Nintendo Switch Sports Resort launches on Oct. 22 exclusively for the Switch 2, bringing 12 motion-controlled sports to the console for US$49.99. The game returns players to Wuhu Island, the sunny setting from Wii Sports Resort, and builds on Nintendo’s long-running formula of accessible sports games that families can play together. Early reviews suggest that the new release improves on 2022’s Nintendo Switch Sports, which one reviewer described as a “stumbling start.” At launch, the game has a Metacritic score of 79, based on more than 40 critic reviews.
The Spanish gaming site 3DJuegos compares the experience with the original Wii Sports, which attracted players of different ages and helped make motion-controlled gaming a household activity. Reviewers say the new game recaptures some of that appeal, although they doubt it can recreate the original phenomenon. Critics also point to familiar sports that have changed little and popular events that Nintendo left out. The result is a collection that mixes nostalgia with new activities, but its overall value depends on how much variety and replay value each sport offers.
Wii Sports rompió todas las normas y se convirtió en un juego histórico. Ahora le toca el turno a Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. Análisis https://t.co/x66IpfilWr#3DJuegos
— 3DJuegos (@3djuegos) October 20, 2026
The 12 sports in Switch Sports Resort
The 12 sports range from familiar to surprising. The lineup mixes returning favorites such as tennis, bowling, volleyball, basketball, golf, boxing and table tennis with new challenges such as archery, thumb wrestling, skateboarding, power cruising (riding a jet ski) and prop plane flying.
Three of them — skateboarding, power cruising and prop plane flying — let players explore Wuhu Island freely, collecting items and photos. These activities give the game a relaxed, open-world feel. Skateboarding earns special attention because it uses the mouse mode of the Joy-Con 2 controllers, which lets players slide a controller across a flat surface like a computer mouse. Reviewers say players push forward to move, tilt to turn and lift the controller to jump.
Players who prefer competition can choose from several multiplayer options, including extra challenges such as three-point duels in basketball. Those who play alone can pursue achievements or enter tournament mode, where they face increasingly difficult opponents until they meet the legends of each sport.
Players also earn coins to buy clothes for their avatars. Because the Switch 2 controllers track movement more precisely, boxing, archery and table tennis now feel sharper than in earlier games. These improvements raise the question of whether the whole package lives up to the hype.
What reviews praise and criticize
Most critics say it does a good job, but they also agree that the quality varies from sport to sport. Nintendo Life and CGM gave the game 9 out of 10, while Game Informer gave it an 8. TechRadar called it a considerable improvement over its predecessor, with more events, more solo depth and more ways to play.
IGN offers a more measured view, calling it a fun and playful collection that shines as a party game, even though the quality of its sports varies considerably. Reviewers repeatedly name table tennis, archery, boxing and skateboarding as highlights, while 3DJuegos criticizes bowling, volleyball and tennis for offering little that players have not already seen.
Some players may also feel tired after long sessions with skateboarding or power cruising, as both require them to hold the controllers in less natural positions. Fans of the previous Switch game will also miss soccer, badminton and sword fighting, which did not return. The game relies entirely on motion controls, so players who prefer button controls have no alternative. Even so, the early verdict suggests that Nintendo has found a better balance between nostalgia and novelty.