Nintendo’s Best Selling Game of All Time Still Needs a Proper Sequel

by

Nintendo is well-known for creating successful games. With franchises like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Donkey Kong, the company has consistently delivered hits. This doesn’t even include the many spin-off titles within those series, or their other game properties. However, despite the popularity of these well-known games, Nintendo’s top-selling game isn’t one of these iconic adventures. Surprisingly, it’s a seemingly basic game that took everyone by surprise. When it was released for the Wii, it became one of Nintendo’s most significant successes, even attracting people who don’t typically play video games.

Despite all of its success, Nintendo hasn’t given much attention to this popular game. Wii Sports became a huge cultural hit, selling more than 80 million copies. Unfortunately, the follow-up games weren’t as well-received. This isn’t to say Wii Sports Resort and Nintendo Switch Sports are poor games, but they simply didn’t have the same level of impact as the original on the Wii.

The Simple Genius That Made Wii Sports a Global Phenomenon

A key factor in the success of Wii Sports was how easy it was to pick up and play. It made video games accessible to everyone and got families playing together – something that wasn’t common at the time. Nintendo also cleverly included Wii Sports with the Wii console, which meant it ended up in a lot of homes, appealing to both kids and older generations.

The Wii’s easy-to-use motion controls also drew people in, making each sport in the game simple to learn and play. Anyone could grab a Wii remote and quickly understand how to play. This made the game not only easy to learn, but also easy to jump right into. There was no need for lengthy explanations of complex controls or gameplay-a quick demonstration was all it took to start playing immediately. It was incredibly accessible.

The success of Wii Sports wasn’t about realistic graphics or huge, detailed game worlds. Instead, it proved the power of simplicity – a lesson that later games trying to improve on it didn’t quite grasp. Nintendo made gaming accessible to everyone by focusing on a straightforward idea and doing it exceptionally well.

Why Nintendo Switch Sports Couldn’t Capture the Magic

Let’s jump ahead to 2022, when Nintendo tried to revive this popular idea with Nintendo Switch Sports. Things initially looked promising. The game brought back motion controls, featured both classic and new sports, and benefited from the Nintendo Switch’s already huge popularity. However, despite getting the core idea right, Nintendo didn’t quite deliver with the way the game actually played.

When the game first came out, it was missing several features and popular games, such as Boxing. On top of that, Golf and Basketball weren’t available right away, meaning players had to wait even longer to play those sports after already purchasing what felt like an incomplete game. The games that were included didn’t feel as good as what Wii Sports had offered. Many people thought it was simply a way to make money off of fans’ fond memories, and reviews for Nintendo Switch Sports were generally mixed. To make matters worse, the game’s visual style didn’t connect with players. The beloved Miis were removed and replaced with bland, uninteresting avatars.

The best thing about Nintendo Switch Sports was definitely the well-done motion controls. However, beyond that, it didn’t feel like a significant improvement over the original. It felt simplified and left both me and other fans feeling let down with pretty much everything about it. Even adding online multiplayer wasn’t enough to save the game. Instead of starting a new chapter for the series, it really highlighted just how great Wii Sports was.

The Sequel Fans Deserve, Not the One We Got

Wii Sports truly deserves a follow-up, and the core idea is already solid. Nintendo simply needs to recapture what made the original so special: simple, enjoyable gameplay that brought people together. A complete overhaul isn’t needed; instead, leveraging today’s technology could enhance key features without changing the things players already loved.

Players are hoping the next console includes the classic games that first came with Wii Sports. Adding new sports is great, but it shouldn’t take away from what makes the original so enjoyable. The Nintendo Switch 2 could maintain the familiar look of the sports while using its improved technology to offer more advanced features, such as online multiplayer or game-changing modifiers. A practice mode, entertaining challenges, and levels that let you improve your skills could make the game even more satisfying and fun.

Honestly, more than anything, this game needs to feel complete. If Nintendo doesn’t include it with the console or give it away for free, it *has* to be worth the money. The thing that made Wii Sports so great was how easy it was to just pick up and play, and charging for Nintendo Switch Sports kinda ruined that feeling, especially since there wasn’t a ton to *do*. And seriously, please bring back the Miis, or at least give us avatars that have that same lovable Nintendo vibe. They really made the game feel personal and were what made Wii Sports special.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

Read More

2025-09-30 01:42