Nintendo Switch Sports has been out for over a month now, continuing Nintendo's 16-year-long tradition of creating action simulation games geared towards those looking for casual fun with motion capture technology. For many, it's the perfect answer for those who yearned for a newer and shinier version of Wii Sports but for others, it falls short of Wii Sports' former glory.

Many players expressed disappointment with how the mini-games fail to include side content or alternative game modes. This can diminish the replay value, especially if compared to previous iterations like Wii Sports Resort which contained double the content. Currently, Nintendo Switch Sports comes with six activities, though golfing is said to be on its way via download in a free future update. These games include tennis, bowling, chambara (swordplay), badminton, volleyball, and soccer, although only the last three are new to the Sports series. Astoundingly, the 2v2 volleyball mode nails what makes these sports simulation games so enticing, and seems to be the most redeeming feature for the $40 price tag.

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The Gameplay is Kind to Casual Players

nintendo switch sports volleyball 2v2 smash shot

For those who want to learn or casually play volleyball, this is not a bad starting point at all and serves as an adequate teaching experience. A tutorial explaining the mechanics shows players how to pass, set, spike, and block. All of these feel very intuitive to how one would do these movements in real life, as volleyball typically consists of keeping the ball off the ground and trading the ball back and forth across a net. The heart of what made Wii Sports so beloved can truly be felt in Switch Sports' simple controls.

Playing on the easiest setting, "Normal", against computer-controlled opponents is the best way to get familiar with these actions. This is likely the most casual, or family-friendly version mode similar to Mario Golf: Super Rush or Mario Tennis Aces. The most difficult part of the learning process is simply getting the timing correct, which is not exactly the same as how a person might time the ball in real life. Thankfully, the tutorial is repeatable and the "Normal" mode is very forgiving with imprecise motions and mistiming.

While players could just sit and slightly move their arms to play the game, it can be much more enjoyable to truly put one's whole body into the motions and really swing the arm to simulate a spike. As the players get more comfortable with their plays, naturally moving on to the next two levels, "Strong" and "Powerhouse" will refine those skills until players are ready to go against real people. The CPU "Powerhouse" mode is frankly comparable to playing against real people, if not more difficult.

Online Play Is Immersive and Fun

Play with players around the globe on the nintendo switch sports

On the other hand, for experienced players, Switch Sports feels like a decent alternative to a real-life volleyball match. Timing is much more critical against teams who are intentionally spiking in specific directions, running quick attacks, and blocking hits with ease. Of course, players can still be matched against players who are more relaxed with their gameplay and may not be doing anything advanced at all. Unfortunately, Switch Sports did not come packaged with Nintendo Switch Online, which is required for those who wish to play online against strangers.

For those who have a yearly subscription, the game pits players against other players around the world. Players earn points from playing matches, winning, and more which in turn unlock outfits, accessories, and emotes in Nintendo Switch Sports. Emoting to communicate with other teams can be a source of entertainment all on its own as players can show support for one another. On the other hand, a perfectly timed crying face after the other team misses a point can be a bit of fun teasing without actually being toxic, as there is no chat or way to truly communicate.

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The Pro League is The Place to Grind

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Like the other modes, the first team to five wins, with leeway by a one-point difference that caps at seven. For those who wish to get a little more intensive, Pro League matches are available for competitive play after completing ten solo Play Globally matches. Proving one's mettle in ranked can prove to be a fun challenge for those who are up to it. The rankings range from A to E, though keep in mind that ranks above A are available but will continue to show players at a Rank A title.

It is almost surprising how much effort appears to have gone into the volleyball mode, as players are able to do more than just the basics that are taught in the tutorial. It feels similar to the older versions of Wii tennis, which allowed for some fun gameplay and perfection in timing.

For example, a quick attack can be done by "jumping" at the same time as the setter is passing the ball, which results in a faster-timed hit to an unsuspecting opposing team. Serving to a certain side of the court does not have to be random either, as the direction of where the Joy-Con is facing after "hitting" the ball will send it to a specific person. If one player on the enemy team appears to be proficient at hitting, the strategy to combat that might be to serve the ball to their friend, which means the good spiker will have to set and won't get the opportunity to hit. The same technique can be applied to hitting, as aim can become important for getting around blocks and placing the ball in spots that the other team isn't close to.

The best part of the game that truly makes it feel as if Nintendo accounted for more advanced plays is the ability to cover a block, which not all developers think about. This means, that if a player spikes the ball and gets blocked by the opposing team, their teammate can still recover the ball and keep it in play. In more casual games of volleyball, this is not typically seen, and that block would usually result in a point for the enemy team.

What Nintendo's Volleyball Mode is Lacking

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What Switch Sports' volleyball mode, and other games, could benefit from is adding even more complex plays, which could improve the longevity and players returning for more. Currently, players are unable to hit the ball out of bounds, even if there has been drastic mistiming in the play. A mistimed hit will always be in bounds, which seems confusing. Not all mistimed hits should be out, but if the timing is truly horrendous, it should be.

Additionally, plays are required to have three touches on each side of the net. If Nintendo added the ability to just do two, this could make room for sneakier plays like setter dumps: when the setter spikes or tips the ball over the net instead of giving it to the hitter, usually to confuse the other team. An action such as this could easily be added by having the setter raise their Joy-Con up as if to set, and then follow it quickly with a downward motion. Plays like that would be trickier to master, but still reminiscent of what Wii Sports allowed players to do with enough practice.

Nintendo may add updates to Switch Sports' volleyball mode and other games in the future, though it is not confirmed. While the volleyball game is plenty of fun for now, if Nintendo wants to keep players around it should consider focusing on both complexities to avoid repetition for its player base and give them more side-content to enjoy.

Nintendo Switch Sports is available now for Nintendo Switch.

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