Review – Drag x Drive

It arrives at Nintendo Swith 2 as a paradoxical experience that exemplifies both the innovative potential and Nintendo’s limitations when it decides to venture into experimental territories. After all, no one would imagine having a mouse mode for the new Joy-Cons, let alone that we would have an entirely dedicated game to explore this news.

This robotic wheelchair basketball title, developed by a surprisingly lean team of just 20 people, can impress the unique mechanics while disappointing superficial execution, with an unquestionably ingenious proposal and rescuing the best moments of Nintendo Wii, but with the accuracy of modern sensors.

By using each Joy-Con as a physical representation of the wheeled wheels wheels, Nintendo sought to provide an unprecedented tactile connection between player and avatar, transforming the act of moving along the court into an almost true experience. Apart from the comfort zone player, accustomed to the others, Drag X Drive is an invitation to slide both controls forward, simulating the drive of the wheels, while moving only one side allows accurate curves, all accompanied by a technology that uses tact to communicate, providing tactile sensations to make interaction more immersive and realistic. For the throw, simply lift one of the wrists to perform a release toward the basket.

Boomshakalaka!

With three -three matches of three in a compact three -minute format, players will participate in intense clashes in which staying with the ball in hand requires attention in the same proportion of tension. The courts incorporate sidewoves that allow aerial and buried maneuvers, adding a vertical dimension that differentiates drag x drive from traditional sports simulators, as well as taking advantage of the futuristic feeling carried by art direction. As we await the formation of the match, we can participate in activities against ghosts from other players to practice throwing, maneuvering and speed in Park, common areas that act as a lobby around the other ongoing matches.

Almost like a new Arms, Nintendo has prepared a new way of demonstrating the news that the new generation of Switch has and, because of that, all in Drag X drive revolves around mouse mode, making it also represent the biggest asset and the main limitation of this game. During the first few minutes, the novelty of gesture control is interesting and makes you engaged in learning the controls, testing gameplay, and creating a physical immersion rarely found in sports games. The initial learning curve is quiet and very intuitive, allowing even inexperienced players to dominate the basic movements quickly.

However, since nothing is perfect in this world, prolonged players begin to reveal the physical limitations that this system and mechanics carry. The constant movement of the arms and shoulders to maintain the competitive pace of the matches can generate muscle fatigue after the first 30 minutes of play. In disputes near the basket, where players hit the ball, control can become inaccurate and frustrating, especially when the required speed surpasses the capacity of sensors to follow very fast movements. Worse still finding that the absence of customization or alternative controls can make drag x drive a big problem for players who cannot or do not want to use gesture controls.

If playing sitting on the couch can be a big problem, as it does not always use the legs as surfaces is viable, the scarcity of content and rigidity of options further aggravate the negative points of the game. After all, how to think about the longevity of a Nintendo title, usually concerned with working with local multiplayer for most of its titles, as we see in Donkey Kong Bananza, bringing the total absence of local matches with other players using a single console as an inexplicable choice. Much less without the possibility of filling in matches less than 3v3, even with the use of bots, further limiting the flexibility for players.

All… Too… Easy!

With few game modes, no campaign system or even history, and limited customization based on cosmetics unlock, limited to the helmet, costume, chassis and tires, drag x drive seems not to demonstrate the courage that Nintendo has just a shallow option and being perceived as an elaborate technological demonstration instead of a full game. For those who had and at the launch of Switch 2, which overflow creativity and innovation, complete 100 consecutive rope jumps without making a mistake turns fun into patience test.

The same disappointment is present in the soundtrack of the game that is practically nonexistent, with few tracks being perceived and sinning for being too generic, without creating a real identity for the game. At least art direction can please the minimalist urban aesthetics that dramatically contrasts with the colorful and vibrant palette traditionally associated with Nintendo, rolling in a stable way and without falling perceived rate, even during busier matches or sequences.

Perhaps Drag X Drive works better when players face this title as a great experiment, which can explore the possibilities of the most modern gesture controls and the novelty of mouse mode, very well thinking about the hybrid format of Switch 2. Even if fast and intense matches can provide fun, it happens in moderate doses. However, the complete work leaves the impression of opportunity wasted because of the innovative concept, which deserves to be accompanied by more ambitious development and more refined finish to actually justify its existence in the Nintendo catalog.