Nintendo Switch Sports is finally here, and it’s got a great roster of sports for gamers to dive right into. As the spiritual successor to the much-beloved classic Wii Sports, this latest Nintendo title is sure to gain the attention of most Switch owners.
While Nintendo veterans may think they’ll be going into the game with a clear understanding of the gameplay there are without a doubt a few learning curves and skills to work out. Some of these require players to unlearn pre-existing habits they may have from Wii Sports.
10 Constantly Attacking In Chambara And Never Bothering To Block
In real life, Chambara is an art form that requires a solid attacking and defensive effort. Unless of course, you’re playing Switch Sports Chambara in which case defending is thrown out the window in favor of simply attacking your way to the win.
While this sport does offer up the chance for players to defend against opponents' attacks and play a more strategic game, the temptation to simply attack constantly is way too strong. This sport is the closest replacement to Wii Sports’ Boxing where similarly, offense was typically the best defense.
9 Underestimating The CPU Opponents
Playing online and with friends is great fun, but sometimes simply playing some games against the randomly generated CPU Sports mates is a great way to recharge and hone your skills in your sport of choice.
While Switch Sports, unfortunately, doesn’t include set opponents like the much beloved and iconic Wii Sport’s NPC’s like Elisa and Matt, playing offline does offer up a variety of randomized opponents. However, the powerhouse difficulty that opponents can be set to will require focus and skill so be sure to have that joy-con strapped down tightly.
8 Not Recalibrating The Joy-cons Properly
One of the best and worst parts of Switch Sports is how sensitive the Joy-cons are to movement. While it makes the actions in the sports more realistic and immersive, it can also lead to moments of confusion and frustration if the Joy-con’s aren’t calibrated correctly.
This issue is most prominently found in Badminton where the player is given the option to recalibrate the racket and center it at any given moment. This is absolutely a good habit to get into early on, as without it, the racket will sometimes end up facing the complete opposite direction it should be.
7 Misjudging How Much Space Is Needed To Perform The Movements
Nintendo Switch Sports evolves the controls of the Wii version and creates more authentic gameplay controls that closely mirror the movements of the actual sports the game features. Having a clear space to perform said actions is important to work out before starting the game.
Especially for those playing locally with other players in the same room. Leaving a healthy amount of room between each player as well as at the TV and any valuables is vital.
6 Forgetting To Hold Down The Trigger When Bowling
For gamers who loved Wii Sports’ Bowling mechanics, you’re in for a small rude awakening. While Switch Sports follows a similar style for this specific sport, small changes and adjustments might take a little while to get used to.
While on the Wii releasing the trigger was the final step in bowling, Switch Sports asks players to simply hold it down and bowl in a more realistic and fluid motion. The change may seem small, but it’s certain to have many a player redoing their bowling shots repeatedly.
5 Getting A Little Too Competitive When Playing
Nintendo really has the winning formula when it comes to fun family games that bring out the competitive edge in every participating player. While Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been the main cause of this in recent years, Switch Sports is now here and ready to cause a new wave of frustration, hilarity, and potentially anger in gamers.
While playing Switch Sports alone is enjoyable, the best way to experience it is either online with other people or by recruiting friends and family to play either alongside you or against you. Mayhem is sure to follow and maybe even some sore losers will hold a grudge or two, but that is the typical nature of playing multiplayer sporting games.
4 Trying To Win Every Point Using Just The Net Player In Tennis
While Switch Sports Tennis focuses on the doubles style of the sport, most players will turn it into a Singles match between the two net players. This desire is well and truly thanks to the epic net player rallies from Wii Sports and how easy it was to win the point with a volley.
However, Switch Sports offers up a much more balanced version of tennis. While it is still possible to win points from a volleying player, rallying on the baseline and the shots that can be performed from the backcourt player are much more effective and varied. Despite this though, the desire to swing at every ball with the volleyer will be a tough habit to break.
3 Getting The Timing Completely Wrong In Volleyball
Timing is everything when it comes to Nintendo Switch Sports. However, no sport puts more importance on this than Volleyball. Mastering the timing of the specific types of moves is imperative to winning and the learning process may lead to some hilarious and frustrating mistakes.
This emphasis on timing is even more important when teaming up with a friend to take on another team. Not only do you have to focus on your own timing, but you must rely on your teammates to get the chance for an extra power spike.
2 Kicking The Ball In The Complete Opposite Direction In Football
Football is one of the best sports in Switch Sports and seems to be heavily inspired by Rocket League. With a four vs four online match type, the games are always a dynamic bundle of laughter and hilarity with players diving all over the place as a giant football float through the air and bounces off the walls.
While the mechanics are simple, the urgency and excitement of the game will sometimes lead to stray kicks and missed opportunities. It’s almost a rite of passage to score an own goal by accidentally kicking or headbutting it backwards, and even more common to fling the ball sideways when all you had to do was kick it straight.
1 Accidently Dropping or Throwing The Joy-con
There’s a reason Switch Sports reminds you to tighten the straps of the joy-cons before and after every game, and it’s a piece of advice that should be taken seriously to avoid a broken controller or worse, a broken TV.
One of the best parts of Nintendo Switch Sports is its physicality. When playing with people in the same room the urge to exaggerate tennis swings or volleyball spikes for a laugh makes the risk of a flyaway controller even higher. Hopefully, the joy-con strap is fastened as if the controller does fall out of a hand it doesn’t go across the room or break anything expensive.