Here's the thing, enough time has passed that you could call the original Wii Sports a retro game, and the Wii itself a retro console. First hitting the scene back in 2006 it became the benchmark for the new world of motion-controlled gaming. After going hands on with all six sports of Nintendo Switch Sports it's safe to say that it's a great day for tennis.

A snippet (covering Volleyball and Bowling).

The days of motion being how you go about controlling every Nintendo game are gone, but each and every Joy-Con comes packed with an accelerometer and gyroscope to track motion. So right off the bat, Nintendo Switch Sports takes advantage of the hardware that slots into either side of the console. And even though we’re also beyond the time when elaborate physical movement was the thing you did when playing Wii Sports, it’s the sort of habit that’s hard to shake when the results are immediate and fun.

As a new sport for the series, Volleyball is all about multiplayer action with up to four players serving, setting up the ball, spiking and blocking. Simple hand gestures that mimic the real-world sport, plus jumping, becoming a stand-in for the real deal. Coloured trails and on-screen notifications let you know if your timing was too early or too late, and building up combos ensures that skill and teamwork are rewarded in kind. Accessibility has always been at the forefront of Wii Sports as a unique experience, and volleyball keeps that in check with the complexity coming from the sport itself.

On the flip side to this is Bowling, which elevates the original’s ten-pin setup thanks to being able to bowl simultaneously with other players - significantly improving the pick-up-and-play quality of the excellent mode. Setting up angles, adding a spin, its motion control at its simplest and more intuitive - and with the original now falling under the “retro game” category in terms of age, a necessary and very welcome addition.

Our Full Nintendo Switch Sports Hands-On