Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Review: Welcome Back to Wuhu, Mostly

Nintendo Switch Sports in 2022 felt like a demo for a better game. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, out since October 22 exclusively on Switch 2, is that better game - or at least most of it. It takes the formula back to Wuhu Island, the tropical playground from Wii Sports Resort, and finally gives solo players a reason to stick around.

What is in the box

There are 12 sports: returning staples like tennis, bowling, volleyball and golf, plus archery, boxing, table tennis, basketball, thumb wrestling, skateboarding, power cruising and prop plane. The last three are relaxed "leisure" activities that double as sightseeing tours around the island, and they are where the Wuhu nostalgia hits hardest - flying low over the beach while other islanders go about their day is pure comfort food.

How it plays

The Joy-Con 2 and HD Rumble do a lot of heavy lifting. Archery, where you hold two controllers apart like a bow and draw back, is the standout - precise, tense and instantly readable for anyone in the room. Table tennis is the other winner: the controller genuinely feels like a small paddle, and rallies get competitive fast. Bowling, now with a silly 100-pin variant, remains the sport your relatives will ask for first.

Not everything lands. Skateboarding uses the Joy-Con's mouse mode, and sliding a controller across your coffee table never feels like riding a board. Boxing has satisfying rumble on every punch, but motion detection is inconsistent, and if you own a dedicated fitness boxing game it will feel shallow.

Finally, a single-player mode

Island Crown is the big upgrade. Every competitive sport has a ladder of 20 opponents, climbing to a champion who drops tips as you beat them, and then a legend for the toughest match. Rewards are cosmetic - outfits and items unlocked through play or bought with Spocco Coins, which you earn only by playing, from a rotating shop. You can import your Mii or build a Sportsmate.

The downsides

Once the novelty settles, sessions can feel repetitive, and the visual style is clean but bland next to the charm of the Wii original. Football and Chambara from the 2022 game are absent at launch, which stings if you loved them.

Price

In our region the digital version costs 49.99 euros on the eShop, while the physical list price is around 59.99 euros, often discounted at retail. That is a fair price for a party game you will pull out at every family gathering, less so for a solo player.

Verdict

If you have a Switch 2 and a living room that regularly fills with people, this is an easy recommendation and a clear step up from Switch Sports. Archery, table tennis and the leisure tours on Wuhu are excellent, and Island Crown gives it legs. Skateboarding and boxing drag it down, and alone it runs out of steam sooner than Nintendo would like. A good party staple, not a new Wii Sports phenomenon.

Score: 7/10

Image: PantheraLeo1359531 / CC BY 4.0, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nintendo_Switch_2-Konsole_von_hinten_20250605_HOF4680-HDR_RAW-Export.png