There have been “whispers” that Nintendo won’t host a new general Direct until June, which isn’t too strange, especially since it’s a month for major game announcements. However, the show could be packed with release dates for titles like Splatoon Raiders, Switch Sports and Rhythm Heaven Groove. Nate reports that they’re launching this Summer, which could mean a steady series of Switch 2 titles from June to early September.

Of course, that’s not the full line-up, and Nintendo has every opportunity to reveal some real killer apps (and maybe even tease the next full-fledged 3D Mario). In the meantime, it’s riding high on the success of Pokémon Pokopia, with over 2.2 million copies sold in just four days and recent releases like Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park.

There’s also Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, which launches on May 21st alongside Nintendo’s new initiative to price physical and digital editions of a title separately. The platformer retails for $69.99 physically, but it’s $10 cheaper digitally.

All the tenets of Basketball are here, from dribbling and passing to shooting and blocking. Players can also dunk the ball and steal from the opposition. Three-Point Challenge is available solo and with up to four players, as they compete to score as many three-point shots as possible within the time limit. This is fundamentally more challenging with other players since they can disrupt your shots.

Other modes include Five-Streak Battle, and players can engage in two-on-two matches locally or online with friends or randoms since matchmaking is enabled. Nintendo has yet to confirm if this is the final update for Nintendo Switch Sports, but stay tuned for other potential features in the future.

Some options include a Three-Point Challenge for solo players to score as many baskets as possible in the allotted time. Up to four players can also battle it out locally in the same or participate in a Five-Streak Battle. Two-on-two matches are also available for local and online play.

Stay tuned for more details when the update is live. Nintendo Switch Sports launched in April 2022 and has sold over 13.11 million copies for the platform as of March 31st, 2024. Despite the success, it’s seen sporadic updates over the years. August 2022 saw the arrival of new moves for Volleyball and Leg Strap support.

In November 2022, Golf was added as a new sport alongside LAN Play. Nintendo hasn’t indicated whether any more sports or features are planned for the future, but never say never.

Ready to shoot some hoops? Basketball arrives in #NintendoSwitchSports on July 9th! pic.twitter.com/UR00BWfHJt

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 8, 2024

Nintendo Switch Sports is adding a new sport this summer with a free update in the form of basketball, something that was indicted in data mining leaks even before the game released. The new sport will come with both local and online play options across multiple modes, with Solo Three-Point Challenge and Five-Streak Battle for local play, and 2v2 matches with motion controls enabled for online play. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of what to expect.

Nintendo Switch Sports is available on the Nintendo Switch. Whether Nintendo has plans for any more sports to be added to the game remains to be seen. Stay tuned for details on when exactly the basketball update will arrive.

Nintendo’s big-name titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokemon Violet, and Nintendo Switch Sports captured fourth, fifth, and sixth places, respectively. Sonic Frontiers is in seventh place following its price drop in the UK and sold highest on Nintendo Switch for the week. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope also saw a 50 percent increase in sales thanks to discounts.

The major releases of December 2022 aren’t faring too well, though. The Callisto Protocol dropped to 22nd, with sales down by 25 percent. Need for Speed Unbound is in 28th place, with sales up slightly by four percent, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion dropped to 30th place a week after its debut as sales dropped by 76 percent. Check out the full UK top ten below.

LAN play is also available for connecting multiple Nintendo Switch consoles for one massive play session. You’ll need a licensed USB LAN adapter for Nintendo Switch Lite or the Nintendo Switch dock. Two players are allowed on each console for a total of eight players, though the number of participants depends on the selected sport. For more details on setting up LAN Play, head here.

Version 1.3.0 also fixes several unnamed issues to improve the overall experience. Check out the full patch notes below. Thus far, Nintendo has added new Volleyball moves, leg strap support for Soccer, and much more. Stay tuned for future updates in the meantime.

Ver. 1.3.0 Patch Notes

Golf

• Golf has been added. It can be enjoyed in all modes: Play Globally, Play Locally and Play with Friends.
• We added a Shot Assist mode in Golf to make it easier for beginners to play. To use it, go to Options → User Settings → Other.
• This setting only applies to Play Locally and Play with Friends.
• Please be aware that even if you have Shot Assist mode on, your setting will revert to Normal in Play Globally mode.
  

Play with Friends

• LAN play is now compatible. For more information, please see How to Use the LAN Play Feature of Nintendo Switch Sports.

Overall

• Several issues have been fixed to improve the gameplay experience.

Taking to Twitter, Nintendo recently announced that Nintendo Switch Sports will be getting its golf update later this month, on November 28. The update will bring a total of 21 holes from the Wii Sports series, while in addition to being able to play against others, players will also be able to play the 8-player last man standing Survival Golf mode.

Golf will become Nintendo Switch Sports’ seventh playable sport, joining the six that it launched with- football, badminton, tennis, chambara, bowling, and volleyball. Prior to the game’s launch, leaks suggested that it could also add other sports in post-launch updates, including the likes of basketball and dodgeball.

It was recently revealed that Nintendo Switch Sports has sold 6.15 million units worldwide as of September 30.

Get ready to grab that iron & step up to the tee!

The #NintendoSwitchSports Golf update will arrive on 11/28, and will include a total of 21 holes from the Wii Sports series. Swing to avoid elimination in Survival Golf, or enjoy some casual competition with friends and family! pic.twitter.com/yzhn7NQBUv

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) November 22, 2022

While there may have been some concern about Sonic Frontiers launching so close to Ragnarok, it’s fared pretty well. The 3D platformer debuted in fourth place with five percent more boxed copies sold in its first week than Sonic Forces. The PS5 version made up 40 percent of sales, followed by the Nintendo Switch version at 34 percent, Xbox at 14 percent, and PS4 at 12 percent.

Other new releases include Football Manager 2023 in 11th place, with physical sales down by 18 percent compared to last year’s game. Given its status on PC, digital sales could make up the difference. Stray’s PS4 version received a physical release and charted in 23rd place. Square Enix’s Tactics Ogre: Reborn debuted in 24th place.

Interestingly, the increase in PS5 consoles sold helped raise sales for Horizon Forbidden West. It experienced a 141 percent sales increase week-on-week and rose to seventh place. Nintendo Switch game sales also rose, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe rising by 34 percent, Nintendo Switch Sports by 19 percent, Splatoon 3 by 22 percent, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons by 50 percent.

Check out the Gfk’s top-ten best-selling physical titles for the week ending November 12th below.

Chief among them is Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which has sold over 5.27 million units worldwide as of September 30, 2022, up from 4.53 million units reported at the end of June. That makes it the best-selling Kirby game to date, exceeding Kirby’s Dream Land lifetime sales of 5.13 million units.

Meanwhile, Nintendo Switch Sports stands at 6.15 million units sold, up from the previously reported 4.84 million units. Mario Strikers: Battle League has crossed 2.17 million units (up from 1.91 million), while Pokemon Legends: Arceus stands at 13.91 million units sold (up from the 12.64 million sales reported in May). Mario Party Superstars stands at 8.07 million units sold.

As GamesIndustry notes, sales were down by 42 percent week-on-week but up by more than 40 percent compared to last year’s Call of Duty: Vanguard. FIFA 23 is in second place, with sales dropping by 12 percent. Several Nintendo Switch exclusives saw their sales increase and positions rise compared to the previous week. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was in third, with sales up by 35 percent.

Nintendo Switch Sports had a 54 percent sales increase and captured fourth, while Splatoon 3 rose to fifth place following a 19 percent increase. Among the new entries for the week were WRC Generations at 22nd place and Harvestella at 25th. Check out Gfk’s top ten best-selling physical titles in the UK for the week ending November 5th below.