After a long wait of seven months, golf finally came to an end. Nintendo Switch Sports. It’s better to be late than never.
As the rest of these games Switch to SportsThe version of golf here is quite simple. Players use the joy-con to swing their golf ball. Be careful not overswing. There’s a little technique with curving, but it’s mostly a standard game loop of reading the wind, lining up a shot, and letting it rip. This version of golf is not fundamentally different to the one that was in Wii SportsIt was a decade and half ago.
And yet, after playing for just a few hours, I’m already obsessed with it. The version of golf that is included in this package is not difficult, however light it may seem. Nintendo Switch SportsIt builds on one my favorite online experiences for the year.
To survive, you must drive
When Nintendo Switch SportsIt launched earlier in the year. While the basic idea was well received by critics, many felt that the package was too small for the price. I felt the same way at the time, but quickly realized that I was spending too much time on it for one reason: Survival Bowling.
For the uninitiated: Switch to SportsOnline bowling turns into an elimination mode. Rounds begin with a group of bowlers, who are gradually eliminated throughout the match. It’s a very simple premise, but one that worked incredibly well alongside the elegance of motion-controlled bowling. Rounds felt intense, especially with the last three players fighting for the top spots. However, the rounds were still enjoyable due to the few moments of downtime in between rolls. I ended up spending many hours online bowling, often while listening to music or podcasts.
It was a similar premise that I found online golf. This version has eight players paired together to compete for five holes. All players golf simultaneously, so no one has to sit through everyone else’s opening drive. The number of strokes required to complete a hole is what determines how much points are earned. A par nets seven. Three players are eliminated following two holes. Two more are cut after hole 4. The remaining three players will then be left to battle it out on hole 5.
On my first go, I immediately discovered that I’d need a lot of practice to climb the online ranking system. Although the controls are not easy at first, putting is a difficult game that requires precise wrist movements and light hand control. These 21 holes were mostly pulled from Wii Sports games and put my swinging skills to the test in an interesting enough way to keep me entertained. That’s all compounded by unpredictable wind speeds, which provide some true challenges.
Once I started putting everything together and getting a feel for the flow of a game, I couldn’t put it down. Since my first experience with motion-controlled golfing on the Wii, it has remained a simple joy that I still enjoy. I can focus on hitting clean shots and the joy-cons respond quickly. Like bowling, it’s a classic case of “if it ain’t broke.”
However, there’s one aspect of golf that needs to be fixed. The sport can be very time-consuming. Even just nine holes can take over an hour. That’s where survival golf has won me over. It’s fast-paced means even the longest rounds last only 15 minutes. This is the ideal length of a match. It’s enough to give it some mounting drama but fast enough to keep me itching for one more round. Pair that with Nintendo Switch Sports’ excellent reward system — quietly its secret weapon — and you’ve got a recipe for an addictive competitive experience.
There’s still quite a lot I could criticize here. The reliance on decade-old courses feels low effort, some key golf staples are missing, and underwhelming sound design can make rounds feel a little dead if you don’t put something on in the background. I’d have a hard time convincing anyone that it’s a reason to buy Nintendo Switch SportsOn paper. Playing is believing, as I believe it has been with the modest release. It all sounds disappointingly simple until you’re actually holding that joy-con and remembering why Wii SportsIt was so fascinating in 2006. The magic hasn’t worn off for me and survival golf is just a lovely enough twist that I’m happy to relive those Wii glory days once again. We’ll see you out on the green.
Nintendo Switch SportsNintendo Switch now has it. It is available for all players to download free of charge.
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