NINTENDO SWITCH SPORTS: BOWLING NIGHT IN THE LIVING ROOM, WITH A FEW GUTTER BALLS
7.0 of 10 bananas. Nintendo's 2022 follow-up to Wii Sports: swing a Joy-Con for bowling, tennis, badminton, chambara, volleyball, soccer, and later golf and basketball. Bowling and badminton are pure joy with family; a few sports feel thin, and the Switch 2 sequel is now out.
By the Alpha. Switch cartridge listing. Updated Nov 1 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, and it also plays on Switch 2 (developed and published by Nintendo, released April 29 2022). The Amazon button is the Switch cartridge. At my Nov 1 2026 check it was sold and shipped by Amazon.com, a little under the 49.99 dollar list price. Listen well: a different game, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, came out for Switch 2 on October 22 2026. This page and this button are the 2022 Switch game. Sellers and prices change, so look at the seller before you pay.
Get Nintendo Switch Sports for Nintendo Switch on AmazonStore check, Nov 1 2026: new copies on offer, sold and shipped by Amazon.com. This is the 2022 Switch game, not the new Switch 2 game Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. Prices and sellers change, so look before you pay.
Sit with me a moment. In 2006 my whole troop stood in one small room swinging white remotes, and the oldest gorilla bowled a perfect game while the young ones laughed. Nintendo Switch Sports wants to rebuild that room. Some nights it does.
What It Wants To Be
Nintendo Switch Sports is a motion controlled party game. You hold a Joy-Con like a racket, a sword, or a bowling ball and play short matches against family, friends, or online players. It launched with six sports: bowling, tennis, badminton, chambara sword duels, volleyball, and soccer. Free updates later added golf and basketball, for eight in total. You make a Sportsmate avatar and can unlock cosmetics by playing online.
What Works
Bowling is the star. It is easy to learn, honest about your wrist, and great for four players passing one Joy-Con around. Critics also liked badminton and the polished tennis. The game sold more than 18 million copies, so it is easy to find friends and family who already know it.
What Breaks
Listen well. Critics landed on mixed reviews, and OpenCritic lists only 44 percent of critics recommending it. Soccer and volleyball were called the weakest sports, the motion reading can feel loose, and the soccer Shoot-Out mode wants the leg strap. Solo players run out of reasons to play fast. And now the Switch 2 sequel exists, so Switch 2 owners should read about that one before buying this.
Who Should Play
Play it if you have a Switch, a family, and a free Friday night, or you want the easiest party game for grandparents and kids. Skip it if you play alone, or if you own a Switch 2 and would rather wait to see how the new Resort game holds up.
STRENGTHS
- Bowling is a perfect party sport
- Easy for every age
- Free golf and basketball updates
- Sold by Amazon.com at my check
HONEST COSTS
- Mixed critic reviews
- Soccer and volleyball are weak
- Thin for solo players
- Switch 2 sequel now exists
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