Nintendo has tried something new with Drag x Drive, and while it\u2019s an effective showcase of the Switch 2\u2019s mouse controls, some key issues prevent it from being a big winner.<\/b>
\nI think it\u2019s fair to say that when April\u2019s hotly anticipated Nintendo Direct swung around, Drag x Drive wasn\u2019t on anyone’s bingo card. Yes, one of the initial first-party releases on the Nintendo Switch 2 isn\u2019t only a sports title \u2013 but one that\u2019s based on wheelchair basketball.
Drag x Drive is, at its core, a game intended to show off the enhanced capabilities of the Joy-Con 2. In particular, their mouse controls are used to move your player around the court. It\u2019s also massively centered around online play, almost positioning it as Nintendo\u2019s rival to the hugely successful Rocket League.
So, a couple of major questions arise. Is Drag x Drive just a glorified tech demo? Or is it a fully-fledged Nintendo Switch 2 sports title with enough depth to hold down a loyal playerbase? I spent hours playing this unorthodox new release to find out.A real workout
From the moment you open Drag x Drive, you\u2019re thrown into a tutorial that teaches you all the basics of movement, hooping, and tricking. You can place the Joy-Con 2 controllers on a flat surface or even on your legs, and use mouse controls to mimic pushing wheels on a wheelchair.
The controls are intuitive and fairly easy to get to grips with, in my view. HD rumble also makes every turn and push feel a bit more true-to-life. There\u2019s been some debate online about the best way to control your baller, but I found that holding the Joy-Con 2\u2019s on top of my legs was the most comfortable, natural-feeling method.
However, after a few minutes of wheeling around as well as a couple of practice matches, I identified \u2013 well, felt, really \u2013 one of Drag x Drive\u2019s key limitations. My arms were feeling beat.
Yep, this game\u2019s a real workout, though I did wonder if this was intentional. Is Drag x Drive meant to immerse the player in the high-exertion reality of wheelchair basketball? Maybe. But the facts are, I felt pretty achey after a few back-to-back matches, which did make playing for longer than around 30 minutes feel tiring.
Aside from that, though, movement is solid. You can easily build up speed with long, relaxed strokes, and wheel up on-court halfpipes to dunk or obstruct a shot. The ZL and ZR buttons enable you to brake, and you can also use them to bunny hop, giving you some extra elevation when blocking or shooting.
On the topic of shooting, it\u2019s also quite consistent. The more lined up you are with the basket, the more likely you are to score, which can be performed with a flick of the wrist \u2013 no buttons needed. I did find, on occasion, my baller would raise their hand to shoot, even when I hadn\u2019t performed this motion. But most of the time, shooting is responsive.
I\u2019d argue that the most underwhelming element of Drag x Drive\u2019s core gameplay, however, is defending. In order to steal the ball, you must charge into an opposing player while facing them. But, when playing matches online during the game\u2019s Global Jam trial event, I found that this didn\u2019t always work \u2013 I\u2019d clash into an opponent, but the ball would remain firmly in their grip.
On top of that, blocking didn\u2019t feel very reliable. Ultimately, my games were rarely won by good defense. They were typically won by aggressively attacking. Speaking of, you can bag extra points with trick shots \u2013 think dunks and mid-air throws. And I have to say, winning a match with a mid-air 3-pointer is very satisfying!
Oh, and one final note on gameplay \u2013 I often found myself in 2v2 matches when playing online via Global Jam. Scrolling on Reddit, I discovered that other players encountered a similar occurrence, though games were still generally balanced, and I barely ever experienced any delays or performance issues.
I\u2019m hoping 2v2s are a little less common when the full game is on general release, though, for the most action-packed experience possible.Where\u2019s the Nintendo magic?
Let\u2019s take a break from gameplay to chat about design. Now, I’m gonna be frank. I am not a fan of the way Drag x Drive looks. The world \u2013 or should I say, the courts \u2013 is too bland. Colors aren\u2019t very vibrant, and there\u2019s a generally dingy look to the environment, which is a real shame.
Given this is a Nintendo-developed title, you expect the vivid, character-filled presentation that so many of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games \u2013 and indeed, the best Nintendo Switch games \u2013 thrive off of. In addition, character models lack polish, meaning the game doesn\u2019t really look like it was made for a flashy new console.
Not only is it visually underwhelming, but the overall Drag x Drive experience is pretty thin \u2013 perhaps to be expected given its low price tag. 3v3 online matches are generally competitive and entertaining to hop into, though, as I mentioned, a few games left my arms feeling lethargic. And other than those online matches, there\u2019s not all too much to do.
There are a few minigames littered around the courts \u2013 stuff like cone courses and sprint time trials. If you complete these within a certain amount of time, you can earn a trophy. But after I did this, I didn\u2019t feel particularly keen to return to them. Variety could be better, too, given that many of the minigames are variations of each other \u2013 there are a number of cone courses to finish, for instance.
Something that\u2019s undoubtedly positive, though, is that the trophies you obtain by clearing minigames help you unlock new customization options. For example, you can get new helmets \u2013 including one with a mohawk, which I took a liking to. Other than that, you can alter the texture and colors of your armor, frame, and wheels.
Combine this with the opportunity to switch between a speedy yet lightweight guard, a bulky yet slow center, or an all-rounder forward, and Drag x Drive ends up being a pleasingly personalizable time.
So, how about we go back to that question of ours: is Drag x Drive just a glorified tech demo? Well, that might be a touch harsh. But the finished product does feel a little underbaked. The core experience \u2013 the 3v3 online matches \u2013 is decently tense and end-to-end, and I can see myself dipping in from time to time for a quick game.
But a quick game is all I would really want from Drag x Drive. It\u2019s a workout on the arms, minigames aren\u2019t massively engaging, and the environment isn\u2019t visually stimulating enough to draw me in for the long run.
Much like it did with Arms on the original Switch, Nintendo took a long shot early with Drag x Drive. And honestly, I appreciate the decision to create an original gaming experience based on wheelchair basketball \u2013 it\u2019s refreshing to see more representation of sports such as this. But in the end, its tiring controls and unappealing aesthetic hold Drag x Drive back from being a total slam dunk.Should you play Drag x Drive?Play it if.
You want an online game you can quickly dip in and out of
Drag x Drive is solid fun if you\u2019re willing to just hop on for a couple of games. You can take on friends or global competitors for a few minutes without feeling fatigued, and just enjoy flexing your 3-point shooting or dunking skills.
You want to get the best out of mouse mode
One of the key missions of Drag x Drive is to showcase the smooth, intuitive nature of the Joy Con 2\u2019s mouse controls. And that\u2019s a mission that it accomplishes \u2013 controls are largely responsive, and it will be interesting to see how Nintendo makes use of them in future titles.Don’t play it if.
You\u2019re looking to chill, rather than work out
If you\u2019re hoping to relax after a long day at work or school, maybe even a gym session, say, Drag x Drive might not be what you’re looking for. Wheeling around gets pretty tiring after a while, so extended play sessions can feel like quite the workout.
You want to experience the peak powers of the Switch 2
I\u2019d argue that the most disappointing aspect of Drag x Drive is its visual presentation. Colors don\u2019t pop, environments lack polish, and the graphics just generally fail to highlight the power of the Nintendo Switch 2. Want a beautiful title for your shiny new console? Maybe look elsewhere \u2013 my recommendation would be the absolutely smashing Donkey Kong Bananza.Accessibility features
There aren\u2019t all too many accessibility features to note from Drag x Drive. You can adjust the camera distance as well as the X and Y-axis configuration, and choose whether to use mouse or stick controls for menu navigation. But, disappointingly, that\u2019s about it.How I reviewed Drag x Drive
I played Drag x Drive for around 10 hours, mainly competing online during the Global Jam event and in matches against bots in single-player mode. I also completed the majority of the available minigames and played around with the customization options available.
For the most part, I played the game in docked mode on my Nintendo Switch 2, which is hooked up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 and a Samsung HW-Q800D soundbar. However, I did also spend some time playing the game in tabletop mode while connected to my Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.
First reviewed August 2025<\/p>\n