the sporting variety on offer. There are 12 core sports available here. You’ve got some classic options like Basketball, Bowling, Boxing, and Tennis, as well as some Leisure Sports, such as Power Cruising and Prop Plane. What’s more, there are two sports that have never been seen in previous entries — namely Skateboarding and Thumb Wrestling. I found that all 12 of the included sports were great fun to play. Let’s start with the returning events. Sports such as Basketball and Tennis are much unchanged, but feel incredibly tight and enjoyable, with accurate motion controls and multiple modes, such as Three-Point Contest for the former and a slower-paced Laid-Back Match for the latter. Bowling, Golf, and Volleyball are similarly unchanged, and continue to be a favorite for my pals and me, with plenty of laughs and tense moments. Some of the returning sports feel far more refined, though. The biggest example of this is Boxing. Gone are the days of randomly flailing your disconnected gloves to down your opponent. Now, Boxing feels far more tactical. You have a stamina bar; it’s far easier to land uppercuts and hooks, and picking the right moment to land your knockout punch is crucial. Best bit
(Image credit: Nintendo) My highlight was definitely conquering the island champion in Table Tennis. This was my favorite sport by quite a margin, and landing a crushing power shot to snag the number one ranking felt incredible. Take that, Yunsu. I’m the champion now. It’s a similar story with Table Tennis, which, in my view, is the most fun sport in the game. At higher levels, you’ll need to be incredibly strategic with your slice shots to recover back to the centre and perfect your timing to hit shots right onto the table edge. The Return Challenge mode is also a whole lot of fun, and honing your accuracy to beat your high score feels super rewarding. Archery is another highlight, with the Joy-Con 2 controllers providing pinpoint precision when aiming for the target. There are also some hidden targets to discover, adding plenty of replay value to the sport. Other sports, like Power Cruising and Prop Plane, translate nicely onto Switch 2 as well, and although the latter asks you to hold the Joy-Con 2 in a slightly bizarre way, it’s fairly comfortable and effective after you get used to it. Out with the old, in with the new
(Image credit: Nintendo) We’ll get onto the new events in just a moment, but before we do that, let’s talk about something that irked me a little. Some of the events from the original Nintendo Switch Sports have been cut. Yes, it’s out with the old and in with the new, as three events — Badminton, Chambara, and Football (or soccer) — are no more. This is a shame, as these were all among my favorite sports last time out. Football in particular is a big miss — it provided a chaotic, all-action multi-player experience with tense last-minute theatrics. Will these sports return in some kind of update or DLC? Quite possibly. But I would’ve loved to have seen them here at launch. Anyway, no point in crying over spilt milk, eh? After all, the newly added sports are a blast. Thumb wrestling is a truly bizarre addition, and I can’t believe that Nintendo managed to make this feel fun. You have to hold your thumb against your opponent’s hand to enlarge it, and then pin them down to attain victory. I feel like they missed a trick by leaving out ‘one, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war’ as the countdown, but otherwise, no complaints here. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort has made one other key addition that helps it to totally surpass its predecessor, that being Island Crown. I can see skateboarding dividing opinion, but I had good fun with it. This mode makes use of the Switch 2’s mouse mode capabilities, and this works surprisingly well. Whether I was lifting the Joy-Con 2 to jump or trick, tilting to steer, or pushing back to accelerate, movement always seemed to be accurate. The Skate Sprint mode is definitely the highlight here; tricking to gain speed, sneaking up behind your opponents, and grinding on railings is a whole lot of fun. What I would say, however, is that the Free Play mode could’ve been better. The world that you skate around isn’t empty or anything, but I wish there was more to do and explore. The Sightseeing Tour is also a little lacking; you’re tasked with collecting photos, which isn’t the most thrilling experience — I would’ve preferred the option to collect customization parts for my board or character instead. This also applies to the Prop Plane and Power Cruising modes, which have Free Play options as well. Oh, and a quick note on online play, which was very enjoyable in my experience. Here, you can expect highly responsive, smooth controls…
