Hands-On Preview: Nintendo Switch Sports Resort

Summer is right around the corner for those of us living in the southern hemisphere. Here in Australia, summertime is all about beach and barbecue. If you're in the northern hemisphere, summer is now fading into memory as the daylight recedes. And while winter is full of delights, if you're anything like me, you may reach a point where you begin to crave a tropical getaway. Fortunately, you'll soon be able to travel to the ultimate resort destination whenever your heart desires: the iconic Wuhu Island.

I recently spent a good few hours playing the upcoming Nintendo Switch Sports Resort with Elliot Burns at Nintendo Australia HQ. While not all activities were available for preview, we got a good sense of what this Switch 2 exclusive will offer.

If you've never played a Switch Sports game before, the main thing to know is that this series is essentially a continuation of the original Wii Sports games, which were a massive phenomenon in their own right. The magic at the heart of these experiences is that the learning curve is almost non-existent, largely because interaction is movement-based and each sport closely mirrors its real-world counterpart. So, if you know how to roll a bowling ball or swing a tennis racquet, then you pretty much have all the skills you need to jump right into the Wii/Switch Sports equivalent. This is one of the reasons Wii Sports in particular holds a special place in my heart: I could hand a Wii Remote to anyone in my family - gamer or non-gamer - and we could immediately dive into a match without prior game experience being a barrier to the fun.

I must admit that, while I own Switch Sports, I didn't spend a great deal of time with it. It might be because some combination of the locale (Spocco Square) and the initial sports and modes on offer felt a little anonymous, for lack of a better word. It lacked personality. Switch Sports Resort has a different focus, too: while there are plenty of competitive modes here, there's also a far greater emphasis on exploration, relaxation, and simply enjoying Wuhu Island itself. Combining these different forms of pacing imbues the game with a richer texture that I find more appealing. Besides all that, I'm a big sucker for the beach, tropical islands, and long summer days with friends: so there's a vibe thing here that really works for me too.

Let's go on a holiday

Who doesn't love holidays/vacations? What better way to relax than to adventure around a tropical island with friends and family? Switch Sports Resort leans into this concept in ways that allow you to go at your own pace while also introducing some light competitive fun to add a bit of structure.

Prop Plane is actually the mode I was initially most excited about. If you played Island Flyover in Wii Sports Resort, you'll already have a strong idea of what this is all about. And if you're an old-school gamer like me, you'll fondly remember the Birdman mode way back in Pilotwings 64 (and the absolutely fantastic Free Flight in Pilotwings Resort on 3DS, which was also set on Wuhu Island).

Prop Plane promises to be the ultimate incarnation of zen-like free flight both because Wuhu Island itself has never looked so good and because the Joy-Con 2 controllers offer unparalleled accuracy when it comes to motion control. Flying the prop plane couldn't be simpler: you hold the Joy-Con as you'd hold a real paper plane. As you pitch and yaw with your hand, the plane obediently mirrors your every movement. The speed and sharpness of response feels lovely: like cutting through butter with a hot knife. And it means that, as you gain a little experience, you'll be pulling off more and more ambitious stunts (like flying under low bridges or rising high into the sky and diving sharply to grab an item).

The cool wrinkle to this mode is that it isn't just aimless flying (although it can be that if you want). Nintendo adds a layer of challenge by littering balloons throughout Wuhu Island, some of which are located in deviously tricky places that will require you to muster your best piloting skills. If you're playing with a friend, you can both collect balloons and you'll both contribute to the overall score, making this a fundamentally cooperative mode. What's cool, though, is that the game still tracks each player's individual contribution: so there's a bit of friendly rivalry here if you're looking for that. Blending cooperation and competition in this way is both clever and satisfying. I can see it being a great mode for parents and children to play together.

I also have to talk about Power Cruising, which involves skipping across the waves on your own jet ski. Here, you'll hold both Joy-Con horizontally to replicate handlebars. You'll steer just as you would with a real jet ski, and you can twist the Joy-Con to accelerate. Transitioning from the sky to the water's surface gives you a tangible sense of just how massive Wuhu Island really is. And from this perspective, you'll notice many more interesting nooks and crannies to explore around the coastline. I'd be remiss not to mention the fact that Power Cruising also feels incredibly satisfying: the accuracy of the controllers combined with the HD Rumble immediately made me wonder what a motion-based Wave Race might feel like on Switch 2. C'mon, Nintendo: please make it happen!

As with Prop Plane, Nintendo adds mildly competitive elements (in this case, you're passing through rings rather than popping balloons). You can partake in this if you want, or you can simply cruise around the island with friends and enjoy the scenery.

There's an entirely new mode in Switch Sports Resort that doesn't have any predecessor: Skateboarding. It's a fascinating activity because it relies on Switch 2's mouse controls. This might sound strange at first - and, of all the modes I played, Skateboarding took me the longest to learn - but in practice it works well. You're holding the Joy-Con flat against a surface and, just like a real skateboard, you can shift your weight from side-to-side to steer or you can flick upwards to jump. You'll quickly discover that it's also possible to perform mid-air tricks and grind on rails too. Skateboarding presents yet another way to traverse Wuhu Island, and it's likely the mode that will give you the most appreciation for just how populated and busy the island actually is (you'll encounter people walking around, playing games, and much more).

These three modes really highlight the resort aspect of the game; they are exploration-focused, they are largely cooperative and social in nature, but they also contain light competitive elements that introduce just enough structure and friction if you're looking for something more goal-oriented. Although I didn't play Switch Sports Resort using GameChat, I can imagine this being a great way to experience Wuhu Island as a digital third space with friends.

Fun in the sun

Relaxation is great, but maybe you're getting restless and you're looking for something a little spicier.

Archery is a great place to start and it was probably my favourite competitive sport in the demo we played. This mode debuted in Wii Sports Resort, effectively showcasing the Wii MotionPlus accessory at the time. Back then, it required use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk (you'd aim by holding out the Wii Remote vertically as if it were the bow frame, and pull the Nunchuk back towards your chest to draw the string). Archery didn't make it into Switch Sports (which focused on court/field sports), and so, its return on Switch Sports Resort is most welcome. It's a slower-tempo activity that rewards accuracy and precision. As you might expect, it benefits from the more advanced Joy-Con 2 controllers by offering a high degree of 1:1 control. During the demo, we started with basic static targets, but the pressure quickly ramped up with moving targets that split into colour-coded quadrants; we had to get as close to the bullseye as possible while staying within each of our designated quadrants. The combination of a moving target and changing wind speed and direction increased the challenge further. I thoroughly enjoyed Archery and I'm delighted to see it return.

Boxing is one of those early Wii Sports modes that sounds like a perfect fit for motion controls on paper, but I bounced off it pretty quickly because, at least for me, it soon became an aimless arm-flailing competition. I remember feeling that the Wii Remote and Nunchuk just weren't accurate enough to capture the real nuance of boxing, and so, matches always devolved into how fast you could punch rather than your actual boxing skill. Fortunately, Switch Sports Resort brings us the best version of motion control boxing thanks to its much more precise 1:1 punch tracking. I also noticed that dodging - which felt floaty, jittery, and sometimes outright unresponsive on the Wii - seems far more reliable (and fast!) on the Switch 2. The result is that Boxing is no longer about arm-flailing; in fact, approaching it this way could result in a quick loss if you aren't careful. I played against the CPU and while the early opponents were easily dispatched, later opponents varied their attack and defence movements and responded swiftly and effectively to me. I can see Boxing between two skilled human opponents feeling more like a nuanced dance than a mere party game.

If Boxing isn't hardcore enough for you, what about Thumb Wrestling? Yeah, now we're talking! This is another brand new addition to the series and, honestly, it's one of the weirdest and most hilarious things I've ever seen. Trust Nintendo to figure out how to turn thumb wrestling into a video game; it's no trivial task. As you might imagine, the camera closes in on the participants' hands (and their laughably oversized thumbs) so that you get a good view of the action. What might surprise you here is that there's actually quite a bit of strategy involved in out-thumbing your opponent. You'll win points by 'slamming' the enemy thumb down, which is more nuanced than it sounds. Both players have a power meter that can be charged, building up force for a powerful slam attack (this also causes your thumb to rapidly grow...it's quite the spectacle 👍). However, you become vulnerable when charging, so timing becomes critical. This mode is all about baiting and countering, and so, you'll need to learn how to feign charges and bait your opponent into overextending so that you can turn the tables.

Speaking of tables, how about some Table Tennis? Okay, sorry, that was on the nose even for me. This mode was as fun to watch as it was to play (although I could definitely watch hours of competitive Thumb Wrestling). As with the other modes, Table Tennis makes the most of far sharper 1:1 motion tracking and HD Rumble. This translates to very small changes in hand/wrist angle and hand speed being recognised and reflected in the game in real-time, resulting in more precise drop shots, topspins, or slices.

The last mode we played was the classic Bowling. I can't think of a better way to wrap up the demo: this is perhaps the most well-known Wii/Switch Sports game and it's always been a crowd-pleaser across every iteration. The vastly improved sensors in the Joy-Con 2 controllers make Bowling a far more realistic experience here. Switch Sports Resort captures fine movements (like wrist angle and hand speed) much more accurately than ever before. And now, timed button presses aren't required to release the ball: your release point and trajectory are dynamically determined based on your actual arm swing. All of this means that even the smallest modifications to your swing (and even your standing position, I noticed) can subtly impact your game.

Onward to Wuhu Island

I came away from our lengthy demo experience pretty excited about Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. It's shooting for a path that balances exploration, relaxation, and fierce-but-friendly competition. Advancements in hardware technology, thanks to the Switch 2 and its controllers, mean that you'll be playing sports and activities that match your body's own movement more closely than ever before. Oh, and if you're keen for a return to Wuhu Island itself, this is definitely the most well-realised iteration we've ever seen. There's not long to wait to check it out yourself, either: Nintendo Switch Sports Resort launches on October 22nd, 2026.