Drag x Drive doesn’t look big or ambitious enough to create a revolution on the Switch 2, in the same way that Splatoon did on the Wii U. But, with its latest overview video, Nintendo has revealed it’s a lot more interesting than it looked at first.
Will It Be Easy To Learn And Play?
Nintendo makes it clear you have to play it with two Joy-Cons in mouse mode. But, you don’t have to have a flat surface. They even show someone scrolling their Joy-Cons on their legs while sitting down.
It’s hard to say if the controls will be easy to pick up. You will have to slide both Joy-Cons forward and backward to move, and slide one Joy-Con to turn in one direction. The L & R and ZL & ZR buttons also have different functions.
Some Controls Seem Intuitive
There are other controls that sound much more intuitive. If you wave your hands, your character will also do it in the game. You can also reach up one Joy-Con, to make your character stretch out their arm while balancing on one wheel. You can use this to throw the ball higher or block someone’s shot.
The edges of the playing field are shaped like the half-pipes on a skatepark. You can run towards them to get higher to also make your shots. These all sound fun to try out, but we’ll have to play to know for sure.
Drag x Drive Has A Lot Of QOL Features Already
It looks like Nintendo built the game in such a way that you can just keep using your Joy-Cons in Mouse Mode, even when going through the menus. The online features are simplified. You have control over how much you can play with others, but there isn’t a lot you have to choose.
There are also mini-games that you can play online or with computer bots. These games include a racing course, a game to catch a ball from above, and more. One game will let you practice making shots, so there’s a lot of opportunity to learn.
What Is Nintendo’s History With Basketball Games Anyway?
Nintendo isn’t known for basketball games. This seems to have created a strange opportunity for Nintendo to learn to make a game they haven’t tried before. Instead of making a Mario basketball franchise, they’re making a Joy-Con Mouse Mode showcase.
You Can Try It Before Buying
Will Drag x Drive be a flash in the pan, or will Switch 2 players embrace it? Nintendo scheduled demos next month, so we can actually find out before we buy. These are the Drag x Drive: Global Jam demo event dates and times:
August 9, from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. PT
August 9, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. PT
August 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT
Drag x Drive is releasing on August 14 on the Switch 2 eShop. You can watch the overview video below.
