The Nintendo Switch 2’s Open-World Era Is Officially Here, and It Rules

When I first played Mario Kart World last June, I didn’t quite get its open-world mode. Free Roam was a novel idea, but I was initially put off by its lack of substantial world activities and its slew of weak rewards. I came to appreciate it much more over time as a chill playground that gave me space to master all the nuances of driving and jumping. Still, I left feeling like it was a first draft of a great idea that could stand to be iterated on. I didn’t expect that iteration to come in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort of all places.

Nintendo’s latest round of motion-controlled minigames offers some reliable fun for anyone who still has a fondness for the Wii Sports era. But while Bowling and Boxing are as enjoyable as ever, the real reason to play the collection is its trio of leisure activities: Prop Plane, Skateboarding, and Power Cruising. All of those not only show off how precise the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons can be, but riff on Mario Kart World’s free-roaming joys to great success.

Leisure activities are low-stakes minigames that let you explore every corner of Wuhu Island, the game’s setting. Prop Plane lets you see it from the skies, as you hold your Joy-Con like a paper airplane and carefully tilt through caves. Skateboarding is an on-the-ground experience that allows you to examine every detail of the environment. And Power Cruising drops you on a jet ski and sets you loose in the water around the island. All three activities are among the finest offerings in the collection because they all hinge on ingenious, responsive motion controls. Kicking back a skateboard with mouse controls and revving your jet ski by twisting your Joy-Con like a handle bar both have the same magic that once made swinging a virtual tennis racket feel so magical.

Even more delightful to discover is the fact that these modes take a lot of notes from Mario Kart World. Wuhu Island is full of collectible photo spots, mini-challenges, and well-hidden treasures. You can either play a timed run where you try to do as much as you can in five minutes, or just enjoy it all in a freeplay mode. Like Free Roam, it’s a laid-back bit of exploration that makes for a great come down between high-stress games of Table Tennis.

Image: Nintendo via Polygon

Dare I say that flying around Wuhu Island is even more enjoyable than cruising through Mario Kart World’s map? It is, and that comes down to a few nuances. For one, there’s that satisfying toy factor that comes with great motion controls. Skateboarding is the best sales pitch we’ve gotten for the Switch 2’s mouse controls yet, and I would take a full skating game that builds off that foundation. Heck, I’m even pining for a Pilotwings revival right now after spending hours with Prop Plane!

There’s also just far more to do on Wuhu Island than there is in Mario Kart’s world — or at least, there’s a greater density of activities. There are tons of photos to find in all three modes, as well as a long list of hidden missions to hunt down. Prop Plane fills the island with balloons you can pop, while you can find dolphins in the ocean while Power Cruising and chase them down. A lot of care has gone into making sure that you always feel an immediate momentum to move towards a sight, making those five-minute runs go by quickly as you move between objectives without stopping. Mario Kart World struggled to nail that with its more spread-out world that left a lot of dead space between P-Switch missions.

What’s most successful, though, is the open world itself. Wuhu Island is a joy to explore from all three perspectives, because so much time went into constructing a place that feels logical. Every sport featured in the game has its own corresponding area on the island. Ride around, and you’ll find the exact open-air bowling alley where you roll strikes. Fly deep out to sea, and you’ll find the entire island that’s dedicated to golf, with every hole laid out for you to see. And between all of that, you can find hidden resorts, secret caves, and landmarks that make Wuhu Island feel like a real vacation spot rather than a nebulous table setting hub.

Image: Nintendo

Mario Kart World, to its credit, got this right too. One of the joys of that game’s Free Roam mode is found in naturally weaving in and out of tracks, and seeing how they all fit together in a cohesive space. Like Super Mario 3D World’s open-world 3D platforming spin-off Bowser’s Fury, it offers the best sense of what the Mario world really looks like between its levels. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort only tightens that idea for the Wii Sports franchise, going as far as to sketch out the customs of the island in the text attached to its photo collectibles. It all helps the game feel like less of a minigame collection and more of a proper world built around sports.

The early open-world experiments of the Switch 2 era, made possible by stronger tech, are promising so far. Nintendo seems to be testing out which of its franchises could actually benefit from expanded worlds, but is keeping those worlds relatively compact rather than loading them with time-consuming junk. Wuhu Island isn’t overwhelmingly large, but it’s packed with enough detail and secrets that I find myself repeatedly drawn into another five-minute session to study its construction. If Nintendo can keep that philosophy up, I imagine that we may be in for a treat when games like Kirby and the World Beyond open their gates.