Nintendo Switch Sports: A 76-Year-Old's Wii Bowling Legacy Lives On
At a recent family gathering over the Christmas holidays, I found myself once again facing off against my 76-year-old mother in a virtual bowling match. The question on my mind was simple yet daunting: could I finally manage to beat her at her own game?
The Unbeatable Champion
My mother has always been an extraordinary woman. She brought me into this world, nurtured me through childhood, and provided me with an education. Her resilience is unparalleled, and her love knows no bounds. She is the very foundation that holds our family together. However, in this particular moment, I was thoroughly enjoying the rare opportunity to outscore her in a video game bowling tournament, and it felt absolutely fantastic!
Back in the 2000s, my mum reigned supreme as the undisputed champion of Wii Bowling. She was virtually unbeatable, consistently landing strike after strike with effortless precision. She was the Dudette in our family's version of The Big Lebowski. So, when she announced her plans to visit us in Canada, I saw it as the perfect opportunity to purchase the updated Nintendo Switch Sports version of her beloved game. At 76 years old, I thought I might finally stand a chance of defeating her, especially if I allowed myself a sneaky practice session before her arrival.
Exploring the New Game
I eagerly fired up Nintendo Switch Sports to familiarise myself with the gameplay. Tennis and golf have successfully made the transition from the original Wii Sports, alongside the classic bowling. However, the tennis mode failed to capture my interest for more than ten minutes, and I have been wary of any golf game that involves swinging a controller since Christmas morning 2009. That was when my wife surprised me with Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf for the Wii, and I surprised her by throwing my back out after an intense six-hour gaming session.
Volleyball and badminton offered a double serving of mediocrity. While young children might find them entertaining, they did little to engage this grown adult. Basketball has been carried over from Wii Sports Resort, and Chambara presents an updated version of fencing. The latter remains as chaotic as the original, while the former is still a complete disaster. The hand motion required to move and dribble is one I haven't practised vigorously since my teenage years, and I certainly didn't want to demonstrate it in front of my mother.
If basketball is a minor fender-bender, then the new football game is a multi-car pileup. It's a slower, less entertaining version of Rocket League, but with the added feature of strapping a controller to your leg to virtually kick the ball. There is absolutely no way a 56-year-old man should attempt to kick something that doesn't physically exist. You might as well take a pair of scissors to your hamstrings.
The Timeless Appeal of Bowling
Nevertheless, just like its predecessor Wii Sports, Switch Sports proves to be worth every penny solely because of the bowling mode. It encapsulates the very essence of gaming fun and simplicity, which was particularly fortunate as we were all slightly inebriated during our first session. Three generations of the Diamond family engaged in delightful silliness, creating a beautiful and memorable experience.
My mum wasn't without her criticisms of the new version. She felt the updated Mii characters were too realistic, preferring the quasi-abstract shapes of the original Wii avatars. Additionally, she expressed disappointment that the Switch simply announces "spare" rather than the more enthusiastic "NICE SPARE!"
Her most significant critique, however, concerned the size of the Joy-Con controllers compared to the larger Wii remote. "I am happier with something bigger in my hands," she cackled mischievously. She is utterly incorrigible, and I know exactly where I inherited that trait from.
Sober Reflections and Shared Memories
The following day, it was just my mum and me playing sober. The atmosphere transformed into a very different kind of gaming experience—social, laid-back, and deeply meaningful. We chatted about how she first fell in love with this game during a Christmas at my house back in 2006. My brother was present with his children, and my sister-in-law was visiting from Canada. I have absolutely no recollection of this event, so I am immensely grateful to have an elderly mother who can help me remember such precious moments as I approach my dotage.
She adored the game so much that upon returning home, she immediately purchased her own Wii console. It remains fully operational to this day, complete with all the plastic accessories that originally came with Wii Sports—the one and only game she has ever played on it.
A Legacy of Gaming
Introducing her to her favourite game feels like a heartfelt repayment, because my mum was the person who initially sparked my passion for gaming. In the 1980s, she returned to school to train as a word processing teacher and developed an interest in programming. She bought a ZX Spectrum to learn BASIC, but never had the opportunity to use it as we children hijacked the machine to play Manic Mining. Indeed, our addiction to Atic Atac prevented our mum from potentially becoming the next Brenda Romero.
Mum claims she introduced me to the "game" that changed my life: Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. She has a valid point. I type at an incredibly fast speed, all thanks to Mavis. We fondly reminisced about the last-minute calls to her theatre school when we were short of audience members for GamesMaster, and the sheer joy she experienced when I managed to get athletes to wave hello to her on television.
I would not have the life I have enjoyed without her unwavering support and influence.
The Circle of Gaming Life
I sincerely hope that my own children will invite me over for a games night when I reach 76, so they can finally best me at Street Fighter II, once my arthritic thumbs can no longer execute a Dragon Punch. Furthermore, I hope that their children will continue this tradition with them, perpetuating this glorious circle of gaming life across generations.
I am profoundly happy to have this precious time with her to play games once again. But I am even more grateful for the meaningful conversations and shared memories that fill the spaces around the game itself. A week after she departed, I booted up the bowling mode again, but I only played for ten minutes before switching it off. It simply wasn't the same without Mum.
