Sixteen Years Later, Wii Sports Resort Finally Has a Successor — and Thumb Wrestling Is a Real Sport Now

I'll say it up front: nobody in my house has ever forgiven Nintendo for letting the Wii Sports Resort era end.

Remember that summer when your entire family suddenly had strong opinions about bowling physics? When your sweet, church-going grandmother transformed into a competitive monster the moment a virtual tennis racket appeared? Wii Sports Resort took that magic in 2009, strapped a jet ski to it, and sent the whole circus flying over Wuhu Island. It was perfect. Then it vanished.

Until Thursday.

Nintendo Switch Sports Resort launches on October 22, exclusively for Switch 2, priced at $49.99 digital. And for the first time since the Wii era, this actually looks like the successor we've been waiting for. Twelve sports. Wuhu Island. An island you can explore instead of another menu asking what you'd like to play.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room. Some of you bought Nintendo Switch Sports in 2022. That game launched with six sports and the general atmosphere of an empty hotel lobby. It was fine. Nobody remembers it particularly fondly. This time, Nintendo looks like it's finally remembered what made the 2009 original special: the island was the game, and the sports were just excuses to hang around.

The roster gets the classics together: Boxing, Table Tennis, Archery, Tennis, Volleyball, Bowling, Basketball and Golf. That's the greatest-hits collection. Power Cruising and Prop Plane return from the 2009 classic, too. Then there are two newcomers: Skateboarding, which uses the Joy-Con 2's mouse controls for movement and tricks, and Thumb Wrestling.

Yes, Thumb Wrestling. We've reached the point where Nintendo can sell us a video game about pinning someone's thumb and make it sound like a perfectly reasonable use of an evening.

The rules are gloriously ridiculous: hold and tilt the Joy-Con to pin your opponent's thumb for three seconds while they violently shake their controller to escape. A hands-on preview published this week called it "simple, silly, and surprisingly entertaining." Naturally, I'm already planning a family tournament. Nothing says quality time like discovering which relative takes simulated thumb combat far too seriously.

But here's the feature I'm most interested in: Wuhu Island is explorable again.

You can travel across it by land on a skateboard, by sea on a Power Cruiser, or by air in a prop plane. There are hidden hibiscus flowers to find, dolphin chases to enjoy and collectible photos to discover. It's the sort of aimless exploring that made the original island feel like a holiday you could actually visit, rather than a background you occasionally noticed between bowling matches.

There's a single-player Island Crown mode, too, where you'll climb the ranks towards Island Champions and Island Legends across nine sports. And yes, Mii character Matt — the legendary Wii Sports boxer — makes an appearance. Nostalgia is a drug, and Nintendo has clearly decided to open a pharmacy on Wuhu Island.

The practical details are worth knowing before you start clearing the living room. According to Nintendo, one system supports 1–4 players. Friend lobbies can accommodate up to eight people online, there's a ranked Pro League, and casual online play covers nine sports. Character customisation uses Spocco Points earned by playing. Online features require a Nintendo Switch Online membership, because even virtual family arguments need a subscription these days.

So, is this finally the game that recaptures the Wii Sports magic?

The ingredients are certainly here: the island, the expanded sports roster, the freedom to explore, and the sheer absurdity of turning thumb wrestling into an esport. But what made the original Wii Sports such a phenomenon wasn't just the number of activities or the novelty of motion controls. It understood something game developers know but too often forget: you don't need to bury everyone under tutorials, complicated systems and a 40-minute explanation of the controls.

Your mum doesn't need a tutorial. She needs a bowling ball.

The original Wii Sports sold 82 million copies because it made playing together effortless. You picked up a controller, swung your arm, and suddenly the quietest person in the room was demanding a rematch. That's the magic Nintendo Switch Sports Resort needs to recapture, and no amount of nostalgia can guarantee it.

We'll find out on Thursday.

Clear the furniture.