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Well, it was bound to happen. Just two months following the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, we get what feels like the first true launch title. I don’t mean this in a way to demean the efforts of Mario Kart World or even what is possibly my favourite game of the year so far, Donkey Kong Bananza. However, I mean a game that would quite simply not be possible on the original Nintendo Switch. That game is Drag x Drive, and while it makes some great use of the unique functionality of the Nintendo Switch 2, it feels every bit a launch title, for better or for worse.
If you’ve not been following or even played the game over the past weekend, Drag x Drive is a sports video game centred around wheelchair basketball. You control a robot in a wheelchair-like vehicle and play in rounds of 3v3 basketball, with the goal being to shoot a basketball into the opponent’s hoop. It’s a simple premise that’s made slightly more complicated by the unique aspect that makes Drag x Drive stand out – you’re in a wheelchair.
The game is controlled entirely by two detached Joy-Con, effectively showing off the mouse mode that only the Nintendo Switch 2 can offer. When you boot the game, it launches a tutorial that guides you through the controls. Placing both Joy-Con either on a surface or on your legs, you propel yourself through the world by moving them. It feels a bit strange at first, but you quickly acclimate to the process, owing in part to the haptics in the Joy-Con, which makes everything feel as authentic as possible, allowing you to feel as if you’re propelling yourself in a wheelchair using two controllers. You can play on a desk too, but I found the controls to be much more responsive when I played on my legs.
The usual tricks are here for you to master, including braking to turn quickly, pushing only one wheel to turn slightly slower and, of course, some tricks. Holding the brake and hoisting your Joy-Con up in a wavy motion can let you bunny hop on the spot if needed. Hitting the edge of the arena with a high enough speed will allow you to pull off fancy jumps off the half pipe arena. Shooting a ball to the hoop is done with the flick of the Joy-Con, too, and while not the most accurate way to throw a ball, it does feel fair in the way it calculates your near misses or goals. Of course, you could go for the mythical slam dunk, though it’s easier said than done.
So while the core of Drag x Drive’s controls and mechanics are strong, the question remains as to the experience surrounding it. To put it bluntly, not a whole lot is going on here. From the beginning of the game, you’ll be able to freely roam around a park that offers activities to hone your abilities. Think time trials, checkpoint races and even a jumping challenge on a skipping rope. But beyond that, many of them are just ways for you to earn trophies, which in turn unlock cosmetics. Unfortunately, at this stage, the only cosmetics to unlock are hats, of which there are around twelve. It doesn’t feel like there’s much to do or work towards in Drag x Drive beyond unlocking these cosmetics, which might hamper its longevity in the long run.
Drag x Drive doesn’t feature a traditional lobby system, but instead offers a novel approach. You can easily transition from your private park to an online one and can free roam with your friends around the park to create activities. You can even spectate if people are already playing or, if you’re bored, go and do your own thing too. There’s something oddly satisfying about the social nature of this experience and its casual atmosphere, but it’s the crux of Drag x Drive where the gloves come off.
The primary mode, then, is a 3v3 basketball mode which plays exactly as you’d expect. This is where you’ll have the most fun with Drag x Drive. We were fortunate enough to play in a few full matches with other reviewers online, and it was a blast. Thankfully, the online functioned seamlessly and worked well. Like any good sports game, I found myself getting rather competitive, too, which is a sign of just how endearing Drag x Drive is as a sports game (a genre I typically do not enjoy). If people drop in or out, the game can automatically fill with bots, too.
And that is easily where you’ll have the most fun with Drag x Drive – playing in a full game with friends. But it’s one of those experiences, almost ironically like Mario Kart World, where the solo experience feels a step below the game when experienced with friends. This dovetails rather considerably with the other issue I have with Drag x Drive. You will always be able to whip out Mario Kart, whether offline or online, and have a couple of matches, and people will want to. That proposition is just not as strong with Drag x Drive – there’s not any semblance of local play with friends either.
There are some other minigames included that help break things up, though once again, they don’t do a lot to make the package feel substantial. One of them has you and the others racing through checkpoints in a classic race. The other drops a ball randomly in the park, forcing you all to race to it and catch it before anyone else. This was my favourite of the two, as it can be especially hectic to see everyone get to the ball and then fumble over each other trying to catch it on each successive bounce. But beyond that, that’s all there is to Drag x Drive – a basketball mode, two very short minigames and some tutorial-esque challenges to complete.
It doesn’t help that Drag x Drive is easily one of the most visually sterile games Nintendo has ever released. While the asking price is admittedly reasonable, it speaks volumes about how barebones Drag x Drive is. The art direction is almost non-existent, to the point where it feels like a tech demo for the console rather than a more substantial experience. There was some keen potential here – imagine bright neon lights lighting up a grungy metal arena. But instead, Drag x Drive has as much charm as a doctor’s waiting room. To think that this is the same game from a publisher who has put out games brimming with character and charm, like Donkey Kong Bananza, only a month ago is honestly baffling.
While there is a distinct lack of things to do in Drag x Drive, it’s still worth noting that once you get the hang of it, it is an enjoyable little experience that you literally cannot find anywhere else. But once your friends are done playing with you, and you admittedly have great fun doing so, there’s not a whole lot left to do. And that’s a huge shame, because there is potential here for Drag x Drive, but the game in its current state doesn’t quite reach it.
