It’s been quite a while since the sports collection that is Wii Sports, but Nintendo has finally released a brand new collection of sports games for the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch has previously brought party game magic with some of the very best party games available. The Nintendo Switch Sports Games offers a collection of sports games that are designed in a way that picking them up and playing is easy for anyone.
Even if you don’t a single sports game, it will still be fairly easy to play these games. They have motion controls. The controlled motions of the Joy-con controller allow you to control your character’s motions via your real-world actions. It also includes a leg strap accessory.
There are currently seven games in total offered on the Nintendo Switch Sports and they are some of the best sports games I’ve seen. They are Bowling, Badminton, Tennis, Volleyball, Golf, Soccer, and Chambara. Some of these are returning fan favorites from the Wii Sports games, such as tennis and bowling, while some are completely new for players to try for the first time, such as volleyball and chambara. Some of these are single-person sports while others are team sports.
Though these games are extremely fun and learning them is quite easy, mastering them can be challenging. So today, we’re going to discuss some tips and tricks that will help you dominate each of the sports in Nintendo Switch Sports.
1. How to Play Nintendo Switch Sports
Nintendo Switch Sports is motion-controlled and where you can play digital versions of sports games with up to 4 players. The games are playable online or offline. Online membership to Nintendo switch online is required for online features.
The Joy-con controller is necessary for motion control. It translates your real-world movements into their in-game movements in each sport, you can swing them to simulate hitting the shuttlecock with a bat in badminton, you can flick the Joy-con controller to release the ball in bowling, etc.
The controls in Nintendo Switch Sports are pretty simple, however, there is a slight learning curve. The fastest way to learn them is simple, just start playing the game.
Here are some pointers that will help you master the controls :
- Use full-body movements to control the game. the more movement your body makes, the better you can control the game motions.
- Make accurate movements. Don’t just move your body randomly, make accurate movements like you would if you were playing that sport in real life.
- Wear wrist straps and secure the controllers to your wrist. If you wear wrist straps, it prevents you from dropping the controller.
- Stand in a clear area. Since you will be moving a lot, make sure that you’re in a clear area to prevent any accidents.
- A good internet connection is required for online features. This will prevent lag and make sure that the game runs smoothly.
- Practice makes perfect. Keep playing, keep practicing and you will keep improving.
- Use the leg strap accessory for soccer.
It also has multiplayer but internet access is required for online features.
2. Multiplayer Game Play
Nintendo Switch Sports has a multiplayer mode allowing you to play online with other people. Internet access is required for online features. Also, a Nintendo Switch Online membership is required. You and your friends, or you and your family can play online by having everyone join the same room. The multiplayer mode is pretty simple to use. It can be an activity that is enjoyed by the entire family.
If you can’t find an adequate room to join during random matchmaking in the lobby then you can make your own adequate room.
3. Pros and Cons of Nintendo Switch Sports
3.1 Pros :
- The sports games in Nintendo Switch Sports are a blast. From soccer to bowling to chambara, all of the games are so much fun to play that you will find yourself having a wonderful time.
- The multiplayer system in Nintendo Switch Sports is fantastic. Whether playing with family and friends or with complete strangers from across the world, you will have a blast playing these games.
- The visual aesthetics and the customizations in Nintendo Switch sports are such a delight to look at. You have several customization choices to achieve the look you want.
3.2 Cons :
- The online mode is Nintendo Switch sports is a little lacking, mostly because not all of the variations of certain sports are available in the Play Globally mode.
- Nintendo account is required to access multiplayer.
- Offline Play or solo game modes in Nintendo Switch sports don’t offer much in terms of rewards. You can mostly earn in-game rewards via online gameplay. This provides less incentive for you to play offline.
- The included leg strap accessory might for Nintendo Switch sports be unnecessary for you since you only need the leg strap accessory to play soccer but you can play soccer by controlling the joy-con with your hands as well. So if you prefer to use your hands then the leg strap will be useless to you.
4. Nintendo Switch Sports Games
4.1 Bowling
The physical version of bowling is a pretty common sports activity that most people have experienced. It is also a returning favorite from Wii sports. However, if you have not bowled before and this is your first time then don’t worry, the Nintendo Switch sports version is pretty simple. It is basically rolling a bowling ball to try and knock as many of the pins down as you can..
The rules of this game are: you have 10 pins that you have to knock down in each round with a bowling ball. You get two attempts per frame.
If you knock down all 10 pins on the first roll then it’s a strike, and if you do it by your second throw then it’s called a spare. Strikes and spares give you bonus points
If you get a strike or a spare in your final frame then you get two or one more shot respectively to gain even more points. The highest possible score is 300 and is achievable by hitting all 12 possible strikes perfectly.
The controls are pretty simple, you need to aim and throw the ball and you can also put a spin on it, which will curve it in one direction by twisting your wrist when you perform the throw in the direction in which you want to curve it. Before throwing, you need to position where your character is standing and the angle that they are facing the lane.
Here’s a tip for getting more strikes. To do this, try aiming for the pocket that is between the first pin in the front and one of the pins that is directly behind it, either to the right or left. You can zoom in on the pins by pressing the X button, this will help you to aim better. This is the simplest trick for getting strikes and is very useful, especially for new players.
For advanced-level players, a great tactic is to put a spin on your ball so it hits the pocket that was mentioned before at an angle. This provides with you the best probability of getting the pins to cascade and knock down the entire set.
4.2 Badminton
Badminton is a switch sport where two players hit a shuttlecock with rackets similar to that of tennis and try to land the shuttlecock on the other side of the court without the opponent returning it. Every time this is done, you score one point. The first player to reach a score of five points in the round wins.
The gameplay consists of serving the shuttlecock. You do this by taking the Joy-Con and moving it in a direction that is proper. You can do an overhead swing to perform a smash shot. You can flick the Joy-Con forward while holding the ZR or ZL at head level to do a drop shot.
Here are some pointers that will improve your badminton game. You need to control the pace of the match immediately. Try to aim for the opposite side of the court from where your opponent is and mix up your shots.
If your opponent lobs at you then do a smash shot for an easy point. Just don’t do it when you’re too close to the net because the shot can go out of bounds.
4.3 Tennis
You may be familiar with Mario tennis aces or the tennis world tour in real life. Mario Tennis Aces is another tennis game for Nintendo Switch but they have a lot of differences.
Tennis is played by hitting a ball to your opponent’s side of the court without having them return it. If the ball goes to the opponent’s side and bounces more than once, or if the opponent hits the ball out of bounds, or hits it into the net, then you score.
Now for some tips that will help your game to improve. First of all, always try to hit a power serve by doing the downward swing when the ball is at the peak of its height. These are a lot faster than normal serves and can catch your opponent off-guard and net you a quick point.
There are three types of courts on which you can play and each one of them has a different effect. The court is selected at random. Hard courts are the normal pink courts that don’t have any effects. Grass courts have a green color and decrease the bounce of the ball. Clay courts are brown and make the ball lose speed after bouncing. You need to take the courts into consideration when you’re playing.
Like badminton, you want to control the game’s flow and make your opponent run around the court in order to return your shots, so you can force them to make a mistake.
Twisting your wrist either downward or upward will add backspin or topspin, respectively. Mixing up your tennis shot is always a good idea and can confuse your opponent and catch them off balance.
4.4 Volleyball
Next, we have a summertime favorite, Volleyball. This was not in Wii sports and is making its first appearance in the Nintendo Switch sports. In order to win, you must hit the ball over the net and onto the other half of the court without allowing your opponent to return it.
Serving is the same as tennis. You can mix up your serve by changing up the speed, timing, and angle of your swing. The other moves are: bumping, setting, spiking, and blocking.
Bumping is the basic move, you can do this by lifting the Joy-Con upwards from your waist while holding it in front of you.
Setting can be accomplished by pressing your Joy-Con downward while holding it up by your head, this will bounce the ball up without sending it to the opponent’s side. This basically sets up your teammate to do a spike.
Spiking can be done by doing a sweeping downward motion when your character has leaped up into the air and the ball has come close enough. The better the timing, the quicker the ball will fall.
Blocking is done if your opponent is about to hit you with a spike. To accomplish this raise your hands straight up in order to leap up so you can attempt to intercept the ball.
Just try to hit the ball hard and fast in open spaces that are far away from your opponents and you will be able to score more easily.
4.5 Golf
Golf was included in the free update of Nintendo Switch Sports. It might be familiar to anyone who has played big tournament golf or follows golf in real life like the PGA tour. In the golf game, you try to hit a small ball with a club to try to sink it in the hole in as few strokes as possible. The golf game controls for the switch are a bit complicated and require practice to get the hang of. This game requires coordination, practice, and knowledge of the game’s rules. Here are some pointers for improving your game.
When you start to swing, make sure that you’re in a comfortable position then swing when you’re ready.
There is a feature to test your swing by swinging the Joy-Con to see if your shot has the strength that you want, always use it.
You will need to balance out the power you use. Don’t hit it with too much or too little power. The wind is also something you’ll need to compensate for. You’ll discover this through practice and encounters..
Keep practicing, test your swings before hitting the ball and you should improve quickly.
4.6 Soccer
Soccer is a game where you need to put the ball in your opponent’s goal in order to score a point. If the ball is put into your goal then a point will be awarded to the opposing team. The team with the higher score after time expires wins the match.
One twist that is added in the Nintendo Switch sports version of soccer is that there is a Golden Ball that appears mostly towards the end of the matches. It is worth two points if you can score with the Golden Ball.
The controls are similar to traditional games. You can use the analog stick to move, kicking can be done by swinging, and you can also jump, dash, pass, and ping other members of the team.
There are three types of kicks, i.e., overhead, low, and diagonal. You can swing the Joy-Con straight upward to perform overhead kicks. You can swing from high to low to perform low kicks. You can swing to either side to perform diagonal kicks.
You can perform a diving header by swinging both Joy-Cons down simultaneously. This does a harder hit to the ball than a regular kick.
By holding the ZR button while kicking you can pass. To dash you need to press or hold the ZL. If the character has stamina then they will dash. You can press the B button to make your character jump. You can ping your teammate if you’re playing on a team by pressing the A button.
Some tips that will improve your game are: manage your stamina and don’t dash around all the time. Only dash for scoring goals or making saves. Always pass the ball around instead of trying to go at it alone. In order to move towards the opponent’s goal and make it harder for the opponent to steal the ball, use diagonal kicks.
4.7 Chambara
Chambara is like a hybrid between sumo and sword fighting. It is completely new in the Nintendo Switch sports and was not in Wii Sports. The gameplay consists of two players striking one another with fake swords while trying to push the other player closer to the edge. You will earn a point if the opponent is pushed into the water by you. The first player that reaches two points in the round wins.
If neither of the combatants falls after 45 seconds have passed then the round is considered a draw. After three rounds have passed and if it is still a draw, then there will be a sudden death round. In this round, the platform is extremely tiny and players will fall after taking two hits.
You can attack and block. All attacks and blocks are either horizontal, vertical, or parallel. A straight thrust can be accomplished by pushing the Joy-Con straight ahead. In order to change to a block stance, you must hold down the ZL/ZR button. You can tilt your Joy-Cons to the left or right in order to strafe slightly.
You can choose from three types of swords, regular, charged, or twin. Regular swords consist of normal moves while charge and twin swords have skills that are special.
You can build up charge with the charge sword. This can be accomplished by blocking. You can then do a charge strike or charge thrust by holding the L/R button. They move the opponent further than their regular variant if they hit.
The twin swords, equip two swords in two hands. They have two special moves, the twin thrust, and spinning strike. You can do the spinning strike by swinging both Joy-Cons together or do a twin thrust by thrusting both Joy-Cons forward. These can be done once the energy meter fills up over time.
Even though attacking seems like the way, the secret to success is blocking. You need to hold the block at all times and only let go when you’re sure you can strike. Always adjust your position. Try to keep yourself as close to the center as possible. Also, try to move your opponent toward the edge as much as possible. Experiment with the types of swords to see which one suits your playstyle best and use that.
5. Competing in an Online Sports Game
The online features include a pro league for all of the sports games where you can compete online against other players and earn in game rewards. It is not available right away, you have to unlock it. In order to unlock the pro league mode for a sport you need to play a total of 10 online rounds of that specific sport.
You need to fulfill these criteria separately for each sports game for which you want to unlock the pro league mode. You can play online 10 times via random matchmaking in a sports game in order to unlock the pro league mode.
This mode is a free for all where you will face opponents worldwide to climb the ranks. The ranks start from E at the bottom and climb all the way to A at the top.
Rank depends upon wins and losses so winning will increase your rank whereas losing could push you down to a lower rank. Inactivity does not affect a player’s rank.
6. Conclusion
In conclusion, Nintendo Switch sports have some of the best sports games and are very fun and entertaining and will keep you having a blast for hours playing your favorite sports games even if you’re not familiar with Wii sports. it also includes some sports accessories.
The Nintendo Switch sports a simple to use control system that makes it easy for even new players to pick up and play. The leg strap accessory is useful for using your legs for playing soccer.
Online features for which internet access required and a Nintendo account required, allow you to play with family and friends or even with people all over the world. In my opinion, Chambara and Volleyball, are the best switch sports games.
FAQs
1. Which controllers have compatibility with Nintendo Switch Sports?
Joy-Con controllers, both single and paired, as well as Joy-Con + leg strap are compatible. Nintendo Switch Pro controllers are incompatible.
2. Can voice chat be used while playing online?
Yes, voice chat is accessible. You can use it when “Playing with your friends” via the “Nintendo Switch Online Smartphone App”. A Nintendo Switch Online is required to use it. Voice chat can only be use if you’re over the age of 13.
3. Why am I able to play only a trial if I open the “Play Globally” option?
You need an active Nintendo Switch Online membership in order to play online. If you don’t have an account then you can only play trial games against the computer when you select “Play Globally”. If you have a membership and are still having this problem then make sure you’ve selected the correct user when you started it up, otherwise close the software and try again after a short time.
Last Updated on by kalidaspandian
