Have you been cooped up most of the summer cause of COVID-19? If so, Instant Sports Summer Games could be for you. It has several things working in its favor, although it also has several working against it. Let’s see if this mixed bag does enough right to earn a medal.

One of the first favorable things you’ll notice is the game count. While its predecessor had six, Instant Sports Summer Games nearly doubles this. Some of the new sports include javelin throw, archery, and two jumping contests (high and triple).

My first experience with an INSTANT game from this developer was Instant Tennis, which I gave an average review. I’ll say it works much better in a compilation like Instant Sports Summer Games, where I can focus less on the limitations and more on the admirable motion controls.

Speaking of, every game here uses motion controls. The lack of traditional input (save for Tennis) means handheld players, and Switch Lite owners can’t enjoy this one. Are all the motion controls as on the ball as Tennis, at least?

For the most part, yes. If you’re a fan of motion controls from the Wii days, you’ll likely find a portion of entertainment in this game setup. Even if motion control goes against the “Instant” nature to some extent, most of the games have a low learning curve. If you’re not a fan of motion controls, this current build won’t be for you, unless you have kids who will enjoy swinging the Joy-Cons (hopefully with straps secured around their wrists).

Of all the sports, bowling probably is the best in pick-up-and-play terms. I genuinely enjoy this version more than the one found in Clubhouse Games, and it’ll be the main game I return to play. There are a few different lanes to pick from, and you can play classic or obstacles. Some shrill sound effects weaken it, though. I don’t mind the more simple, albeit colorful, visuals throughout all these games, but the audio mastering is off in this collection.

Even the less exciting events offer something. For instance, while many of the newer games lack the same thrills they’d have in a full-on Olympic compilation, I feel if I play it long enough, I could wind up like arm-wrestling Homer Simpson with one beefy arm, ala Trogdor. Most of the games have a few different areas to play, sometimes based on the difficulty level.

While the motion controls themselves primarily work fine, there are some quirks. Swapping Joy-Cons can be nice when playing with a large group, but make it optional. If I have multiple, passing them back and forth is unnecessary. Speaking of a group, why advertise up to eight players when these games have limits of two to four simultaneously? A bit more consistency and polish would go a long way throughout this package.

Still, there’s plenty to unlock, and you can aim to top your best scores or times. I can see kids enjoying Instant Sports Summer Games, even with a lack of depth. The AI is only so compelling, but with a few friends and siblings, there’s some fun to have in a group setting.

Instant Sports Summer Games isn’t a memorable release, but I respect it for what it tries to (and sometimes does) accomplish. With the Summer Olympic games lost to the pandemic, this Switch exclusive could score with families. Just keep in mind that the motion controls, while quite successful for the most part, will probably have you playing for only a little bit here and there.