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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.
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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
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
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
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. Even though my home Wi-Fi is far from great, I ran into no performance issues whatsoever when linking up with a couple of other gaming journalists online — vital when playing reaction-based sports like Table Tennis and Volleyball.
A more replayable sporting experience
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort has made one other key addition that helps it to totally surpass its predecessor, that being Island Crown.
Island Crown is a primarily single-player experience, where you have to rise up the ranks in a particular sport and challenge the island champion. Initially, your foes will seem laughably weak, but as you climb up the table, some highly skilled challengers will stand before you. If you manage to beat the island champion, you’ll have the opportunity to face a legendary Mii from the Wii era…I won’t spoil the identity of these, though; I’ll let you discover them for yourself.
This mode has kept me coming back to Nintendo Switch Sports Resort time after time. You get new customization options as you improve your rank; the challenge of beating tough opponents is highly compelling, and the mode serves as an excellent way to develop your sporting prowess. This is the sort of single-player replayability that the original Switch Sports was crying out for, and I absolutely loved it.
I’ve mentioned customization options a few times in this review, so let’s talk about them. By playing sports, you’ll earn points which you can spend at the item center to get a random title, hairstyle, costume, or such things. Previously, you could only earn points online to customize your character — meaning you’d need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, but no longer. Now, you can earn points offline too, and I loved a lot of the straight-up weird customization options available. I mean, come on, just look at my character.
Just like Wii Sports Resort, this entry succeeds in building on its predecessor with additional depth and versatility.
You can either customize your standard character or a Mii that’s saved on your Switch 2 console. But I never deviated from the standard option. I’m afraid that the Miis just look so out of place in this game, with this visual style…and I feel like it’s time to let them go. Maybe they should simply remain as a relic of a bygone era.
More generally, I would say that the visual style of Nintendo Switch Sports is a bit lackluster. It misses the personality and sauce of the Wii era titles, and goes for a more ‘streamlined,’ modern look which ends up feeling a tad soulless. Even the menus are a touch dull, and given that this is a Nintendo game, I expected more flair, and perhaps a few nods to the company’s most beloved IPs to add even more charm.
The quality of the visuals is generally strong, though, and frame rates are consistent in docked or tabletop mode. I did notice a few texture loading issues in tabletop when playing Prop Plane, but this was fairly minor.
Otherwise, though, I’m coming away from my experience with Nintendo Switch Sports Resort feeling largely positive. The bolstered single-player replayability, enjoyable new sports, refined classics, and brilliantly responsive controls ensure it’s a hit that’s especially great for multiplayer mayhem.
It’s a shame that some sports were cut, and I’m still not sold on this series’ visual direction, but just like Wii Sports Resort, this entry succeeds in building on its predecessor with additional depth and versatility. So, if you’re looking for a fun sporting experience to add to your Switch 2 library, this is well worth picking up.
Should you play Nintendo Switch Sports Resort?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility features
You can change the dominant hand for each individual sport, alter camera controls for Prop Plane and Skateboarding, and turn on Shot Assist for Golf, which makes it easier to hit the ball accurately. Otherwise, there aren’t many ways to customize your experience in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, with no colorblind modes or alternate control schemes available.
How I reviewed Nintendo Switch Sports Resort
I spent 15 hours playing Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, trying out Island Crown mode in single-player, as well as a number of core and Leisure Sports via local and online multiplayer.
For the most part, I played in docked mode, with my console connected to the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. However, I did dabble in some tabletop mode gameplay, and used the JBL Live Beam 4 to enjoy in-game audio.
More generally, I’ve spent years reviewing gaming software and hardware here at TechRadar. I’ve reviewed a number of Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives, including Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, and Kirby Air Riders. I’ve also logged more than 50 hours on the original Nintendo Switch Sports, which I directly compared against its newly released successor.
First reviewed October 2026
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harry.padoan@futurenet.com (Harry Padoan)
