Remember how much we all loved Wii Sports? If Nintendo ever wanted to revive the beloved franchise, no one would complain, but given that they haven't let out so much as a whisper about such plans, Konami is doing their best to fill the gap on the Nintendo Switch with Hyper Sports R.
I went hands-on with Hyper Sports R at E3 2018 and learned about the basic structure of the game, as well as got a slight idea of how it might, eventually, play.
What is Hyper Sports R?
Hyper Sports R is an upcoming sports collection game for Nintendo Switch that uses motion controls for players to compete across a variety of events. You can also use button controls, if motion controls aren't for you.
The game consists of a Campaign where you recruit athletes and compete in various events, but also has a Quick Play mode. You can perfect your craft alone, or invite up to three other friends to join you and compete against one another.
How do I play?
For each event, you can select a character to play as (no word yet on if characters have stats that make them better at some events than others or not) and then compete either using motion controls or buttons. For example, in the 100m Dash, you can either pump your arms like you're running to go fast, or mash the A button. Javelin, Long Jump, and Shot Put play very similarly, with timed button presses dictating how fast you run, where you stop, and when you jump or where you throw.
What games have been confirmed for Hyper Sports R?
So far, the following events have been confirmed for Hyper Sports R:
- 100m Dash
- Javelin
- Shotput
- Long Jump
- Swimming
- Beach Volleyball
Is it fun to play?
During my E3 2018 demo of Hyper Sports R, I was able to test out the 100m Dash, Javelin, Long Jump, and Shot Put, as well as watch an AI demo of Beach Volleyball. I played all these in quick play and did not get a chance to experience the Campaign. Also, motion controls were only operational for 100m Dash, and the rest of the games I tried had to be done with buttons.
If I could sum up my time with Hyper Sports R at E3 in a single word, it would be "unfinished." Of course, it's still in development, but the demo itself felt so incomplete that it's hard to give a picture of how enjoyable this game would be. The 100m Dash just involved mashing the A button for a few seconds or pumping my arms back and forth until I won. The remaining events were very simple combinations of timed button presses, and despite the fact that the Beach Volleyball game was an AI demo, the AI managed to do some pretty stupid, broken things while I was watching. It didn't feel like Hyper Sports R was ready to show off yet.
That shouldn't be taken as a full-on indictment of the game. Wii Sports proved that motion control sports games are very, very in-demand, but I don't yet have the confidence that Hyper Sports R can take its place just by asking players to mash A for a bit. It definitely needs more than the announced six events, and the campaign or characters will need some meat to it if the events remain as simplistic as what I've seen. For now, it's probably best to give Hyper Sports R some time to percolate.
When can I compete?
Hyper Sports R will launch for the Nintendo Switch at some point, but release date and pricing details have not been given.
Tell me more, coach!
If you want to know more about Hyper Sports R, cheer in the comments and let me know!
