Drag x Drive | REVIEW | NINTENDO SWITCH 2

''WHEELIN AND DEALIN''

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Developed: Nintendo

Published: Nintendo

Genre: Sports/Simulation

Release Date: August 14th, 2025

Platforms: Switch 2

GAME PROVIDED TO ME BY NINTENDO OF AMERICA

Drag x Drive is the next experimental game in the Nintendo library that aims to showcase just what the Switch 2 is capable of, similar to the way Welcome Tour did not too long ago. But was this the right style of game to try to experiment with? or should they have focused on a different route to go to in order to showcase how good the Mouse Mode functionality is? Only one way to find out, so lets ride!

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''SHOOT FOR YOUR HOPES AND DREAMS!''

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GAMEPLAY:

I've stated in past reviews, mainly my Welcome Tour review, that Nintendo has a history of using various IP's, both new and old in order to showcase their consoles capabilities, whether it be accessory related or even software related. In most cases though, its accessory focused that puts huge emphasis on things like second screen for a handheld, tablet controller like for Wii U, motion controls for Wii, Joy-Cons for Switch, etc, you get it, Nintendo loves their whacky ways. Although some of them end up flopping worse than a modern NBA player... yes I'm talking about you Virtual Boy, you weird little headache inducing, eye ball straining, searing red abomination that came straight from the bowels of the underworld itself. To heck I cast you! Heck I say!. Ok obviously Virtual Boy wasn't that bad if were going to be fair, even if the entire library of games it supports can fit in your hand. My random point is this, there's been successes in the department of experimentation by Nintendo that have faithfully showcased to the world a new level of fun to be had, Wii brought in a whole new generation to competent motion controls, deemed ''waggle'', Joy-Cons also doing similar, however now with Switch 2, we have come to a very different nature of the beast since now the new hit craze that Nintendo is attempting to get everyone behind is their new Mouse Mode functionality. Drag x Drive isn't the first game on the Switch 2 to utilize the Mouse Mode of course, with examples like once again, Welcome Tour, that showcased multiple different mini games very efficiently and gave you an idea what Nintendo was shooting for. But the one that pretty much gave me the ol light bulb above the head moment was Mario Paint. Yeah, go figure. Who knew the way to the future was back... in the past?. As our esteemed Doc would say, GREAT SCOTT. Luckily to go back to the past, we don't need a DeLorean and a side quest adventure to avoid advances from our own mother after we get hit by car, get chased by bullies, attend a dance to get our parents together so we don't disappear into oblivion... nope, thankfully not, just a simple ol Nintendo Switch Online subscription and were good. Painting, clicking, swatting, while seeming minimal on paper, honestly, really gives you a feel of what can be implemented with this control scheme and opens up avenues to many different styles of games, this next one being of course, Drag x Drive.

With the introduction of Drag x Drive, you're a faceless player that takes part in games of basketball via a wheelchair, with you having your Joy Con 2's firmly in hand, using them for the Mouse Mode to spin, twist, wave to friends, aim, shoot and ride as fast as you can, with every movement and action you make being dictated by how well you can maneuver your wheelchair around. Seems easy enough, right? just simple place your Joy Cons like a mouse on your legs, desk or table and then you're expecting to have an easy and fun time right away, right? Well.. lets just say... LARRY says no. Alright, no, the meme cat named Larry has no say in this, but he's not entirely wrong. The control scheme does take a bit to get into because of how sensitive moving forward with the Mouse Mode is, and sometimes when you're trying to haul butt as quick as you can down the court, your right or left hand will instinctively sway to the left or right, making one wheel on your chair want to go forward and other go in a completely new direction... and this cause you a bit of a headache with trying to get the hang of the controls, at least at first. My play time with the Global Jam demo was pretty much this experience and then some, with me struggling to even move around or go in a straight line and looking more like I'm a kid who's on a sugar rush and cant contain myself as I go in all directions. There's a tutorial at the start that's really useful, but even seeing them and getting shown what to do, your brain still wants to be a butt head and do the complete opposite and you will mess up QUITE a lot, even when just riding around the HUB area and doing the mini games available to you. But if you can stick with it and give yourself about ten minutes give or take to get the hang of the controls, then I guarantee you're going to find a good deal of fun the more skilled you get at mastering the unorthodox way the game has you play. As mentioned briefly before, each Joy Con mimics a wheel like pushing forward makes you lunge ahead, pull back to reverse, pivot by turning each Joy Con one at a time or both together, which also lets you do stunts for slam dunking and perfectly timed jumps. Too bad I'm white though cause as much as I try, I just cant jump... dang it, Wesley Snipes, white folk really cant jump. The pain. Actually no I can jump, its just not very good and more so than not end up going in the wrong direction or getting disoriented cause I'm not good at dunking. Everyone else posterizes me something fierce though.

When you feel you've got somewhat the hang of it, you can start getting into more matches outside just practicing in the hub area and wait your turn on the side lines as we wait for the next game to start up, which reminds you of sitting on the playground as a kid waiting for the court to open up cause you're ''next''. Wooo! go team! shoot the three! No! pass the dang ball, what are you thinking!?. WHAT? AW COME ON, ARE YOU BLIND REF, THAT WAS A FOUL. Acting like a parent in the stands of your kids game, you're able to praise your teammates for a good job by raising the Joy Cons and clapping with them, as well as letting them know YOU wanted the LAST SHOT and this is YOUR YARD. I'm a sharp shooter! I can do it guys, IM A PEACOCK, YOU GOTTA LET ME FLY. PASS ME THE BALL. Yes! now its time to show what I'm made of. My hand slipped, I was fouled. Shut up! were moving on. While you hang out in the hub world known as the park, you can choose from three different types of profiles, Guard that can roll faster due to agility but is less powerful, Center for better reversing, Forward for a more balanced character. Pick whichever is most comfortable to you for your play style as you customize your uniform, your gear, headwear and even your wheels, so you can roll up into a game looking like you just got a new pair of light up shoes like we had in the 90s. Oh ya, you show them who looks radical. While traditional basketball is 5v5, here in Drag x Drive that would be WAY too chaotic, so instead you're subjected to 3v3 matches, both in local and solo play and online play with the goal of outscoring the other team by using your wheelchair to slam into them to knock the ball loose, pressing L + R to pass to an open teammate and then raising your arm in the air and flicking your wrist to attempt to hit a wide open or contested shot. KOBE!. Playing with me though is like the movie Semi-Pro, I think I'm the greatest, but really I'm just a klutz who happens to get lucky and succeed in Drag x Drive since I do not have to focus on dribbling the basketball and instead put all my anger and rage into slamming into my opponent like its NFL Blitz to steal the ball and rack up the score on a 14 second shot clock. The controls, for as awkward as they can be are extremely responsive and feel smooth, even during mess ups and gives further emphasis on just how good the Mouse Mode for Switch 2 actually is and after an intense match, you might find yourself sweating a little bit due to the workout you get if you get a little TOO into your sliding and zooming with the Joy Cons... just like me. But while it fun to engage in 3v3 battles, take part in Loop Dash races that lets you speed through hurdles, snag orbs via Ball Grab pits, hang out in ''The Park with 12 other people while you wait and interact with new friends, collect 25 trophies by completing objectives like timed runs, great shooting.. it still lacks a TON of depth you'd expect from Nintendo and relies a lot on your competitive nature due to lack of juicy solo content like a story or narrative mode.

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''PUTTING BRO ON A POSTER''

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OVERALL:

At the end of the day Drag x Drive doesnt invent the wheel or revolutionize the way games will be played, but really, does EVERYTHING have to? I don't think so. Obviously it has some flaws that you cant get around like lack of depth to the core gameplay and a lack of a story mode, even if its just one as small as a story that has you take on various teams to win a championship at the end like Circuits similar to Mario Kart, or even a tournament based system like Mortal Kombat. But still, with fun mini games while you wait for a match to start while you hang out in The Park hub, skill based mechanics that require you to think and focus on each movement you make as you master the controls, escalating difficulties as the more you level up, engaging and fun 3v3 matches that never feel the same and online mode to hop onto friends with to see if you two or even three have what it takes to take on the best in the world. If you're looking for a game that's reasonably priced and aims more to the market of ''Pick Up And Play'' then at $20, I personally feel its a no brainer to purchase and give it a go. However if you're someone that is not THAT into competitive play and enjoy more of a solo experience than maybe its not for you. However for content offered overall, $20 I feel is fair there's enough content for THAT specific price to warrant a purchase and showcases once again why Mouse Mode is still one of Switch 2's greatest features. So with all that having been said, my verdict is clear, GameNChick says BUY NOW

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