It’s hard to believe it’s been 12 years since Wii Sports launched, yet INSTANT TENNIS (all caps for some strange reason) brings to mind that classic. It’s motion controls are, refreshingly, pretty good, but the overall package feels rather bare bones as a standalone release. Whether it’s worth a modest $8.99 might come down to how much you wish to revisit tennis in a Wii Sports-ish Switch experience.

Again, the motion controls are solid. Should you wish to play in handheld mode, traditional are also included. You don’t actually move your player, but instead focus on aiming your shots. It sounds limited, but it’s pulled off reasonably well as you aim to tire your opponent out. The devs got really carried away with control reminders, though. You’ll see them before every opponent, even within the same tournament!

You’ll unlock new characters and courts as you win. The latter didn’t feel that different to me, even with their unique playing surfaces. A star system is in place, though it’s not explained in-game. The first couple of tournaments I played without losing a single match, yet I only earned one star out of five? I’m missing something I guess, but the thin tutorial doesn’t touch this. The game isn’t difficult mind you, but a little more would’ve been nice. How about some training minigames à la Wii Sports? That would’ve been a fun replay incentive.

Where INSTANT TENNIS really faults is multiplayer. It advertises “up to 8 players” but it’s just two at a time. You can’t even play doubles, it’s all completive, and always best out of three. This family game will leave some of the family sitting around waiting for their turn, in head-scratching fashion.

I had some early fun with INSTANT TENNIS, but it wasn’t long before it left me wanting more. It isn’t a bad game per se, but it definitely doesn’t have enough to keep me playing. The computer ultimately proves dull, which made me want to play with friends. But with multiplayer limitations and no doubles, it feels like an unfinished game. This casual small indie release pulls off motion controls, but faults in too many other areas. Wait for an update before paying full price.