Nintendo is once again inviting players to Wuhu Island with Switch Sports Resort, the latest entry in the franchise that once defined the company's motion control era. The game introduces a mix of familiar sports and new exploration-focused activities, aiming to recapture the magic of its predecessors while introducing fresh ways to engage with the series.
During an extended hands-on preview, eight sports and activities were sampled, providing a glimpse into both the competitive events and the free-roaming exploration that Wuhu Island now offers. Roughly half of these activities are returning from previous entries, with the others being new additions for this installment. While this offers a good variety, the limited preview time made it difficult to assess the long-term depth of each new offering.
Three of the new activities lean heavily into exploration: Skateboarding, Prop Plane, and Power Cruising (jet skiing). These modes utilize the Joy-Con controllers in inventive ways that evoke the early days of the Wii, blending gaming with a toy-like feel. Skateboarding, in particular, employs a unique control scheme. Players hold the Joy-Con on its side, using it like a mouse to emulate pushing off, while motion controls handle steering and mid-air tricks. The island is populated with landmarks and photo opportunities, encouraging players to simply roam and discover until a time limit expires. Split-screen support allows for separate exploration, with a post-activity map showing the paths taken, similar to the Hero's Path feature in recent Zelda titles.
Power Cruising adopts a similar free-roam structure on water. Players hold the Joy-Cons horizontally to simulate jet ski handlebars, twisting the right controller to accelerate and tilting both to steer. The focus here is on a relaxing tour, collecting items and capturing photos of tourist spots, with occasional boost ramps for simple stunts.
The Prop Plane activity stands out among the exploratory modes. Holding the Joy-Con like a toy airplane, players navigate Wuhu Island, collecting items and photo icons. This mode offers a greater sense of skill and finesse, allowing for more player-driven fun. An impromptu mission to fly into the island's volcano revealed a hidden obstacle course, demonstrating a surprising layer of depth within the exploration.
A Nintendo representative indicated that Skateboarding and Power Cruising would eventually feature a timer-free, collectible-free roaming mode, a feature that will not be available for Prop Plane. This is a notable omission, given its potential for engaging exploration.
Returning activities offer mixed results. Boxing, updated for the Joy-Cons, involves punching and defensive stances, with tilting used for dodging. However, in a preview match against an easy opponent, the event proved susceptible to simple, relentless offense. The full game may introduce more complexity against higher-ranked opponents, but this was not evident in the brief demonstration.
Archery has seen a significant upgrade from its Wii Sports Resort iteration. As a competitive event, it features solid motion controls for drawing and releasing the bow. A unique scoring mechanic allows players to award points to opponents by missing targets, and a final round employs a pie-chart-like slicing of the target based on current scores.
Perhaps the most unexpected highlight is Thumb Wrestling. This seemingly simple event possesses surprising depth. Players hold the Joy-Con vertically, using the trigger button to press their thumb down and tilting to maneuver. Opponents can break free from pins by shaking their controller, and a risk-reward system allows players to power up their thumb by holding it down, increasing their pinning power at the cost of temporary vulnerability. This creates tense moments of strategic engagement.
Table Tennis and Bowling, two staples from the original Wii Sports, are faithfully recreated. In the preview, bowling skills from 2006 were easily recalled, suggesting these modes offer familiar and satisfying gameplay. It is possible that the full game introduces additional variations and challenges to these classic activities.
Switch Sports Resort appears to carry forward the legacy of its predecessors, offering enjoyable, toy-like minigames that are at their best when played with friends. The primary concern is whether the collection of activities, new and old, provides enough depth to warrant continued engagement beyond the initial novelty, or if this particular vacation to Wuhu Island might be one best skipped.