Drag x Drive

Drag x Drive for Nintendo Switch 2 is one of those games that proves there is still room for innovation in sports games. Its original control scheme using the Joy-Con 2 mouse mode, its mix of basketball and vehicles, and its challenging yet fun multiplayer mode make it a highly recommended experience for those looking for something different in these early months of the console.

Drag X Drive is a title that stands out for its love of different sports. The game encourages you to practice and be creative to score as many points as possible, rewarding you for every step of your learning process. It is lovingly designed, but its hardware prevents it from shining as brightly as it could in terms of control. Even so, I can't think of a better title to highlight the new Joy-Con 2 feature.

Drag x Drive left me with a very positive impression. I came in with doubts about its controls and ended up surprised by how precise, fun, and addictive it can be to play with the Joy-Con 2 as if they were a mouse. Online matches are the most exciting part, especially with voice chat, and while it demands coordination and physical endurance, that only adds to the experience. With an affordable price and a concept you won’t find anywhere else, I believe it’s one of those exclusives every Nintendo Switch 2 owner should try.

Drag x Drive's control scheme and gameplay concept are solid and they work really well. Nevertheless, we have our doubts about the game's appeal in the long run: we want more environments, tournaments and local multiplayer.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Drag x Drive but it certainly isn't for everyone. With its unique and tactile controls and gameplay that's great fun to master, I wish there was more to it to really flesh out its clever concept.

Drag & Drive is a modest, original way to test the mouse mode of the Joy-Con 2 on Nintendo Switch 2. Intuitive yet hard to master, it offers limited but polished content and serves as a convincing proof of concept: a seemingly wild idea that, when well executed, is genuinely entertaining.

Drag X Drive proves that the mouse function of the Joy-Con 2s is no gimmick, but can be a true game-changer when used the right way. The controls are remarkably precise and intuitive, making the short 3v3 matches feel tight, smooth, and surprisingly intense. The absence of local co-op feels like a missed opportunity, especially for a game with such a strong social focus. In terms of content and visual style, the game also drops the ball somewhat, with little variety and a rather cold presentation. Even so, the innovative controls create such an addictive flow that you’ll keep coming back for “just one more match."

Drag x Drive is another one of those crazy Nintendo bets that works really well and becomes fun as you understand and overcome its difficulty curve. A bold and inclusive, and above all innovative gamble. The Joy-Con 2 response in mouse mode is a delight, and its mechanics are fun for passing time with casual matches. It can become frustrating if you run into experienced players, but the foundation and learning are there.

The idea for Drag x Drive is clearly inspired by Rocket League. Nintendo makes a unique and entertaining sports game out of it, that delivers a neat use of mouse and motion controls of the Joy-Con 2. But although it's much more than a clone, the game can't nearly reach its apparent template, especially concerning adaptability and other individualization options.

Available at a budget price, Drag x Drive is a unique sports game that doesn't boast a great deal of content. Still, it's fun to play as long as you can get along with using your Joy-Cons like mice, though performing some advanced manoeuvres can feel a little hit or miss.

I really enjoyed playing Drag x Drive, but it’s pretty noticeable that it can get tiring after a while — either because of the physical effort or simply from playing the same mode over and over. I think a bit more variety and some new modes could really benefit the game in the future. It all comes down to whether Nintendo is willing to invest more development time into it.

If you want a game that takes advantage of the Switch 2 mouse function, I think you should check it out, although I recommend inviting your friends over to do the same for a fun time. However, if you're looking for a AAA game with a lot of personality, I think it's best to wait for other releases coming this year.

Drag X Drive focuses solely on gameplay and its mission to demonstrate the potential of the mouse-based Joy-Con controller, forgetting to convey its undeniable depth of gameplay with the graphic and artistic tools that Nintendo usually masters, and which are almost a distinctive signature. It's not a "gimmick game": the idea works, the technique is well-executed and promising, but it would have deserved a series of more thoughtful, enriched and varied touches and modes.

Drag x Drive is a novel take on wheelchair basketball, one that takes full advantage of the Joy-Con 2 controllers. While limited by an overall lack of content, the game still creates a good foundation for the future.

Drag x Drive may lack options with regards to online modes, and its controls take a bit of getting used to. However, if you can give up some time to engaging with this one, if you can get past the barriers in terms of controls and the early frustrations as you find your rhythm, you'll be rewarded with a unique and very well-made sports game that deserves to find an audience of dedicated fans. Add in some pals, and you've got a solid bit of fun for the price.

It’s a cool experiment, and one that demonstrates the uniqueness of the Nintendo Switch 2, but it’s unlikely to have the staying power intended. With a reasonable price point, the barrier to entry is low, but those who do dive in may find an experience that wears thin in the long-term.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with Drag X Drive — the control scheme is engaging and fun — but there’s no getting past the fact that, aside from those controls, this is just a very bare-bones and drab-looking basketball wheelchair game. If the controls aren’t enough to keep you hooked, there’s really nothing else here to hold your attention. The game feels like it was split off from a bigger concept or a package of games, and while Nintendo has expressed a desire to make cheaper, smaller titles, could they at least make them less empty in both atmosphere and features than this one?

Controlling your player is frankly difficult, and I can see people dropping off because they don’t enjoy the experience. Thankfully, that’s where some of Drag x Drive‘s mini-games come into play as they not only break up games, but try to encourage refining your ability to control your player.

Drag x Drive isn’t destined to be the next big Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, but it remains one hell of a compelling case for its underused mouse controls and is a truly original sports title. It’ll take some time to get used to its oddball pacing and unorthodox mechanics, but once you’ve found your wheels on the court it’s hard to pull yourself away.

Drag X Drive feels like an excellent prototype more than a full package. The control scheme proves to be more than just a gimmick and makes the act of moving engaging. Combined with the twist that playing basketball in wheelchairs has on a familiar sport, the result is a very solid and enjoyable time. But with only that one mode to hang its hat on, I don’t see Drag X Drive rising above a novelty.

For all those complaints, however, I do admire that Nintendo tried and arguably succeeded at creating something unique that could not really be ported to another platform even if Nintendo wanted to. Nintendo does not automatically get credit for making something different, of course – the game still needs to be fun to play and give you reason to play – but I will always appreciate Drag x Drive for being unlike anything else and working better than I expected.

Drag X Drive delivers some engaging gameplay, and fun gameplay options, but technical concerns dampen the excitement.

Drag X Drive stands out as one of the most daring and experimental titles on the Nintendo Switch 2. Its innovative controls and multiplayer focus deliver an engaging proposition for players seeking fast-paced, fresh, and distinct experiences. However, its technical limitations, physical strain, and shallow progression may cause many players to lose interest after only a few sessions.

It wouldn’t take much for Drag X Drive to shake off the label of “short but pricey diversion” and become a true must-have. With such a polished control system, Nintendo only needs to add meaningful content to make its affordable price point irresistible to fans of Rocket League–style hybrids that mix sports, arcade flair, and Twitch-ready multiplayer. Hopefully that happens, because it would be a real shame to see this one fade away quietly.

Drag x Drive is one of those unique Nintendo titles that makes use of the new capabilities of the Nintendo Switch 2, but unfortunately falls short in several areas. Its premise is undeniably original, yet the lack of content and game modes will hurt its longevity.

The controls in Drag x Drive are unique, which immediately makes the game a great showcase for the mouse functionality of the Joy-Cons. The gameplay is also entertaining, especially with friends, and the side activities are a nice change of pace. Along with these positive points, there are also negative points. For example, the content is very sparse, your character—which you can customize—is rather soulless, and it's a missed opportunity that the game cannot be played locally.

A futuristic wheelchair basketball game that nods to Rocket League. The idea isn't bad and the foundation is there, but currently Drag x Drive is more of an experimental title that needs some tuning and, above all, desperately needs new content in the months immediately following its launch.

Just when Drag X Drive starts to get fun, you reach the end of the content and activities the game has to offer. Simple is the best way to describe this title, and unfortunately, due to the lack of content, the game can't escape looking like a “premium” tech demo.

Drag x Drive surprises with its concept and controls, but disappoints in content, variety, and design. A missed opportunity that only works well when played online with friends with similar skill.

Drag x Drive is a decent showcase for the unique capabilities of the Nintendo Switch 2's JoyCon mouse, but frustrating controls and shallow gameplay leave a lot to be desired outside of its cheap-ish price tag.

Drag x Drive packs in plenty of interesting ideas, but they never quite merge into a compelling eSports experience. The mouse and motion controls are impressive in isolation, yet in the chaos of high-speed competitive play, they can become a source of frustration. With minimal offline content and few incentives to return online, it risks being overshadowed by stronger competitors. Without significant expansion to its bare-bones structure, the game may struggle to hold onto its player base.

If you have the friends to play this, along with the required vigor in your arms, go ahead and maybe add another half-star or more to this review. It’s a decent price for what could be a good time. It’s a creative, good-faith effort on a fun concept, but it won’t be a good fit for everyone.

While Drag x Drive breeds little contempt with its inspired concept, it fumbles the ball not merely with its paltry offerings but its demanding, and even frustrating, motion controls. An interesting novelty, but ultimately a clumsy showcase for Switch 2's mouse controls.

Drag x Drive is a totally unique multiplayer gaming experience, but its lack of hooks, inaccessible nature, and dull visuals let it down.

The control scheme not only makes good use of the Joy-Cons mouse mode, but also helps to really bring you into the action, although some might find the controls tiring and not always precise.

A lack of flair and features drag down this otherwise satisfying sports title.

Drag x Drive is a smart way of putting the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con to good use with clever, fluid mouse control in a futuristic wheelchair basketball setting. With a unique setup and a fairly steep learning curve, it may not appeal to everyone, though. Once controls become second nature, there is satisfying competitive fun to be had. Drag x Drive does offer good value for the asking price, however there is a lingering feeling of needing more to flesh-out the overall experience.

For anyone with an interest in sports games and novel control schemes, Drag x Drive is well worth checking out, but you’ll likely need to do so soon. I worry that, as the novelty fades, online servers – which were already pairing me with plenty of Japanese players – will begin to dry up, leaving only barren parks and bot matches for those who dabble at a later date...That Nintendo continues to experiment with multiplayer oddities should be commended. A little more attention lavished on the looks and ancillary elements could have made Drag x Drive something special. But in its current form, it still feels like a testing ground for what the Switch 2’s mouse controls can handle, and one that may not linger for very long.

Drag x Drive showcases the Switch 2’s mouse-like dual Joy-Con control with a tactile, rewarding feel once the technique clicks. Clean visuals and stable online play support the core, but thin content, limited modes, and restricted team queuing make the package feel slight. A smart, fresh idea that’s fun to learn and show friends, yet it needs deeper progression and more variety to keep you coming back.

Nintendo games usually impress with the sheer number of ideas they contain, often used only once and then set aside. Drag x Drive, on the other hand, clings insistently to its central idea, controlling characters on wheels using the Joycon 2 held like a mouse, and never strays from it. Not even when it would be better to do so, for example, by managing the various modes via menus. The main fault, however, is paradoxically that it makes little use of this mechanic, offering a limited variety of challenges beyond online competitions and battles with bots. Perhaps there will be updates in the future, but at the moment Drag x Drive would make more sense as part of a collection of games than sold as a standalone game (albeit at a low price).

Drag x Drive tries too hard to reinvent the wheel, putting more focus on the unique (yet intuitive) mouse controls of the Nintendo Switch 2 than having enough gameplay content to give you the drive necessary to play more than a few times. Priced accordingly, shooting some hoops online with friends can be a real ball, and rolling around a skate park-like arena in a wheelchair is even more fun than it looks, but Drag x Drive doesn’t reach its full potential and is far from being a slam dunk.

Drag x Drive is an experience whose concept showcases Nintendo's irreverence, with potential for fun moments, but the aesthetics and lack of Nintendo's characteristic vibrant energy prevent it from reaching the addictive heights of the company's other offerings.

Drag x Drive isn't a bad game—quite the opposite: The creative mouse controls are a bold move that lends virtual wheelchair basketball a unique feel. Especially in the first few hours, the mix of precision, tactics, and physical activity is captivating. But this very unique selling point becomes a hindrance in the long run.

Drag x Drive feels like its developers managed to create a fun and innovative basketball experience using the Switch 2’s coolest new feature, then stopped short of finishing the game. It can be a blast, but the lack of even the most basic single-player modes is sorely felt.

Drag x Drive is a lovely little multiplayer game let down by a dearth of content. As long as you get get to grips with its control scheme you'll have a great time on the court and will likely get your $20's worth, but Nintendo needs to update this game with new features or modes if it doesn't want to see the community moving on after a couple of months.

Drag x Drive can be a lot of fun, but it can also be just as frustrating when it doesn’t want to play ball. For me, it seems more like a showcase of the Nintendo Switch 2’s mouse mode controls than a game that stands out for its own merit. There’s likely an audience for this kind of thing; it’s just I don’t think I’m a part of it.

With the proper setup, Nintendo’s take on wheelchair basketball is a lot of fun and controls surprisingly well, but Drag x Drive sadly lacks enough content, variety, and personality to build around those fundamentals.

Drag x Drive is undoubtedly original and shows off the effectiveness of the Switch 2’s mouse mode pretty well. 3v3 matches are decent fun to hop into if you’ve got a spare few minutes, and the controls are generally intuitive. But as intuitive as they may be, those controls do get tiring on the arms after a little while. Additionally, the game is visually uninspired, lacking the vibrancy and character we all expect from Nintendo titles.

With Drag x Drive, Nintendo’s latest multiplayer jaunt is both the things we hoped for and the things we feared. It feels immersive and thrilling in the middle of matches to be giving it your all as you speed across a court and try to sink shots as best you can, being one with the chaos. Similarly, it’s a concept and control scheme that we haven’t seen before in games, one that deserves credit. In the same breath, though, this hyper-specific control scheme and skill ceiling will leave a lot of players, both casual and lesser-abled, behind with how demanding it can be. It doesn’t help that the Nintendo charm isn’t quite there, nor is there enough substantial side content.

Unfortunately, Drag x Drive just doesn’t deliver the joy and excitement that I expect from a game developed by Nintendo.

Original concept, but Drag X Drive’s execution leaves much to be desired. It feels more like a tech demo for the Switch 2’s new mouse controls than a full-fledged gaming experience for Nintendo's newest console.

Nintendo delivers an original and daring basketball game with an innovative motion-based wheelchair control system that feels fresh and surprisingly deep, but the awkward ergonomics, lack of rewarding gameplay, scarce content, and uninspired presentation make it more of a technical curiosity than a fun or lasting experience.

Drag x Drive is a confusing and unfocused project that fails to offer a lasting and deep experience. Fun for a few games with friends, it lacks a sufficiently structured design to maintain user interest over the long term.

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.

Drag x Drive delivers some moments of frenetic multiplayer fun, but an inflexible and physically-demanding control scheme, lack of personality, and dearth of content severely limits the game's long-term appeal. Drag x Drive could have been a solid addition to a larger Wii-Sports-style collection designed to show off the Switch 2's mouse functionality, but on its own, the game is far from a slam-dunk purchase.

Without more variety or meaningful rewards, it’s a multiplayer experience that only feels worthwhile at a discount.

Drag x Drive showcases the Nintendo Switch 2’s mouse feature but feels more like a gimmick. Fun for a quick play, but its dull design and limited content won’t keep you hooked. Using wheelchair basketball is a smart and fresh touch.

As diverting as it can be, this is a slim offering, a paucity of customisation options, game modes and progress markers providing no higher-level hook. [Issue#415, p.106]

The concept is interesting, and basing the game on wheelchair basketball is very welcome, as adapted sports are still underrepresented in gaming. As a tech demo, it works reasonably well, but the experience quickly starts to wear out on the player's wrists, and some of the control mechanics demand a level of precision that soon becomes frustrating. The game's visual environment feels uninspired too, which is unusual from a Nintendo production. Given its relatively low sales price, Drag x Drive should be seen as a quick experience, but it could have done something more interesting than what's on display in this work.

Drag X Drive offers clever wheelchair basketball motion controls on Switch 2, but bland style and thin content keep it from being a true classic.

The fundamental problem with Drag X Drive: It's not very fun to play, because the controls are alternatively exhausting, imprecise, or both. Even pulling off the trick shots that give the game its personality and nuance requires getting up to top speed, which means navigating finicky tiring controls and avoiding bumping into other players. This is a great game for showing off what the Switch 2 can do conceptually, but it doesn't make a good case for why you'd actually want to do it for very long.

I feel very similar about this release as I did with Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour—and that is not in a good way. With so many incredible games releasing on Switch 2 over the next few months, I think almost all players are better off saving the $20 to put toward another release. Maybe there is something to be said for those planning to squad up with three friends, but solo players can find better experiences out there. Not every game needs to have dozens of modes and content offerings, but Nintendo—of all developers—can do better than this.

The complete lack of charm and content in Drag x Drive makes the game difficult to recommend, even at its budget price of $20. It's the best showcase yet of what can be accomplished with Switch 2 mouse controls, but offers little else. There is some fun to be had with Drag x Drive and perhaps future updates will make it a better game, but there isn't enough at launch to keep Switch 2 owners busy for any serious amount of time.

A bafflingly under-designed multiplayer game that features some classic Nintendo innovation in terms of controls, but deeply unengaging presentation and zero longevity or variety.

Drag x Drive has Nintendo's innovative ‘feel’, it works beautifully as a use case for the mouse functionality of Nintendo's new console, but despite being very well polished, it relies on a naturally stuck gameplay, a victim of its apparent simplicity, which adds a difficult entry level and makes it limited on a tactical and strategic level. It's hard not to imagine what it would be like with “normal” controls, it certainly deserved more aesthetic diversity and options; but It's a good option to have at home if you like to embrace new experiences with friends and, by the way, it would fit in beautifully as a permanent Nintendo Switch Online offering.

While it delivers fast, chaotic, and immersive matches, Drag x Drive struggles with physically demanding mandatory controls, limited accessibility options — ironically for a wheelchair basketball game — scarce content, and uninspired visuals, all of which could affect its online longevity.

Right now, Nintendo feels like they're in a bit of a Kinect era with the Nintendo Switch 2. Trying out everything with fancy new tools like mouse controls and Game Chat, but not really knowing how to actually make these features into compelling game mechanics. Drag x Drive is unfortunately an experiment that hasn't nearly gone wild enough, and will be the subject of a tricky quiz question in a few years' time.

I think Drag x Drive is interesting, and this wheelchair basketball game really highlights Joy-Con 2 mouse controller capabilities. It can be fun if you get a group of people who are invested together. Unfortunately, I don’t think it offers enough of an incentive to get invested. Maybe if Nintendo included some sort of campaign, more customization options, or some sort of league features, I’d feel differently.

Drag x Drive makes good use of the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls for a simple game of wheelchair basketball, but it lacks the charm and personality you'd expect from a Nintendo game.

Drag x Drive makes a solid case for the Nintendo Switch 2's mouse control scheme, but it fails to make one for these wheelchair basketball matches themselves. Elegant steering doesn't mesh well with comparatively imprecise and messy tackling and shooting systems that range from too tricky to far too simple.

Drag x Drive offers a theoretically clever way to simulate wheelchair basketball on the Nintendo Switch 2, but unengaging controls and dull graphics negate much of the game's charm.

Drag x Drive originated from a fun idea, but its execution falls flat. Online matches are rarely exciting, while the game frequently frustrates due to flawed controls. A shame, considering the wheelchair basketball concept is well-conceived. The fact that the multiplayer game brings a smile to your face, especially in the offline mode, packed with challenges designed to teach you the deeper mechanics, speaks volumes.

A clever control scheme and flashes of competitive brilliance can’t hide the fact that the rest of Drag x Drive is running on fumes. The basketball matches are fun, but they’re weighed down by awkward hardware ergonomics, lopsided AI, and a hub world that is just devoid of anything fun. There’s a potential here for something great, and I wish Nintendo explores this some more in the future. But right now, it plays too much like a really polished tech demo.

Despite some efforts in meta-progression, it’s difficult to look past Drag x Drive’s most significant hurdle – that it’s uncomfortable to play for extended periods. The mouse controls are ingenious in theory, and when applied in small bouts, it feels like a novel prototype. But, in the context of such overtly active gameplay, the concept starts to fall apart. What remains is a surprisingly inaccessible sports game that lacks modal variety and a long-term hook. If you were hoping for a spiritual successor to the Nintendo Switch’s Rock ’Em Sock ’Em brawler Arms, you will be disappointed.