Skip to main content

Nintendo Switch Sports has a major Wii Sports vibe

Nintendo has announced Nintendo Switch Sports, a Switch sequel to the breakout Wii Sports seriesThe game will once again allow players to assume a character and play a variety of sports using the Joy-Cons’ built-in motion controls. Tennis, bowling, and chambara are returning from previous Wii Sports titles. The game will also include new sports such as volleyball, soccer, and badminton.

Nintendo Switch Sports will launch on April 29, 2022.

Nintendo Switch Sports – Announcement Trailer – Nintendo Switch

While the game is looking to capture the same simple motion-controlled play that made the previous two titles a big success, Nintendo Switch Sports is also adding a little depth for players who want more out of the experience. The Joy-Con leg strap made famous by Ring Fit Adventure will be included with the game and will allow players to play a shooting mode in soccer by kicking. An update will bring this functionality to soccer matches later this year. Another content update, planned for this fall, will bring golf, which was first seen in the original Wii Sports. 

Recommended Videos

All of the game’s sports will support online play. Players can face off with their friends or be matched randomly against other players around the world. Performance does matter in matchmaking: The more matches players win, the better opponents they’ll face.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Nintendo Switch Sports launches on April 29, 2022, but players with an active Switch Online membership will be able to participate in an online play test from February 18-20. Bowling, chambara, and tennis will be available, but only random matchmaking will be used, meaning players won’t be able to face off against their friends for the duration of the test.

Emily Morrow
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Emily Morrow is a games journalist and narrative designer who has written for a variety of online publications. If she’s…
The Switch’s newest game is the next best thing to Animal Crossing
My Melody swims in Hello Kitty: Island Adventure.

When it comes to Nintendo Switch games, we’re in a bit of a holding pattern. Nintendo’s next console is right around the corner and new releases for its old one have stalled as a result. We expect Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A to be the system’s last games, but we’re only getting ports of a few older games until then. If you’re used to getting a big new Switch game every month, you might find yourself a little restless for the next few months.

Thankfully, third-party publishers are doing their part to fill that gap. This week, Switch owners just got what might be one of its last must-own games thanks to Hello Kitty: Island Adventure. The life sim is the closest thing you’ll get to a new Animal Crossing game on the Switch. Considering that Nintendo has no games of its own scheduled to launch until March, this is the next best thing.

Read more
Ridge Racer 64 sees its first-ever re-release on Nintendo Switch Online
Two players play Nintendo Switch.

Ridge Racer 64 is now available for Nintendo Switch Online. For those keeping track, this is the first time in 25 years the game has been available (legally) on anything but the Nintendo 64 itself. Who wants to dust off an old consoleThe classic racing game is available to all Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers starting today.

Ridge Racer 64 first hit shelves in 2000, near the end of the console's lifespan. That put it in competition with other games like Gran Turismo 4 and Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed. Less than a year after its launch, the PlayStation 2 released and dominated console sales for years to come — and that means Ridge Racer 64 flew under the radar for a lot of people.

Read more
The best open-world games on Switch
Link flying through air in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Even when the system launched, the Nintendo Switch was clearly the weakest console of the generation. While the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games were pushing graphics to the limit, Nintendo was more focused on delivering fun experiences you could play on your TV or in handheld mode. Despite its lack of raw power, which the Switch 2 addresses to some degree, it hasn't stopped the system from delivering amazing open-world games with vast landscapes to explore. Sure, they may not have the best graphics, but the simple fact that such massive experiences are playable on the Switch makes them technical marvels. These aren't watered-down experiences where it counts, which is the fun factor, so let's list off the best open-world games for the Switch you should be playing.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Read more