Easy sports with Joy-Con! Review of Nintendo Switch Sports, which allows you to enjoy six different sports, including volleyball and tennis!

On April 29, 2022, the game "Nintendo Switch Sports" was released for the Switch. It is a sequel in the same vein as the previous "Wii Sports," which was well received for its ability to play sports in the comfort of one's own home. In this issue, we will review "Nintendo Switch Sports". We will explain the events included in the game, their contents, and our impressions of the game.

Easy to play with intuitive controls by shaking the Joy-Con

There are six events in this title. In addition to the familiar "bowling," "chambara," and "tennis," "volleyball," "badminton," and "soccer" have been newly introduced.

In volleyball, the Joy-Con is held down when receiving, and in tennis, the Joy-Con is swung down when making a smash. In this title, the actual movements of each sport are reproduced in the game. Not only is it intuitive and easy to understand, but the tutorial teaches you a series of moves in the events you are playing for the first time, so you can enjoy the game immediately without prior knowledge. It is also nice that your character moves automatically during the game, so you can concentrate on operating the racket and ball.

For this review, I played the game with one of my friends at home after playing the game for a while. The game is designed to identify the type of game that each user has never played before. This eliminates the need to explain the game to those playing it for the first time, so they can start playing as soon as they get together at home, and the intuitive Joy-Con controls are easy to learn. This simplicity can be attributed to the fact that Nintendo continues to create games that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

All disciplines except soccer can be enjoyed with a single Joy-Con. If you share the other Joy-Con with another player, you can play cooperatively or against each other anywhere.

Each event takes only a few minutes to complete, making it ideal for those who want to get some light exercise in a short amount of time. I am not a regular sports person, but even so, I had enough time to play through all six events. The CPU strength is divided into "normal," "strong," and "very strong," and can be customized freely according to the player's skill level. Even if the match is short, players can change the strength of the CPU to take on stronger opponents.

The same fitness game from Nintendo, "Ring Fit Adventure," was released in 2019 and became a hot topic. While that one supported a wide range of play styles, from simple exercises to strength training, this one seems to have a more casual style, specializing in quick and easy play.

In the following, we will focus on each of the disciplines. The number of players in parentheses is for offline play.

Volleyball (1 to 4 players)

This sport is played in a 2-on-2 team competition. Basically, the players operate in the order of receive, toss, and spike, and respond to the opponent's spike with a "block".

When a player receives or tosses the ball at the right time, the trajectory of the ball is colored and the speed of the spike is enhanced. The game is safe if you work with the CPU, but if you want to experience the difficulty and fun of teamwork, we recommend that you cooperate with other players. Even if you don't get it right the first time, a sense of solidarity will develop as you work together, and once you get the timing down, the coordination becomes more and more enjoyable.

Perhaps because of this "timing" factor, volleyball was the most meaningful sport for me personally. Incidentally, advice such as "too slow" or "too fast" is displayed on the screen according to the timing of the technique input, so it will not take long to get used to the game.

Badminton (1-2 players)

This is a fascinating sport in which players use a special ball called a "shuttle" to hit each other at high speed. It is one of the most strenuous sports currently included in this title. It feels as if you are swinging the Joy-Con every second, and if you are not careful for even a second, you will miss the returning shuttle.

In addition to exchanging smashes as if swinging the Joy-Con down, the key to the game is the ability to hit from below to create a mountainous trajectory. Even just by gently mixing in a smash, the opponent will feel a lot of pressure. In a game that develops in the blink of an eye, the player must judge whether his opponent's move is a smash or not, and respond accordingly. This event is especially recommended for those who seek a sense of speed.

Bowling (number of players: 1 to 4)

In this game, players throw a ball and compete to see how many of the 10 pins placed at the end of a straight line called a "lane" can be knocked down.

The position and angle of the throw can be changed freely.

By twisting the Joy-Con just before throwing the ball, it is possible to curve the ball in any direction. This is especially useful for knocking down diagonally aligned pins. However, the strength of the curve is directly related to how hard you twist the Joy-Con, so it takes some getting used to in order to get the desired trajectory. It is embarrassing to aim for a curve and miss, but there is also a great sense of accomplishment when you succeed.

Soccer (1 to 4 players)

In addition to 1-on-1 and 4-on-4, free practice and shooting matches are also included. In this soccer game, the ball is larger than the player's height. Furthermore, unlike other disciplines, soccer uses two Joy-Cons and players move their characters by themselves. The sticks are used to move, but when kicking, the player swings the Joy-Con in any direction.

Dribbling and passing the ball while keeping an eye on the team's position is no different from regular soccer. The key is the "dash," which allows you to move temporarily faster, but has the drawback that it consumes stamina and cannot be abused. The game is not just about chasing the ball, but also about stamina alone, such as watching your position in relation to your opponents, switching to defense if you think they are going to get a head start, and playing hardball in anticipation of their stamina consumption.

Chanbara (1-2 players)

The player wins when the opponent is thrown off the field by swinging the Joy-Con, which is used as a katana. Since it is a "chambara" game, it is more like a battle than a competition, and those who loved swinging wooden sticks as a child will love this game. There are three types of weapons to choose from: the katana, which delivers a powerful single blow; the twin katana, which can be used to fight with two swords; and the charge katana, which has a powerful hasty slash.

In addition to attacking to knock the opponent off the field, it is also important to guard against the opponent's slashes. To defend, hold your katana so that it intersects with the direction in which your opponent is slashing at you. In other words, make an "X" mark with your katana and your opponent's katana. When attacking, the opposite is true. The katana is successful when it looks like the Roman numeral "II" or the "=" used in mathematical formulas. Although it is a game that requires quick thinking, the difference between attacking and defending can be visually distinguished, so it was easy to get used to it when playing.

In addition to sword fighting, the real appeal of this game is thinking about the timing of attacks and defenses. If an attack is blocked, the player is unable to move for a certain period of time, which means that he or she may be continuously hit by a counterattack. You can either stay on the defensive and look for an opportunity to counterattack, or you can be aggressive and slash with feints, such as a horizontal slash from a vertical position. The game is simple, but the game is a fun one with a lot of tactical play.

Tennis (for 1 to 4 players)

A similar sport to "Badminton," which is also included in the package, this is a 2-on-2 team game. The court is wider and the players can enjoy hitting each other with more dynamic movements.

The trajectory of the ball changes depending on the timing of the return shot, and the ball can be spun by twisting the Joy-Con at the moment of hitting. Spin is a particular feature of this game. Twisting the Joy-Con upward produces topspin, which accelerates the bouncing ball. Conversely, a downward twist results in backspin, which causes the ball to bounce to the left or right. When you are able to use each type of spin according to the situation, you can put pressure on your opponent or guide your opponent with an intended bounce, which will greatly expand your tactical range and make hitting more enjoyable.

Incidentally, if you hit back at the wrong time, it will tell you if you are too slow or too fast, just like in badminton, so you can use this as a reference when honing your skills.

The simple and intuitive Joy-Con controls are designed to be enjoyable even for beginners, but there are also many techniques that can be used in cooperative or competitive play, such as the ability to change trajectories by twisting and managing stamina by dashing. As is typical of Nintendo games, this is a game that can be easily enjoyed by people of all ages.

(Text: Natsuyoshi Natsuyashirauchi)

Information on the game

Nintendo Switch Sports

Genre: Sports

Compatibility: Nintendo Switch

Release date: April 29, 2022 (Friday)

Price

Package version: 5,478 yen (including tax)

Download version: 4,300 yen (including tax)

CERO: All ages

Remarks

　*At the time of release, leg band support is only available in some soccer modes.