Sports Story

Last updated

Sports Story
Sports-story 3ph8.jpg
Sports Story eShop cover art
Developer(s) Sidebar Games
Publisher(s) Sidebar Games
Platform(s) Nintendo Switch
Release23 December 2022
Genre(s) Role-playing, adventure, sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Sports Story is a 2022 video game developed and published by Sidebar Games for the Nintendo Switch. [1] It is the sequel to the 2017 video game Golf Story . It was released on 23 December 2022. [2] [3]

Contents

Originally announced in December 2019, Sports Story suffered delays as the scope of the game became more ambitious. Upon release the game received mixed reviews, with criticism directed towards the game's overuse of fetch quests, its unfocused narrative, and technical issues experienced at launch, with most critics finding the game to be inferior to Golf Story.

Gameplay

Sports Story is a top-down adventure game following the protagonist of the original game investigating the suspicious activities of the PureStrike megacorporation and the Iron Dragons yakuza. [4] Compared to Golf Story , which only featured gameplay revolving around the sport of golf, Sports Story features additional sports including tennis, association football, cricket, volleyball and BMX. [5] The game uses mechanics based on these sports as part of its gameplay, which includes minigames, dungeon crawling and stealth segments. [5] The game also features a fleshed out tennis academy storyline separate to the main story. [6]

Development and release

The game was announced on 10 December 2019 in a Nintendo Indie World showcase for an intended 2020 release. [7] Similarly to the development of Golf Story, Sports Story was delayed a number of times as the scope of the game became more ambitious. [8] [9] It was ultimately released on 23 December 2022. [2]

The initial release of the game contained a secret room (ostensibly a game development office) in which its occupants complained about an unnamed project's "troubled development", with some publications surmising that the comments referred to the protracted development of Sports Story itself. A later patch, while acknowledging the secret room, blocked player access to it and altered the occupants' dialogue to be more positive, albeit in a sarcastic manner. [10] [11]

Reception

The game received "mixed or average reviews" according to media review aggregator website Metacritic , based on 13 critic reviews. [12] Most critics found the game to be inferior to its predecessor.

Nintendo Life's mixed review praised Sports Story's writing and visuals, but they had issues with the game's numerous bugs and glitches, overuse of fetch quests, and its sometimes confusing quest structure. [6] Siliconera criticized the lack of tutorials and its unfocused narrative, and felt parts of the game were "blatantly broken". [14] GameSpot's negative review also criticised the fetch quests and the story, as well as the technical issues and the poor implementation of the new sports into the game, but found the golf to be the best part of the game. [4] Vooks also felt the golf-focused parts of the game were still fun, and ultimately found the game to be "greater than the sum of its wobbly parts". [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Go Vacation</i> 2011 Namco Bandai video game

Go Vacation is a 2011 party video game developed and released by Bandai Namco Games for the Wii and Nintendo Switch. It is the third game in the We Ski series and a spin-off to the prior two main titles. Up to four players can compete against each other in over 50 sport-based minigames that take place in four fictional island resorts. Minigames range from outdoor activities such as kayaking and horseback riding, to activities one might find in a city, like table hockey and minigolf. Different resorts can be accessed using vehicles such as trolleys and bicycles. Players can customize the outfit of their avatar and decorate their house with furniture.

<i>Xenoblade Chronicles X</i> 2015 video game

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Wii U console. The game is part of the Xenoblade Chronicles series, itself forming part of the wider Xeno metaseries. Carrying over several gameplay elements from the original game, players explore the open world planet Mira, completing a variety of quests and unlocking new regions to explore and gather resources from across its five continents. The story follows a surviving human ship after escaping an alien battle which destroys Earth, with the player character joining the BLADE unit to defend the human survivors and uncover Mira's secrets.

<i>Dragon Quest Builders</i> 2016 video game

Dragon Quest Builders is a 2016 sandbox action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Android, and iOS, and published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch.

<i>Dragon Quest XI</i> 2017 video game

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is a role-playing video game by Square Enix. The eleventh entry in the long-running Dragon Quest video game series, it was released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4 in July 2017 and worldwide for the PlayStation 4 and Windows in September 2018. An enhanced version, Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition, was released for Nintendo Switch by Nintendo in September 2019; for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in December 2020; and for Stadia in March 2021.

<i>Octopath Traveler</i> 2018 video game

Octopath Traveler is a role-playing video game developed by Square Enix, in collaboration with Acquire. The game was released for the Nintendo Switch in July 2018, for Windows in June 2019, for Stadia in April 2020, and for Xbox One in March 2021. It received generally favorable reviews, with praise for its presentation, music, and battle system, while its story received more mixed responses. The game had sold over 3 million copies worldwide by September 2022.

<i>Xenoblade Chronicles</i> Video game franchise

Xenoblade Chronicles is a series of action role-playing games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. The series began with the original Xenoblade Chronicles game, published for the Nintendo Wii in 2010. Though initially only released in Japan, it was localized into other regions as a result of Operation Rainfall, a large grass-roots fan campaign to pressure Nintendo to localize several Japan-exclusive games. The original game became a critical and commercial success, spawning multiple sequels. The series has since sold more than 8.74 million copies worldwide. Xenoblade Chronicles has been well-received for its world design, music, stories, and themes. The series has been represented in other gaming franchises, including the Super Smash Bros. and Project X Zone series. It is loosely a part of the Xeno metaseries, for which it receives its namesake, co-created and directed by Tetsuya Takahashi.

<i>Dragon Quest Builders 2</i> 2018 video game

Dragon Quest Builders 2 is an action role-playing sandbox game developed by Square Enix and Omega Force, with Square Enix publishing it. It is the sequel to Dragon Quest Builders, and was released for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in Japan in December 2018 and worldwide in July 2019, for Windows in December 2019, and for the Xbox One in May 2021. The game shipped over a million copies by August 2019 and received generally favorable reviews from critics.

<i>Golf Story</i> 2017 role-playing sports adventure video game

Golf Story is a 2017 video game developed and published by Australian studio Sidebar Games for the Nintendo Switch. The game was released in North America, Europe, and Australia on 28 September 2017. Golf Story is an adventure game with role-playing (RPG) elements based on the sport of golf. Originally designed as a Wii U release, Golf Story had a lengthy development time, and Sidebar sought assistance from Nintendo to finish the game and release it for the Switch. It was influenced by the Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf, released in 1999.

<i>Shin Megami Tensei V</i> 2021 role-playing video game

Shin Megami Tensei V is a 2021 role-playing video game developed and published by Atlus for the Nintendo Switch. It is part of the Shin Megami Tensei series, the central series of the larger Megami Tensei franchise. Produced by Shin Megami Tensei IV director Kazuyuki Yamai, it was designed as a hybrid between Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne and Shin Megami Tensei IV, featuring returning gameplay mechanics such as raising and fusing demons. As of April 2022, the game sold over one million copies.

<i>Mercenaries Saga Chronicles</i> 2018 video game

Mercenaries Saga Chronicles is a tactical role-playing game released for the Nintendo Switch. The game is a collection of three previous Mercenaries Saga games - Mercenaries Saga: Will of the White Lions, Mercenaries Saga 2: Order of the Silver Eagle and Mercenaries Saga 3: Gray Wolves of War.

Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road is an upcoming sports role-playing video game developed and published by Level-5, planned for release for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS in 2024.

<i>Daemon X Machina</i> 2019 video game

Daemon X Machina is a mecha third-person shooter action game developed and published by Marvelous. It was originally released for the Nintendo Switch on September 13, 2019. It was later ported to Microsoft Windows on February 13, 2020. The game received mixed or average reviews upon release.

<i>Super Mario Maker 2</i> 2019 video game

Super Mario Maker 2 is a 2019 side-scrolling platform game and level creation system developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the sequel to Super Mario Maker and was released worldwide on June 28, 2019. The gameplay is largely retained from that of its predecessor, in which players create their own custom courses using assets from various games across the Super Mario franchise and share them online. Super Mario Maker 2 introduces new features and course assets, including a single player story mode and new level assets based on Super Mario 3D World.

<i>Persona 5 Strikers</i> 2020 video game

Persona 5 Strikers is an action role-playing game developed by Omega Force and P-Studio and published by Atlus. The game is a crossover between Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors franchise and the Persona series developed by Atlus. The game's narrative is set half a year after the events of Persona 5, and follows Joker and the rest of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts as they investigate a series of mysterious events involving people across Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evercade</span> Handheld game console

The Evercade is a handheld game console developed and manufactured by UK company Blaze Entertainment. It focuses on retrogaming with ROM cartridges that each contain a number of emulated games. Development began in 2018, and the console was released in May 2020, after a few delays. Upon its launch, the console offered 10 game cartridges with a combined total of 122 games.

<i>Omori</i> (video game) 2020 video game

Omori is a 2020 role-playing video game developed and published by indie studio Omocat. The player controls a hikikomori teenage boy named Sunny and his dream world alter-ego Omori. The player explores both the real world and Sunny's surreal dream world as Omori, either overcoming or suppressing his fears and forgotten secrets. How Sunny and Omori interact depends on choices made by the player, resulting in one of several endings. The game's turn-based battle system includes unconventional status effects based on characters' emotions. Prominently portraying concepts such as anxiety, depression, psychological trauma, and suicide, the game features strong psychological horror elements.

<i>Mario Golf: Super Rush</i> 2021 video game

Mario Golf: Super Rush is a 2021 golf video game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch console. It was announced via a Nintendo Direct on February 17, 2021 and was released worldwide on June 25, 2021. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Golf series following Mario Golf: World Tour in 2014 and is part of the larger Mario franchise. The game features various characters from the Mario franchise competing in golf, with regular competition and other modes.

<i>Dragon Quest Treasures</i> 2022 video game

Dragon Quest Treasures is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by Tose and published by Square Enix. A spin-off of the Dragon Quest series, the game takes place on the floating continent of Draconia and follows the siblings Erik and Mia from Dragon Quest XI in search of seven legendary Dragonstones. Dragon Quest Treasures was released for the Nintendo Switch in December 2022 and Windows in July 2023. It received mixed to positive reception from critics.

<i>RPGolf Legends</i> 2022 video game

RPGolf Legends is a 2022 role-playing video game video game developed by ArticNet and published by Kemco.

<i>Minekos Night Market</i> 2023 video game

Mineko's Night Market is a 2023 business simulation video game developed by Meowza Games and published by Humble Games for Windows and Switch. Players control a young girl tasked with revitalizing a local market.

References

  1. ↑ "Nintendo Switch exclusive Sports Story out now". EuroGamer. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  2. 1 2 Norman, Jim (23 December 2022). "Surprise! Sports Story Finally Swings Onto Switch Today". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "Sports Story now available". Gematsu. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Ramee, Jordan (9 January 2023). "Sports Story Review - Over Par". GameSpot. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  5. 1 2 Skopp, Sam (2 February 2020). "Golf Story Dev Reveals New Improvements In Store For Sports Story". TheGamer. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Vogel, Mitch (30 December 2022). "Sports Story Review". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  7. ↑ Nintendo (10 December 2019). "Nintendo Switch - Indie World Showcase - 12.10.19" . Retrieved 24 December 2022– via YouTube.
  8. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (17 August 2020). "Switch Exclusive Sports Story Has Been Delayed". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  9. ↑ Craddock, Ryan (15 June 2021). "Sidebar Games Offers A Fresh Update On Sports Story, Golf Story Gets 50% Discount". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  10. ↑ Phillips, Tom (30 January 2023). "Nintendo Switch exclusive Sports Story scrubs game development criticism hidden in secret room". Eurogamer. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  11. ↑ Innes, Ruby (30 January 2023). "Sports Story Secret Dev Room Gets Weird New Update". Kotaku. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Sports Story for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  13. ↑ Shea, Brian (16 January 2023). "Sports Story Review". Game Informer. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  14. ↑ Lada, Jenni (8 January 2023). "Review: Sports Story is a Game That Needs More Time". Siliconera. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  15. ↑ Searles, Andrew (8 January 2023). "Sports Story Review". Vooks. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.