The piece of Nintendo Switch Sports fits well into the mosaic of the halfway point of the Big N: find out why in our review
Already in our preview of the game, we defined the timing of Nintendo Switch Sports: in this sense, ours review he can't help but acknowledge the obvious. If you loved the previous video games set on Wuhu Island, your every smile during the trailers of this title will be enough for you to make the (right) decision to open your wallet. And the game couldn't have come out at a better time, as the antithesis of an unhealthy comparison between self-destructive drug addictions and the world of the web (where you are now) and video games (of which we speak).
And while elsewhere there is (badly) talk of "generations to be saved", as we anticipated in the aforementioned preview, the only generation vaguely in danger is that of the Great N console. We are halfway to the hybrid platform, and it is right now that the console must keep up with the fierce competition of next-gen photorealism, the right moment to reconfirm the appeal of the hardware on the casual audience. The writer has been in the eye of the videogame storm for too long to be defined as such, but if you want to know if the independent sequel to a game sold in bundle with Wii sixteen years ago can find a generous audience ... the answer is not quite like that discounted.
The heat is forty
Since there is no plot to talk about (the only pretext can be summarized in the screenshot below), let's get straight to the heart of this review by talking about an aspect that acts as a boundary to the entire Nintendo Switch Sports experience. Even with our preview we have reversed things a bit, and that is why we have to talk about the value for money. Qualitatively speaking, as always, you can expect the usual attention to detail that the Kyoto giant has accustomed us to love. However, we are not dealing with the usual sixty euros justified by quality, but with quaranta to balance a more modest amount of content.
The number can go up to fifty for anyone who has purchased the title in physical format, given its inclusion for the band with which to tie a Joy-Con to the thighs. We will talk about this later, but for now we invite anyone who has made the previous gym their own Ring Fit Adventure (a godsend in the middle of the pandemic) to buy the game digitally. In hindsight, bringing up another title, we also understand why this title missed the launch of the consoles: where Wii Sports was used to show the potential of the hardware, in this case the honor went to 1-2 Switch .
“Mila, make a wall…” - Nintendo Switch Sports review
Moving on to the various disciplines of Nintendo Switch Sports (and going in order, this time), it is therefore there volleyball to open the dance in this review. To the detriment of the hatred towards this specific sport on the part of the writer (who however appreciates the vision of it), the digital transposition of volleyball succeeds in the not easy intent of maintaining the strategic depth of the discipline without overly complicating things during the game. There are different actions to take, but beyond a learning curve linked to the ability of the players to concentrate, the experience remains intuitive.
I roles they can change at any time, depending on the trajectory of the ball. This first sport shows a clear intent in game design to foster the potential of co-op, with the help of excessive use of the single Joy-Con. Our avatars move independently on the pitch, and you can find yourself playing at the baseline as well as under the net, as appropriate. Precisely for this reason it is good to always be ready, from receiving through bagher (baseline) and wall (under the net) to attack with always satisfying dunks. If we ever described volleyball as the weak link in the experience, we were wrong.
Volàno, or "how to remove the bad from badminton" - Nintendo Switch Sports review
And therefore the turn of the badminton. How to differentiate this discipline from tennis? It is not up to the reviewer alone to ask, quite the opposite. It is evident that the development team has also asked the exact same question. The main novelty, for anyone less familiar with the discipline itself, lies in the range of action at their disposal. Halfway between actual tennis and table tennis, the room for maneuver is decidedly narrower. It may seem like a small thing, but by analyzing the dynamics of this sport better we discover the butterfly effect caused by what seemed like a small difference.
We could limit ourselves to the smallest number of participants, which drop from a maximum of four to a fixed number of two. We could, but we won't. Instead there is a lot (good) to be said about what the sport has to offer in terms of pace. The frenzy is such as to make the dynamics of tennis almost lethargic once you return to the "old" disciplines. Even the parabolic range of the lobs (okay, it's an arc trajectory, but we wanted an alliteration) can fuel theheart-pounding atmosphere that distinguishes this sport once you get carried away. Not to mention the possibility of placing the occasional treacherously muffled shot ...
“Mi-ti-coh” - Nintendo Switch Sports review
Not being able to exempt ourselves from the obligatory homage to the Simpsons, we therefore also introduce the bowling. It would be unfair to talk about an introduction, as it is basically the exact same activity that we already loved in Wii Sports. However, we just couldn't do without it: unlike tennis, this great comeback has received enough improvements to be almost unrecognizable. The basic idea is the one already known to all: to drop all the pins with a maximum of two attempts per turn. And in real bowling, the waiting involved in sharing the same lane is a nuisance.
The bowling alley of Spocco Square (this is the name of the newborn successor of the Wuhu island) is decidedly more generous than its counterpart dated 2006. The use of a single lane (with associated waiting areas) is still allowed, but the addition of a mode to play simultaneously all together makes this option obsolete to the point that it becomes almost irrelevant. For the rest, everything remains as intuitive as always: keep your fingers firmly on the trigger of your Joy-Con (without letting it go, this time) for the launches and using the combo between analog lever and buttons to adjust the shot.
Rocket League - Nintendo Switch Sports Review
How could we describe the videogame transposition of football offered by this title? The most laconic definition is “Nintendo's response to Rocket League”. Which leaves some time it finds, given the availability of gameplay by Psyonix (and not) on every console as a live service, but it is also surprisingly effective. The only meeting point between the two terms of comparison, however, is the generic basis of the gameplay; otherwise, apart from similar proportions between player, ball and goal, the two games don't have much to do with each other. It is also the only discipline to involve (by default, at least) both Joy-Con.
The movement of the character, in fact, we manage it ourselves with the left analog lever. The right hand, on the other hand, will be busy managing the shots with the motion sensors of the other Joy-Con. The final result seasons everything with a stamina indicator, to manage (with the dropper) our ability to carry out sporadic sprints (vital when the golden balls are introduced for the play-offs, with goals that are worth double: a literal golden goal). Among the various methods, the possibility of carrying out stands out penalty shoot-out using the aforementioned band. A future update (we'll talk about it again) will introduce the use of the same accessory even for real matches.
With an emphasis on the latest "a" - Nintendo Switch Sports review
Returning from Wii Sports Resort is instead a fencing variant that is called here chanbara (o hemp; one spelling is as good as another). Here the depth of the motion controls emerges further: there is a learning curve exactly like with Wii Sports and related sequels, but with proper practice it is possible to perform the exact movements you want. Depending on the type of weapon chosen, only one Joy-Con (one sword, energy sword) or both (two swords) is used. The premise is the same in any case: our aim is to drive the opponent out of the raised ring, throwing him into the pool below.
We have the opportunity to parry the blows by holding the sword (or rather, the Joy-Con) perpendicular to our opponent. Strategically we are like volleyball: our every movement must be calculated with due skill, although the matches tend to be very fast. Finding ourselves in the waters of shame is a matter of a moment. Losing a match can be frustrating, unless we enter a match with a view to the type of weapons we will be using. Normal fencing has no tricks up its sleeve to speak of, while with the energy sword and the two swords we will have a loaded shot to the sound of parades.
And finally, the iconic sport of Wii - Nintendo Switch Sports Review
What remains to be said, therefore, on the tennis? In reality, there isn't much to add. The service is now handled by just the motion of the controller, but other than that it's all delightfully the same. The pace of matches, whether singles or doubles and with a number of sets to win or not, is far less hectic than the war of nerves in which badminton is quick to degenerate. For the rest, all the immediacy of Wii Sports is still available to players, whether they are "true casuals" without the Wii or whether they are "real fans" who have already loved the original. Or, why not, nothing prevents newbies from joining the family.
If nothing else, as this discipline isn't here to reinvent the wheel as simultaneous multi-lane bowling has done, we have a little more time to discuss motion controls. In the case of volleyball, badminton, football and tennis, direct the trajectory of the ball is possible, but it requires a lot of practice. Everything depends on the (anything but innate) familiarity with Joy-Con management. It seems obvious, but in reality it doesn't take long to forget that we can also rotate the wrist and not just the arm. Coming to terms with this deepening of the gameplay avoids us some "but I had sent it over there" too many.
Olympic Bureaucracy - Nintendo Switch Sports Review
A little while ago we alluded to a certain one indecision in the target the game is aimed at. Nintendo's "blue ocean strategy", with the original Wii Sports, has led an unprecedented and unlikely senior audience to "discover" gamer in soul. Assuming this is the flagship fanbase, the first impact with the selection of the number of players never fails to amaze. The first item, similar to an increasing number of games, is theonline and. Of the three on-screen, the option that matches the original local experience is the second. For the curious, the third is for online with friends, managed through the lobby.
The basic idea, therefore, is to bring competitive competition on a global scale (complete with "lega pro"For ranked matches). Which is good, since our scrutiny started expressly from day one. Considering the escalation in the number of players (otherwise limited to inflexible controller bureaucracy, a topic we'll touch on later) and the fact that each avatar now boasts more complex models, the progress made certainly doesn't fail to impress. The online experience, the new hub of the sports world in a Kyotense key, passes with full votes a road test that we would never have taken for granted a priori.
Dreams of Fame, Dreams of FOMO - Nintendo Switch Sports Review
We were talking about evolved avatars and we weren't lying. Our digital alter egos have left behind the Rayman-like joints of Miis, despite the latter being present in the marginal role of half-masks. In fact, we now have the ability to create ad-hoc avatars for exclusive use in the game, complete with very generous customization options. The ability to unlock new outfits also extends to sports equipment, such as with balls and rackets, but their unlocking depends on a tiered system subject to limited availability. Everything is free, but the sour taste of FOMO (the Fortnite item shop phenomenon) is there.
In the more positive interpretation of this choice, the whole is aimed at providing more longevity to the title. A commendable commitment, without a shadow of a doubt, even if perhaps not entirely well placed. The disciplines are (for now) six, and the game (thanks to the limits of the human body) lends itself better to sessions that are not excessive. The freedom to customize the avatar is always welcome, but the unlocking of the options follows a trend that requires the same eccessi di very from which it is good to distance yourself. Or you might not be interested in anything. The choice is yours, assuming this title gives you one.
A little birdie told me a secret - Nintendo Switch Sports review
We would not want to appear misinformed in our judgment. We are aware ofupdating arriving in the coming months, which will reintroduce the golf among the original disciplines from Wii Sports. For this reason, we invite readers who will consult our review ad increase the final grade after the Nintendo Switch Sports update. Other titles from the Big N itself have received generous support via free updates (Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Kirby Star Allies, to name two). This specific title, in our humble opinion, is perhaps the most suitable considering the aforementioned mixed catchment area.
The update will also include support for the leg band from Ring Fit Adventure in all facets of football (outside the penalties below), as we anticipated. In reality, the issue of controls also entails a defect already noted in a previous analysis. If you remember well, in reviewing Mario Party Superstars we talked about a lesson learned after Super Mario Party. In reality, this game makes the (forced) choice of supposing a mandatory use in front of the TV. This also extends to the number of players for each sport, which depends on the number of Joy-Con available without compromising. And there is no Pro Controller to take it, Unfortunately.
The chronicle on the sidelines - Nintendo Switch Sports review
We have dwelt on the pros and cons too much: it's time to put the game under the microscope for our technical analysis. L'graphic appearance of Nintendo Switch Sports is devoid of infamy, but just as unworthy of praise. Contrary to other contexts, however, this is not something we intend to condemn. On the contrary, where Mario Kart 8 Deluxe implements such detailed backgrounds (DLC aside) as to confuse the ideas of the less attentive drivers, here a more spartan artistic style results in a cleaning optimal for matches. Also, as we have already noted, there are more elaborate avatars and more challenging movements, without any drop in framerate.
Il sound design leads us to face a similar discourse. The dubbing in Spanish for the reporter contributes to establishing an atmosphere of welcoming familiarity. However, the contradictory longevity calling for a relatively small title in her ambition does not fail to lay bare a modest treatment of our ears. Which, again, is fully understandable. There is a certain feeling of "fifty-fifty" that from our experience with the title has made its way between these lines, but the claims of those looking for a home gym in Nintendo Switch require a less conventional yardstick.
Final considerations
With "fifty-fifty" we certainly do not allude to the final vote with which to close the review of Nintendo Switch Sports. Perdiana, no! We simply wanted contextualize the different parameters in which the game, from conception in the design phase to use in the evaluation phase, operates conceptually. Ultimately, whether or not to reward the game largely depends on what you ask of it. If it is to reward a Big N that looks fitter than ever since the first Direct this year, you should look elsewhere. After all, for Kirby and the Lost Land, you have gone a bit wrong.
If you are looking for a sports title capable of entertaining as its predecessors did (okay, we also count Wii Sports Club on Wii U) some time ago, including in the simulation the physical training that comes with it, you are definitely in the right place. And in the latter case, the game is really for you. We do not want to make this observation a proxy for our analytical responsibilities. On the contrary, this is how we would like to end the discussion. Even with the pandemic on the avenue of the sunset, the possibility of facing anyone by burning calories with balls and balloons is difficult to say no. Maybe, for the oldest among us, rejuvenating until 2006.
This was what we thought. But what is your opinion? Tell us below, and as always do not forget to stay on {marca_origen} to read other reviews and get all the most important news on the gaming sphere and beyond. For your gamer needs, you can instead find the best discounts in digital format on Instant Gaming.
7 modestPoints in favor
- Curated and customizable avatars ...
- Future updates coming soon ...
- Improved Motion Controls ...
- Excellent focus on online ...
- It's Wii Sports nonetheless, but improved
Points against
- ... but with timed unlocking dynamics
- ... necessary for the current variety of sports
- ... penalizing the portability of the game
- ... contributing to an uncertain target
