You know, I never tend to think of myself as a particularly competitive person until I set foot into a multiplayer Nintendo game. I don't know what it is about the likes of Mario Kart World and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that draws out some kind of deeply buried gladiator spirit within me, but Nintendo Switch Sports Resort has that same sauce – and I am so sorry to the person who had to face that during my hands-on.
During my time with Switch Sports Resort, I'm given the chance to try out a number of different sports – both new and returning from its predecessor, Wii Sports Resort. Table Tennis was always a favorite of mine in the 2009 game, and I can confirm that smashing the ball after someone's late hit is still just as satisfying as before, and as you'd hope, the motion controls feel more responsive using a Joy-Con 2 than they used to with a Wiimote.
Developer: In-housePublisher: NintendoPlatform(s): Nintendo Switch 2Release date: October 22, 2026
One of the new additions is Thumb Wrestling, which, from what I've played, feels more like a mindgame than anything else. Staring down your opponent, you can only grab their thumb when they've left it vulnerable – something you're encouraged to do in order to expand your thumb to an even more upsettingly large size and power up your next grab. If you're caught, you've got to shake the Joy-Con 2 from side to side to break free. It's short, fast-paced, and silly, but relies more on psyching out your competitor than mastering a skill like in the aforementioned Table Tennis.
Archery also makes a return, but in a refreshed way. During my preview session, my opponent and I play on 'special' rules that split the target into four colored sections, with each player (and CPU, in this case) only able to earn points by landing arrows within their specific section. The more points you gain in a round, the smaller your section in the next, making it harder to maintain your lead – something that goes in my favor when I manage to turn around my point disadvantage in the final round to clutch a win.
Some sports, however, aren't competitive ones at all – three of them are all about casually exploring the newly expanded Wuhu Island setting, and I've got to say that these feel tailor made for me specifically. In 2009, I spent hours in Island Flyover – not just soaring through the sky and plummeting down the volcano, but dragging my plane through the streets of the town to get a feel for the area, inspiring Word documents upon Word documents of, I kid you not, fanfiction about the Miis living their lives and enjoying perfect vacations.
Now, I appreciate that last part might be a unique experience, but I'm sure you can understand why I couldn't be happier about the new Skateboarding Sightseeing Tour game, of which the sole goal is exploring the island on foot in a more intentional way, collecting "Spocco Photos" (essentially the i Points from the Wii game) in the process. Power Cruising's own Sightseeing Tour mode offers the same thing, but on the back of a jet ski in the sea – Wuhu Island has been expanded so much with a series of whole new islands surrounding it that you're not just aimlessly wandering an empty ocean, there's plenty to see.
Perhaps it's the nostalgia, but the Island Flyover equivalent in Prop Plane's Sightseeing Tour is still my favorite of the bunch. I immediately set out to do what any fan of the Wii version would – fly down the volcano. I'm delighted to not only confirm that yes, not only can you still do this, but the inside of it has even been expanded into a larger cave system than before.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/sports/i-flew-straight-down-the-volcano-in-nintendo-switch-sports-resort-and-im-happy-to-report-that-one-of-my-favorite-childhood-activities-just-got-way-better
