Nintendo Switch Sports: Everything Included In The Summer Update

Serving as the successor to the highly successful "Wii Sports," the jury seems to still be out on "Nintendo Switch Sports." The game certainly has its merits and is overall a fun mishmash of highly engaging minigames based on popular recreational activities. It was warmly received by critics, but the party-play sports title has been met with a much more mixed reception than its predecessor due to the its $39.99 price point and it being released five years after the release of the Nintendo Switch itself. However, late is always better than never, and updates could help improve upon the solid foundation on which "Nintendo Switch Sports" is built on.

Nintendo released its second free update for "Nintendo Switch Sports" on July 26, which serves to add many sought-after features and achievements into the game. But what exactly is being added and how can you get the absolute most out of the latest tweaks and improvements? Here are all of the changes included in the "Nintendo Switch Sports" summer update.

When it comes to sports, few are as popular and engaging as the age-old game of football (or soccer for you Americans out there). Having been absent in previous "Wii Sports" offerings, "Nintendo Switch Sports" seeks to capture it in all of its glory by pitting two teams of four against each other, or allowing two players to face off in a one-on-one battle. It's a fun game, and considered to be one of the better modes in "Nintendo Switch Sports." According to the patch notes, soccer is about to become even more immersive.

As part of the summer update, Nintendo has enabled soccer to be played with a leg strap accessory to give players more control over their virtual avatars when striking the ball. The idea behind this addition is not only to increase the mode's immersion levels, but also allow players to strike a ball with more power than they could previously. Players will also have the ability to use the Joy-Cons to dash in-game while playing with the leg strap.

What would summer fun be like without a fun game of volleyball? As yet another new addition to Nintendo's arcade sports series, volleyball in "Nintendo Switch Sports" has been considered to be somewhat of a mixed bag since the game's release back in April. While the game mode seems to be fun enough, players and reviewers alike have complained of volleyball not having much in the way of fine-tuned controls, but Nintendo seems to be addressing that issue by adding a few more fancy moves.

The summer update for "Nintendo Switch Sports" adds a few more maneuvers to volleyball. One of these is called the Slide Attack, which is described as "a coordinated move where a player crosses the court before leaping to spike the ball," according to the patch notes listed by Nintendo Life. A Slide Attack can be executed by moving the left stick on your Joy-Con left and right after bumping the ball and is recommended to be used to catch your opponent off guard. Another new move is the Rocket Serve which is an ultra-powerful strike of the ball when serving that could provide your rival some trouble right from the beginning of a round.

While Nintendo has made some big changes pertaining to both its soccer and volleyball minigames, "Nintendo Switch Sports" has also been given more subtle tweaks to improve the player's experience. One such change is the inclusion of higher ranks. Previously, the highest rank a player could achieve when completing a game was an "A" rank. However, with the summer update, players can now reach higher ranks such as "S" and the all-new "∞" (Infinity) rank for their efforts when playing globally in Pro Leagues.

There have been other smaller quality-of-life changes as well. In bowling, there's an update that adjusts how the pins fall dependent upon how the ball hits them. Additionally, if you wish to have a private match with someone that isn't on your Nintendo friends list, "Nintendo Switch Sports" now allows players to create a room with a Room ID code so that anyone in possession of the code can join. This provides a classic one-v-one experience for anyone who comes across a stranger online and is feeling ultra competitive.

It's been a really hot summer so far, and if staying inside in the comfort of your home is how you want to spend it, "Nintendo Switch Sports" has added enough new content to perhaps hold you over until the temperature cools down a bit.