After years of waiting Nintendo has finally revealed the next game in theWii Sportsfranchise,Nintendo Switch Sports. Nintendo Switch owners will be able to experience one of the defining games of the Wii era with updated hardware. It looks to be almost everything that fans of the franchise have wanted, but it will be facing an uphill battle as it enters an already crowded market.
Wii Sportslaunched bundled with the Wii and was able to make its presence known quickly on the brand-new machine. The Nintendo Switch however is five years into its lifespan and only nowNintendo Switch Sportsis being released. The console has become increasingly crowded with sports games, making it very difficult forNintendo Switch Sportsto have the same impact thatWii Sportshad.
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Nintendo has a lot of First Party Sports Titles
WhenWii Sportslaunchedit was the only sports game on the Wii. Wii owners got the game included with their console and were able to bowl, box, golf, play tennis, and play baseball with all of their friends. There was not much competition facingWii Sportsas every single owner of the Wii had it, and it was a launch title.Nintendo Switch Sportswill not be able to release in a similar market as the Switch has become very crowded with sports games, and a lot of them come from Nintendo itself.
In 2018, Nintendo releasedMario Tennis Aces,bringing tennis fans to the courts for wild rounds of golf as theMario characters,Almost all the well-knownMariocharacters are here, even Waluigi makes the cut.Mario Tennis Acestakes the rules of Tennisand adds arcade mechanics like slow motion shots to the mix. The game was met with pretty good reviews and became the best-sellingMario Tennisgame.
In 2021, fans of golf weretreated toMario Golf: Super Rushwhich lets players play golf with the entireMariocast in fun and competitive golf game modes. Players can simply play a round of golf as Mario, or they can compete in wild modes like Speed Golf and Battle Golf. While the game received mixed reviews, it did provide golf fans a game to fill their time.
The latest Mario sports game to beannounced for Switch isMario Strikers: Battle League.Mario Strikersbrings theMariocast to the soccer field for some over-the-top soccer mayhem. The standard soccer gameplay is present here, but it turns it on its head asMario Strikersintroduces tackling, attacking, items that can be used, and an electric fence that keeps players on the field. The game has not been announced yet, but it will surely attract the attention of soccer fans.
Those three Mario sports games each fill asport that is present inNintendo Switch Sports;Mario Tennis Acesfills the need for Tennis,Mario Golf: Super Rushpulls in golf fans, andMario Strikers: Battle Leaguewill grab the attention of soccer fans. That only leavesNintendo Switch Sportswith chambara, Bowling, Badminton, and Volleyball, but even those may be filled by third-party titles.
Nintendo eShop is Filled with Many Third-Party Sports Titles
The Nintendo eShop is filled to the brim with different sports games for players to check out. One of thebiggest draws ofWii Sportswas the bowling game, whichNintendo Switch Sportswill be bringing back, but the eShop already has many decent bowling games.Knock ‘Em Down! Bowling, PBA Pro Bowling 2021,andStrike! Ten Pin Bowlinghave all been received well and each delivers bowling for cheaper thanNintendo Switch Sports.
Also, on the Switch isMario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020which provides a multitude of sports to play. If players want aMarioaesthetic then they can pick this up, it has both Mario and Sonic along with 30 other playable characters. While it does not include chambara,Mario & Sonicdoes provide Badminton and Volleyball, as well as Boxing which is missing fromNintendo Switch Sports.
There are many sports games both from Nintendo and third-party companies that are already vying for the attention of sports fans.Nintendo Switch Sports willhave to provide something uniquethat none of these other sports games offer. It already has one advantage over the others, all the sports are bundled in one package. Fans will just have to wait and see ifNintendo Switch Sportscan slice out a part of this crowded market for itself.
Nintendo Switch Sportsreleases on June 27, 2025 for Nintendo Switch.
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