Nintendo Switch Sports has big shoes to fill

Nintendo

The official poster for Nintendo Switch Sports, showing all six available games: volleyball, badminton, bowling, soccer, chambara and tennis.

The Nintendo Switch is the fifth most popular video game console ever sold according to Statista, yet it took five years for Nintendo to update their most popular game.
“Wii Sports” is Nintendo’s best-selling game ever with over 82.90 million units sold as reported by Nintendo, so it isn’t a surprise that so many people have such a high opinion of the game.
“I remember playing it with my brothers,” Johnthan Combs said. “It was the only time we’d get along.”
The overall opinion of the game is overwhelmingly positive with five fan-favorite games including tennis, bowling, soccer, baseball and golf, not to mention the games added in Wii Sports Resort.
“I have many memories of my siblings and me playing it and playing it now with my husband,” STEM teacher Danielle Stewert said. “It’s kind of nice going back and still being able to play it.”
Now, 16 years after the original game’s release, Nintendo will release its successor “Nintendo Switch Sports.” “Nintendo Switch Sports” will debut on April 29 with six games: soccer, volleyball, bowling, tennis, badminton and chambara (Swordplay), with golf to be added at no additional charge in the fall.
While “Wii Sports” may be regarded as the pinnacle of Wii gaming, the success of its predecessor doesn’t guarantee the success of this rebooted franchise. With similar games like “Mario Strikers: Battle League” flying under the radar with a release date fastly approaching. In saying that, “Nintendo Switch Sports” could outgrow “Wii Sports” having more console sales overall and having an abundance of nostalgia getting fans excited about the reboot.
“It kind of brings back some nice nostalgia, makes you move around a bit and makes you feel like you’re actually playing the games,” Anton Kusik said.