Sports Connection

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Sports Connection is a Ubisoft-published sports video game for the Wii U. Known in North America as ESPN Sports Connection, it launched as a Wii U launch title in late 2012 in North America, Europe, and Australia after being shown at E3 2012. The North American title was officially changed to ESPN Sports Connection on September 13, 2012 after ESPN licensing was secured. The game features original ESPN music and ESPN-branded outfits and logos.

Gameplay and features
- The game includes six sports: tennis, golf, baseball, soccer, karting, and football.
- Each sport has a standard rules version plus an additional side mode.
- You can customize match length, location, and computer difficulty.
- You play with the Wii U GamePad and Wii MotionPlus remotes, often needing to switch between them.
- You create an in-game avatar at the start, and you can earn achievements by completing tasks.

Sports overview
- Tennis: Play a regular match and a Cannon Ball mode where you return a serve to a marked spot.
- Golf: Played with the Wii Remote only; you can practice swings, apply spin, and adjust ball position. No computer opponents; there’s a caddie mode requiring both controllers.
- Baseball: Use motion controls with the Wii Remote to bat and the GamePad’s stylus to pitch; catching uses the touch screen.
- Soccer: Shoot, pass, sprint, and tackle with buttons; Penalty Shootout uses the touchscreen.
- Football: Two teams of six; offense uses the Wii Remote to pass and throw, defense uses the GamePad and touchscreen. Includes Exhibition and Tournament modes.
- Karting: Race on 11 tracks with a boost from drifts; time trials are available. Steering can switch between motion and button controls; the game promotes Wii Wheel compatibility.

Reception
- The game received generally unfavorable reviews.
- Critics called it dull, with slowdowns, poor AI, and weak overall design.
- Golf was sometimes noted as the better mode, but Football and other sports were criticized for clumsy controls.
- It was listed by Official Nintendo Magazine as one of the worst Wii U launch games in 2013.
- Reviews from IGN, Nintendo World Report, Nintendo Life, and others gave low scores, citing a shallow experience and poor use of Wii U features.