Of all the franchises Nintendo could’ve decided to revive in 2022, few expected it to chooseWii Sports.The motion control sports franchise has laid dormant for many years with no sign of a comeback. Nevertheless, Nintendo recently announcedNintendo Switch Sports, a new collection of athletic activities for the Switch that borrows heavily fromWii Sportsin terms of themes and gameplay. Those who partook in the recentNintendo Switch Sportsonline playtest responded positively and generally found the game to be a good step forward forWii Sports,as well as a generally solid addition to the Switch’s library.
WhileNintendo Switch Sportslooks like it had plenty of potential to deliver on the old fun ofWii Sports, one also wonders just how much Nintendo plans to innovate in this game. Fans already know thatNintendo Switch Sportshas quite a few games thatWii Sportslacked, including volleyball and badminton, but one also wonders if the game willdiffer fromWii Sportsin ways outside the core sports content. One playtester’s comments on Reddit may have shed light on howNintendo Switch Sports' central athletic town, called Spocco Square, might introduce new mechanics that ultimately makeNintendo Switch Sportsa significantly deeper game than its predecessors.
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Spocco Square’s Potential Features
According totheNintendo Switch Sportsplaytester, Spocco Square apparently features quite a few features that players wouldn’t find inWii Sportsgames. For one thing, it has shops that players might be able to visit. That wouldn’t be surprising;Nintendo Switch Sports' player avatars can apparently be customized in great detail, so players might shop in Spocco Square for new cosmetics. What’s more, there are apparently restaurants in Spocco Square, as well as work opportunities. It doesn’t sound like theSwitch Sportsplaytesters got to try these features, but the playtest may have given players a glimpse of what’s to come.
Spocco Square’s rumored features are important because they could makeNintendo Switch Sportsa more entertaining long-term experience than ever.The originalWii Sportsgames, especiallyWii Sports Resort,had a bit of progression in that players had to play certain games in order to unlock new sports or variations on unlocked sports, but that system would dry up pretty quickly. Work, shops, and restaurants could offer a ton of side content that givesNintendo Switch Sportsmore long-term value, encouraging players to unlock new sources of cosmetics, interact with NPCs, and more.
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Nintendo Switch Sport’s Potential to Grow
The more Spocco Square offers players, the better. Shops ought to have deep closets that allow players todeck out theirNintendo Switch Sportscharactersin whatever look they choose. While players will hopefully earn money to buy clothes simply by playing sports, working a job in Spocco Square could still be compelling if Nintendo comes up with minigames that teach players motion control skills relevant to the actual sports. Restaurants could even giveSwitch Sportsplayers temporary benefits to speed or strength for certain sports, letting players lean towards more diverse playstyles.
Perhaps most importantly, if Spocco Square really does have so many additional activities, then it’s fertile soil for Nintendo toexpandNintendo Switch Sportsin the future. Adding new sports to the game in later updates would be great, but long-term support forSwitch Sportswill be even more exciting if updates change the game in lots of ways. Nintendo could add waves of new cosmetics, additional restaurant benefits, and so on. IfNintendo Switch Sportsgets new features of all kinds throughout its life, then it’s bound to remain relevant on the Switch for a long time. Hopefully Spocco Square really does play as big a role in the game as playtesters have implied.
