Nintendo Switch Sports Resort: Nintendo Switch Sports vs. Wii Sports Resort, Which Sports and Features Carry Over, and Where to Play Wii Sports Resort on Switch

Quick start: get into Nintendo Switch Sports Resort in 7 steps

You can be playing in minutes if you know the 12 sports, the main modes and where your rewards go.

• Check your hardware first: the game is exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 and uses Joy-Con 2 controllers.
• Pre-order or buy it on the Nintendo eShop. It releases October 22nd.
• Warm up with Jump Rope, which is built in as a warm-up for the other sports.
• Pick any of the 12 sports: Boxing, Table Tennis, Archery, Tennis, Volleyball, Bowling, Basketball, Golf, Thumb Wrestling, Skateboarding, Power Cruising and Prop Plane.
• Play Island Crown offline to climb ranks against tougher opponents.
• Spend the Spocco Points you earn at the Item Center on outfits, hairstyles, face paint and sports equipment.
• Explore Wuhu Island freely in Skateboarding, Power Cruising and Prop Plane to find Spocco Photos.

What you need before you play Nintendo Switch Sports Resort

You need a Nintendo Switch 2 console and Joy-Con 2 controllers, because the game isn’t available on any other system.

For group play, you can pass a single Joy-Con 2 controller between players in local play, so one controller is enough to start a session with a friend. Online play with friends and the Pro League is also supported, so a network connection matters if you want to play remotely. Island Crown is the exception: it can be played offline.

Optional but helpful: a second Joy-Con 2 controller makes team or head-to-head sessions smoother than passing one back and forth.

Nintendo Switch Sports Resort vs. Wii Sports Resort: what the available information confirms

The available information doesn’t compare Nintendo Switch Sports Resort with Wii Sports Resort, so it can’t confirm which sports or features carry over.

What it does confirm is the full current lineup: 12 sports on Wuhu Island, with Island Crown described as a brand-new mode. Everything else in this guide is limited to that lineup. Any sport-by-sport claim about the original Wii Sports Resort would be a guess, so treat comparisons you read elsewhere with care and check them against official Nintendo information.

How the 12 sports in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort play

The game groups its 12 sports across land, sea and sky around Wuhu Island’s tourist attractions and sports facilities, and each one uses a distinct motion or control idea.

Land sports: Boxing, Table Tennis, Archery, Tennis, Volleyball, Bowling, Basketball and Golf

Eight of the sports are classic court, range and course games.

• Boxing: a heated fist fight where you mix different punches to land a knockout.
• Table Tennis: quick, simple shots to keep your opponent on their toes, then finish with a smash.
• Archery: aim for the center of the target. Check the distance and the wind before you shoot for a high score.
• Tennis: doubles rallies where you can hit topspins, backspins and lobs.
• Volleyball: bump, set and spike. Quick spikes and good timing are how you outmaneuver opponents.
• Bowling: twist the controller to add spin to your throw and knock down the pins.
• Basketball: dribble, pass and shoot to score. If you’re open, go for a slam dunk.
• Golf: finish each hole in the fewest strokes. Your swing changes the ball’s trajectory, and stopping your swing at the right time produces a backspin.

Thumb Wrestling: hold your thumb down to grow stronger

In Thumb Wrestling you hold down your thumb to power it up, and the bigger it gets, the stronger you are.

Skateboarding, Power Cruising and Prop Plane: the three explore-friendly sports

Skateboarding, Power Cruising and Prop Plane double as ways to travel around the island.

• Skateboarding: ride through the course using mouse controls. You can grind rails, slide around and perform aerial tricks.
• Power Cruising: steer with handles and coast along the waves. Twist the controller for an instant speed boost.
• Prop Plane: tilt the controller to fly freely. You can speed up, roll in the air and fire at balloons.

Jump Rope: the warm-up that isn’t one of the 12

Jump Rope is offered as a warm-up for the other sports rather than counted among the 12 headline sports. Use it to get your motions loose before a ranked session.

Climb the ranks with Island Crown and meet the Island Champions

Island Crown is a brand-new mode, playable offline, where you beat increasingly harder opponents to raise your rank.

Some sports feature top-ranked opponents called Island Champions. Keep climbing and you earn the chance to challenge them, and you might even face island Legends. Because it works offline, this is the mode to use when you want progression without a connection.

Extra minigames: Return Challenge, Laid-back Match and 100-Pin Game

Beyond standard matches, the game includes variant rules, and several are named.

• Return Challenge: hit a ball back at empty cans.
• Laid-back Match: play at a slower, more relaxed pace.
• 100-Pin Game: try to knock all of the pins down.

There are more minigames with different rules beyond these three, but they aren’t named.

How to explore Wuhu Island and find Spocco Photos

You explore Wuhu Island freely inside Skateboarding, Power Cruising and Prop Plane, and Spocco Photos scattered around the island give you info on sightseeing spots.

Ride along the coast, chase dolphins across the ocean, or fly toward distant islands. You can explore at different times of day, so the same route can look and feel different. Named sightseeing spots include Wavelet Bridge (a bridge with arched roofing sections and a wooden deck), Windchill Cave and Lava Monument. There may be something new to discover every time you play, so revisit areas rather than assuming you’ve seen everything.

Spend Spocco Points at the Item Center for outfits and gear

You earn Spocco Points after playing sports, and you exchange them at the Item Center for outfits, hairstyles, face paint and even sports equipment.

Rewards are a surprise: you don’t pick exactly what you get, and rare items can drop. Use the items to customize your appearance, so a few sessions of play translate directly into new looks.

Play locally, online with friends, or in the Pro League

Nintendo Switch Sports Resort supports local play, private online rooms, ranked Pro League matches and unranked Casual Online Play.

• Local play: pass a Joy-Con 2 controller and team up with a pal, or battle friends and family.
• Online rooms: create a room to play with friends far away.
• Pro League: challenge players around the world. The more wins you get, the higher you climb.
• Casual Online Play: play random sports from the ones you’ve selected. Your rank doesn’t change, so you can test your skills freely.

5 mistakes that waste your time in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort

• Assuming the original game’s sports all return. Only the 12 listed sports are confirmed here, so check the lineup before expecting a favorite.
• Skipping the warm-up. Jump Rope exists to prepare you for the other sports, so use it.
• Ignoring wind in Archery. Check distance and wind before every shot.
• Rushing Golf swings. Stopping your swing at the right time produces a backspin, and your swing affects the ball’s trajectory.
• Only playing the sport events. Exploring in Skateboarding, Power Cruising and Prop Plane is how you find Spocco Photos, so make time for it.

Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Nintendo Switch Sports vs. Wii Sports Resort: which sports and features carry over, and where to play Wii Sports Resort on Switch FAQ

Source & credit

This guide draws on the excellent video walkthrough by Nintendo of America — watch it for the full visual run-through, and give the creator your view: