Nintendo Switch Sports: A Classic Reborn
April 7, 2022
The Nintendo Wii was a great console that many gamers of all ages played. However, the best game among them all was the classic Wii Sports. I played it in the late 2000s and it was my favorite, with its motion sensitive controllers and its realistic gaming mechanics. Recently, Nintendo announced a bunch of new games that would be coming to the Switch later this year and even into next year. However, among those games was one in particular that struck many fans, including myself, who had been waiting for well over a decade. At one of the Nintendo Directs this year, Nintendo announced a remake of Wii Sports called Nintendo Switch Sports. This is further proof that the original game still holds the excitement a decade later and is the best game overall.
In 2006, Nintendo released the Wii worldwide. Wii Sports would soon follow and be a global success. Gloria Lotha from Encyclopedia Britannica explained that, Wii Sports included five different games and they were golf, bowling, boxing, baseball, and tennis. In addition to what Lotha stated, the game also allowed couch play meaning that four people could play the game at the same time. Boxing and Baseball were an exception though as the sports maxed out at two players. The game also allowed gamers’ avatars, called Mii’s, to be integrated into the game to allow a more realistic aspect towards the electronic sports. This allowed gamers to feel more involved.
According to Jessica Clement from Statista.com, Wii Sports sold a whopping 82.9 million copies as of 2021. This game had features that had never been used on a home-console. Like mentioned previously, the Wii had motion sensors and motion sensitive controls meaning that all your movement was tracked through the Wii remote. Matt Espineli from GameSpot mentioned that these mechanics actually helped many people including the elderly which did not require them to walk around or move as much. Another reason this game was great. In fact, I myself worked up a sweat when playing boxing.
Which brings me to the best of this piece, which is something many Nintendo fans have been waiting for. This game is a successor to the original Wii Sports and offers features similar to that of the original game and some updated features. According to Brian Shea from Gameinformer, he describes the overall legacy and how this new game is set to take on the former glory of its predecessor. Switch Sports itself will not release until April 29th of this year; however, Switch gamers were given access to the game’s beta testing between February 18th and February 20th of this year, Shea added.
Elise Nelson from cheatsheet.com mentioned that after the beta testing concluded, Nintendo stated that no testers were allowed to post screenshots, videos, or any other reviews about the game as they wanted to keep it secret. To my assumption, it’s a “no spoilers” deal. However, that didn’t stop fans from posting screenshots and clips of the game on Twitter. In addition, Nelson said that the majority of reviews were positive and full of excitement.
Like I mentioned previously, instead of using a classic motion sensor bar like the Wii had, Switch Sports will use the Joy-Cons that come along with the Nintendo Switch console. These Joy-Cons can be used both in handheld and console mode. Nintendo added a new sport, football (soccer if you are in the U.S.) which allows players to use shootout mode. Brian Shea said that this mode allows players to punt the ball in the game; however, a leg strap accessory is required, unless you want to punt the Switch Joy-Con into your television. While this game is set to release at the end of April 2022, I believe many fans will be excited and eager to play this remake.
There you have it, Wii Sports was a great game and a great influence to many around the world when it first launched with the Nintendo Wii in 2006. It allowed for gamers to stay active and also have fun while doing it. The new Switch Sports, which will now have online multiplayer features unlike the original, will connect competitive and hardcore Nintendo gamers around the world. Will this new game be able to fill in the shoes of its great predecessor? I believe all the signs are pointing to “absolutely!”
Sources
Clement, J. (2022). Top Selling Nintendo Wii game titles worldwide as of September 2021. Statista.com. https://www.statista.com/statistics/248204/top-selling-nintendo-wii-titles-worldwide/#:~:text=With%20approximately%2082.9%20million%20units,for%20fitness%20and%20sports%20games.
Espineli, M. (13 May 2019). The Most Influential Games Of The 21st Century: Wii Sports.
GameSpot: Los Angeles. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-most-influential-games-of-the-21st-century-wii/1100-6466810/
Lotha, G. (2013). Wii Sports. Encyclopedia Britannica.https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wii-Sports
Nelson, E. (20 February 2022). ‘Nintendo Switch Sports’ Play Test Participants Aren’t Afraid of Nintendo’s Keep Quiet Rule. Cheatsheet.com. https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/nintendo-switch-sports-play-test-participants-arent-afraid-of-nintendos-keep-quiet-rule.html/
Shea, B. (9 February 2022). Nintendo Switch Sports Carries On The Legacy Of Wii Sports In April. GameInformer: Washington D.C. https://www.gameinformer.com/nintendo-direct/2022/02/09/nintendo-switch-sports-carries-on-the-legacy-of-wii-sports-in-april