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NintendoSportsNintendo SwitchNintendo Games

What are the best sports games for the Nintendo Switch?

6

Options
Considered

8

User
Recs.

Jun 18, 2019

Last
Updated

6 Options Considered

Best sports games for the Nintendo Switch	Price	Genre	Platforms
-- Mario Tennis Aces	$59.99	Sports	Nintendo Switch
-- Rocket League	$19.99	Sports / Racing / Soccer	Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
-- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	$59.99	Racing, Sports	Nintendo Switch
-- Riptide GP: Renegade	$9.99	Racing	-
-- NBA 2K18	$59.99	Sports	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Android, Windows

Mario Tennis Aces

Top Pro

Couch co-op with a friend is tons of fun

Playing with a friend right beside you makes the game much more enjoyable. Reacting to each other in real-time is just better than playing against a computer opponent. There's no online co-op -- only multiplayer matches against random people -- meaning you'll have to be in the same room together to play. See More

Top Con

Very wide skill gap between experienced and inexperienced players

Mario Tennis Aces can be unwelcoming to new players. While playing co-op or online, it's tough to catch up with everyone else who knows how to time their power shots with the meter. If you don't pick up on this mechanic fairly quickly, you may feel like you're getting left behind. You don't necessarily have to use the mechanic if you and a friend agree not to, but this sadly makes matches pretty dull. Running against computer opponents is a good way to get your feet wet before moving up to other levels of play. See More

Specs

Platforms:Nintendo Switch

Co-Op:2 Player Couch

Top Pro

Solid roster of Nintendo characters to play as

There's a good variety of characters you can play as. If you're familiar with first party Nintendo games, then you'll see a lot of familiar faces here, like Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Luigi, Peach, and of course Mario. Everyone has their own playing styles, with bigger characters like Bowser and Donkey Kong favoring hard-hitting power shots, and others like Yoshi and Mario that have a more balanced approach. You can go with whichever style or character you prefer, practicing with them until you master everything. Getting to see all of these characters together in one game is great for fanservice as well. See More

Top Con

Limited gameplay options for solo players

If you're the type who prefers to game alone, then Mario Tennis Aces might not be for you. There's only one single-player mode, while the rest of the game is mostly dedicated to co-op and online play. The solo mode is also extremely short, clocking in at around four hours. Aside from that, there really isn't much else for you to do. See More

Top Pro

You can compete against others online in multiplayer

When you run out of single-player content to enjoy, you can hop online to play against random opponents. The main game mode is the tournaments you can play, which rewards you with special characters if you score well. Online connectivity is good too, especially with the choice to drop out of matches beforehand against players who have bad connections. Playing online is a really great way to test your skills and improve your play, since anyone you get matched with is an actual player who has their own strengths and weaknesses. See More

Top Con

Certain characters are locked behind online tournaments

The primary way to unlock new characters is to win tournaments, but this isn't entirely fair. They're only available for a limited amount of time, with the rewards changing from tournament to tournament. Even though some of these characters are in the actual game as opponents in the single-player adventure mode, you can't get access to them unless you unlock them through these tournaments. If you don't like playing online, or if you don't have the means to pay for Nintendo's online service once it's implemented later on in 2018, then you're basically out of luck. See More

Top Pro

Intense and engaging tennis matches

Mario Tennis Aces is incredibly addicting to play. Matches are fast-paced and exciting, with one particular mechanic that keeps things unpredictable. Every time you successfully hit the tennis ball to your opponent's end of the court, you build up a power meter that you can use in a couple of different ways. When you want to quickly finish off a match, you can slow down time and take aim at a vulnerable corner of your opponent's court for an instant win. Or, if they try to do that to you, you can instead expend some of your power meter to quickly reach the ball and hit it back. Things can get pretty tricky when you both use up your power meters at the same time, leading to some satisfying wins. See More

Top Con

Single-player adventure mode is pretty difficult

The game's adventure mode makes up for its short length with some real difficulty. It's a rough introduction to the gameplay, as some of the matches and bosses are really hard. There's plenty of variety to things, like courts that have certain hazards in your way and uneven terrain such as tall grass, as well as inventive boss designs like a giant squid that shoots out tennis ball-shaped blobs of ink. But all of these things can get quite overwhelming, especially if you're using the single-player mode to get better at the game. See More

Rocket League

Top Pro

Clear objectives keeps the focus on the gameplay

Get the ball in the net, soccer at it's simplest. This game is physics driven, using different cars as players, making it a fast-paced and exciting game with a basic underlying objective. Being easy to understand, just about anyone can get the hang of the game after a single play session. See More

Top Con

Minimal in features

While there may be more modes added with DLC in the future, currently there are only three unique game modes. This might be off-putting for players looking for more variety. See More

Specs

Genre:Sports / Racing / Soccer

Platforms:Windows, Mac, Linux, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One

Co-Op:4 Player Online / 4 Player Couch

Controller Support:Full

Top Pro

Great for quick play sessions

Each game has a time limit of 5 minutes, paused only when a team scores to reset the ball to mid-field. By keeping each session short, the game works well for people wanting to play a quick game without getting drawn into a long play session. See More

Top Con

Match making can be slow at times

It can take a while to find an opponent, especially if you're a higher tier player, causing the queues to be even longer. See More

Top Pro

Customization of cars is creative and fun

There are quite a few cars to choose from, including DLC cars such as the Delorean from Back to the Future. After picking a car, you can customized it with countless possibilities. You can change the paint scheme, color, paint type (gloss/flat, etc.), wheels, boost color, hat, and antenna toppers. This allows you to create a car that truly matches your style. See More

Top Pro

Simple controls

The controls are fairly simple. You are driving a car pushing a ball around, with forward, reverse, boost, power-slide and jump as your only real abilities to learn. The difficulty comes in learning to use them at the right times. Doing this will allow you to perform in-air and off the wall maneuvers, making for breath-taking and unexpected plays. See More

Top Pro

Moon-like physics give a delightful sense of exaggerated abilities

The physics in this game are slightly warped, making it seem like you're on the moon. This means that cars fly around if they collide or go up ramps, giving it a feel of superpowers. See More

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Top Pro

Entertaining kart racing gameplay

Every race in MK8DX is a fast-paced battle for first place. You drive at high-speeds, drift to gain speed boosts, fly off ramps, and collect mystery boxes that give you random power ups. It can be one-use weapons to set back your opponents. Or it can be one-use items that boost you in some way. For example, if you get a banana peel, you can drop it on the track, so anyone who drives on top of it spins out, setting you further ahead of them. Or if you get Bullet Bill, you can transform into a massive bullet, gaining increased speed, automatically steering through the track, and knocking out any opponent you touch. This is very useful for catching up to other racers, especially because the effect's duration increases the closer you are to last place. The end result is a very enjoyable gameplay that is equal parts strategy and skillful driving. It can be very easy to spend hours playing and not notice the passage of time. See More

Top Con

Unlockables might not feel that exciting

Every character (except Golden Mario) and race track is unlocked from the beginning, leaving you to only unlock new kart parts. While these are very good for improving/adjusting your kart's performance and looks, you probably won't ever use the vast majority of the parts. This can cause unlocking them feel pointless and tedious, making it really disappointing for players looking for a more meaningful progression system. See More

Specs

Genre:Racing, Sports

Platforms:Nintendo Switch

Top Pro

Accessible to beginners and young players

Despite having a very high skill ceiling and 48 tracks to master, MK8DX makes it less intimidating for beginners by including the "Smart steering" and "Auto acceleration" options. The former option automatically prevents collision with walls and the latter option glues your foot to the gas pedal. These two options used in tandem basically auto-drive your kart while still giving you control over the on-screen action. This gives you comfortable training wheels to learn the ins and outs of the game while also allowing really young players to enjoy the game without feeling too frustrated. See More

Top Pro

Excellent variety of race tracks

MK8DX features 48 unique race tracks, including tracks running through a haunted mansion, an airport, a medieval castle, and even outer space. Each track also has a completely different layout, providing its own set of twists, turns, loops, and shortcuts for you to enjoy and master. As a result, there's enough variety to keep gameplay fresh and exciting for a long time. See More

Top Pro

Fun battle modes

Other than MK8DX's 3 main racing modes, there are also 5 battle modes, focusing on battles in arena-like tracks. There's the Balloon Battle, where you have to pop or steal your opponent's balloons, Renegade Roundup, where racers are split into teams of cops and robbers, Bob-omb Blast, where you throw bombs at other racers to get points, Coin Runners, where you try to collect the most coins to win, and Shine Thief, where you have to hold a star for 20 seconds to win, but your opponents can steal it away from you. These 5 modes can be a great distraction when you get tired of regular races, keeping the game fresh for a long time. See More

Riptide GP: Renegade

Top Pro

Never a dull moment with lots of action

Levels are designed to be action packed, with a generous amount of ramps and waves to jump off, twists and turns, and opponents trying to gain the lead. Race through waterways and flooded streets and use waves to make those big jumps and perform airborne stunts. The surface tension of the water is noticed as you race your way around the various tracks, take tight turns, and perhaps even wipeout. The riders around you leave a foamy wake in their path, waves crash from side to side knocking you around, and the water churns as you splash around and perform stunts resulting in some authentic and fast paced water-based racing action. See More

Top Con

Some sound effect levels are mixed poorly

A few of the water effects such as hitting the water hard after a big jump are too loud, resulting in a sound effect that will drown out and overpower the background music. This sudden burst of sound can be jarring at times and break your concentration from focusing on a tough race or opponent. See More

Specs

Controller Support:Yes

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Publisher:Vector Unit

Top Pro

Excellent hydrojet handling

The controls for your craft are finely-tuned and completely lag free as you turn tight corners on your hydrojet. Some of the turns are very sharp and sudden, but due to the way the game controls, making these turns is more about seeing the action play out and less about losing control due to a sudden change in the course. Acceleration is natural and exciting as you race your hydrojet through the various waterways as you can gain speed without losing control. Performing stunts while airborne off a big jump come natural, as the controls to do so are the same as piloting your craft. See More

Top Con

Low number of tracks

There's only nine different racetracks to choose from, meaning the player will have to keep grinding the same maps over and over. After a while, the same maps starts to get old fast and once you learn all the shortcuts and tricks to the various races, racing the same tracks time after time loses it appeal. See More

Top Pro

Water-based racing is a new way to enjoy the racing genre

Rather than rubber on asphalt as in other racing games, Riptide GP: Renegade features racing your hydrojet in semi-submerged cities, with the flooded streets serving as the race track. Rather than driving a car around a track, you will be racing robots (and friends!) by cruising your hydrojet through the wreckage of a flooded city, jumping waves, and running from cops who are chasing you. This puts a new coat of paint on the racing genre, resulting in a unique look and feel that can't be accomplished in standard racing games. See More

Top Con

The police only target players and not the AI racers

During races, the police hydrojets will only pester players and not the other AI racers. Getting constantly knocked off your hydrojet as the computer controlled AI racers zoom past you completely ignored by the police feels unfair. See More

Top Pro

Solid sense of progression for all skill levels

You don't have to be the best racer to get the most out of this game. Even if you lose a race, you will still earn experience and money to keep upgrading your hydrojet until you can finally beat the track that has been giving you problems. Upgrading your craft and purchasing new moves to perform is continuous throughout the game, regardless of your skill level, meaning everyone can progress at their own pace and unlock all of the various stunts and crafts. See More

NBA 2K18

Top Pro

Great controls make for really solid gameplay

NBA 2K18's controls are very sharp and responsive, allowing you to use just about any basketball maneuver and trick with ease. From fast passes, 2-handed dunks, alley-oops to fake-outs, cross-overs, and even changing the rhythm of your dribbling. It simply feels good to play whether you're on offense or defense. See More

Top Con

Lacks polish in most areas

While the gameplay on the court looks and plays amazing, NBA 2K18 is very inconsistent in across the board. This includes poor facial expressions and lifeless eyes on some character models, meaningless and illogical story elements in the MyGM mode, very basic and empty outdoor locations in MyNeighborhood, and even an AI that sometimes forgets what its doing during a game. All of the issues add up and take away from the realism NBA 2K18 is striving for. See More

Specs

Platforms:PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Android, Windows

Top Pro

Stunning graphics

When two teams are having a match on an NBA court, that's when NBA 2K18 looks its best. The lighting and reflections are excellent, the player models are very detailed, and the animations when players move around are extremely fluid. It's very easy to forget you're playing a video game and not watching a live television broadcast. See More

Top Con

Very grindy career mode is an attempt to make you purchase microtransactions

Practically everything in NBA 2K18's career mode needs to be unlocked with VC (virtual currency). From customization elements like haircuts, to gameplay oriented aspects such as stat upgrades for your custom basketball player. It takes really long to gather enough VC to buy anything, and after a few purchases it starts feeling incredibly tedious. You might even be tempted to buy VC with real money, which could be the main reason why the developers went with this game design choice. See More

Golf Story

Top Pro

The golfing itself controls incredibly well and feels satisfying

The golfing itself comes together in a satisfying way that feels intuitive to control, easy to grasp, and just plain satisfying when you see your carefully set up shot hit its target. Hitting the ball uses timed button presses to control things like accuracy and swing strength, making it a minigame in and of itself. You can also set the direction, arc, and spin of the ball for total control of each shot. Once you've got everything adjusted, you take your swing, watching the ball soar into the air. See More

Top Con

No online multiplayer

Unfortunately, the game is limited to local multiplayer mode, and no online mode exists at this time. See More

Specs

Genre:Sports, Role-Playing, Adventure

Platforms:Nintendo Switch

Top Pro

Includes interesting RPG elements that add a nice layer of depth

Completing quests for NPCs awards you with the staple role-playing currencies of choice - money and experience. Money is used to buy new golf clubs which provide interesting and unique bonuses, such as being able to curve your shots better, hit a ball further, or putt with more accuracy. Experience is used to level up your character's stats such as how far you can drive the ball, purity to help correct slices, accuracy, and more. There's a lot of different stats to keep an eye on and clubs to play around with, so it adds a nice layer of depth that should keep your RPG cravings satisfied. See More

Top Con

Disc golfing minigame can be confusing

One of the minigames requires you to golf with a disc, and due to the controls, can tend be a bit on the confusing side. The disc can controlled in the air, but it responds to controls based on the way the disc is facing. For example, if the disc is facing south, pressing left will move the disc right. All in all, it just doesn't feel good to control since you will constantly be dealing with the way the disc faces in relation to the buttons you're pressing. See More

Top Pro

Humorous writing

While the premise of the story is simple - you are a guy trying to achieve your dream of becoming a golf pro - the humor in the actual writing is very apparent and there are more than a few laugh out loud moments. First of all, every NPC has their own creative way to put you down and insult your golf games, which results in some pretty funny dialogue. Nobody thinks can you make it as a pro, and they don't hold back with the insults. Almost everything in the game is handled with a humorous spin. Whether it's the elitist trainer who gets overly upset every time you refer to the disc in disc golfing as a "frisbee", angry geese acting as a hazard on the course, hilarious rap battles revolving around golf with such lines as "shooting star / try shooting par / the tour don't play handicaps / brah", or trying to hit a kid in the ear with your golf ball to rescue him from alligators, the writing is unique and really stands out. See More

Top Con

Slopes and hills are hard to see on the golf course

The game is 2D, so sometimes things like small hills and slopes on the golf courses are hard to see. This makes it hard to predict how your shot will roll or bounce once it lands on the ground, making for some unpredictable golfing. See More

Top Pro

RPG elements allow you to customize your golfer a bit

As you make your way through the story completing quests for people, you will earn both money and experience. Money is used to buy new golf clubs which can add some new elements to your golf game. Each golf club has some interesting and unique effects, such as being able to curve shots better or putt with more accuracy. Experience is used to level up your character's stats such as how far you can drive the ball, purity to help correct slices, and accuracy. With the various golf clubs and stats, you can customize a golfer that fits your play style, or adjust your golfer for a specific course. See More

Top Con

Story is not as great in the latter half of the game

While the story starts out pretty strong, having struggles, hardships, and general drama between characters, most of the problems get solved way too early, shifting focus to winning the golfing championship. As a result, the latter half of the game lacks the driving force of proving someone wrong or overcoming a trauma, so it might not feel as interesting. See More

Top Pro

Charming 16 bit style

The pixel art graphics look like they came straight from the SNES era, which will be a huge plus to gamers who prefer a retro style. The tilesets are colorful and varied. Sprites are detailed, and are a definite nod to the days of old school gaming as they have a slight bounce when they walk. Animations are smooth and great to view, such as how a trail of changing colors appears behind the golf ball while it's in midair. See More

Top Pro

Lots of variety in the side quests

Running around the overworld, you'll run into a lot of NPCs who will ask you to perform sidequests that will put your skills to the test. They might ask you to hit a ball to a certain location, bounce it off something, complete timed events, or ask you to pick up golf balls in a maze. There are so many NPCs and so much variety in the activities that you will always have a fun way to take a break from the main story. Completing these objectives awards money, experience, and special items so it's always worth checking them out, and it's a great way to build up your skill for the main story courses. See More

Top Pro

Animated NPC dialogue boxes are a great touch

To convey the mood and emotion of each NPC, an animated dialogue box will appear over their head that grows, shrinks, tilts, and moves with their speech. For example, when they're angry the text is big and bold and the box may slightly wobble from side to side. It's executed extremely well, helping to draw you into the emotions of each NPC without the need for any voice acting. See More

Top Pro

Local multiplayer mode lets you compete against a friend

The local multiplayer mode allows you to go head-to-head against a friend on 9 hole course. Before the match, you can select the golf clubs you want to use, adjust course settings such as wind speed and slope, and choose to play on any course you have unlocked. It's a great way to continue to fun with a friend after you've completed the story mode, and you can play on the same device since it's turn based. See More

Top Pro

You can golf anywhere you want in the game world

While you're out and about doing quests, you are free to drop a ball and take a swing anywhere in the game world. It's not just limited to courses and quests, meaning you can set goals for yourself like trying to hit a specific tree or shooting the golf ball over the heads of NPCs. This might unlock some bonus content, as various objects in the game world reward bonuses such as money, experience, and access to secret areas if you hit them with your golf ball. See More

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