1-2-Switch

1-2 Switch defied my expectations, providing an entertainment experience above and beyond that of what I thought was its closest counterpart, Wii Sports. It has a huge variety of games, some better than others, which appeal to both gamers and non-gamers alike. Although artificial restrictions placed on some games and game modes keep it from being as much fun as it could be, this is an excellent party game, and it’s just as much fun to watch as it is to play.

To really enjoy 1-2-Switch you just need a few beers and an awful lot of friends.

As far as mini-game compilations go, 1-2 Switch isn’t that bad, but it won’t tread on Wii Sports grounds any time soon.

A compilation of really simple minigames (28 in total) that quickly get boring due to lack of depth. [05/2017, p.67]

1-2-Switch is guaranteed to generate more than a few laughs in social situations, even if some of the games will only be played once or twice. It's definitely THE title to show off the Switch's features, if you wanted to show them off. It lacks any real long term sustenance, though, and definitely should have been a pack in.

The game builds on the simple genius of Nintendo’s earlier motion control games — “Wii Sports,” “Wii Play,” and “Wii Fit” — by packing many different features into its Joy-Con controller.

Yes, this is way too expensive; yes, it's in need of a decent amount of fine-tuning here and there; and yes, after getting a taste of a mini-game you have pretty much experienced everything it has to offer. However, while 1-2-Switch is not as good as it should be for a launch title, and although it gives a bitter tech demo aftertaste, it's hard to deny how fun it can be when gathering a bunch of friends ready to go bat-switch crazy with it.

Amazing features of the Joy-Con in these mini-games. However, only a few of them are really entertaining and Nintendo could have done better with this brand new social game.

As suspected, 1-2 Switch would have been much better served packed in with every Nintendo Switch (and it may yet become that). As a demonstration of the Joy Cons' abilities it's fantastic, as a multiplayer party game it's fun and often hilarious, but it could stand to have just a little more in the way of longevity.

1-2-Switch is a successful demonstration of unique hardware, but a shallow, gimmicky game.

I did enjoy my time with 1-2-Switch. Its quirky minigames have put smiles on our collective faces and we had a solid time every time we picked it up. Sure, it could have been so much more, but it causes interaction between its players. That is why it is a fine showcase for what the Joy-Con controllers can do. Their array of options are being checked off a list, but never over-emphasizes one aspect of the controllers. If you have an active group of friends who like it wacky, 1-2-Switch will serve you well. Anybody else is probably out of luck here.

A missed opportunity due its lack of depth on almost every corner of its gameplay.

1-2-Switch will definitely get the party started, even though the quality of the minigames is low. The graphics and visual style are very attractive, but this game should have been a free launch game to show off the Joy-Cons.

1-2-Switch is a unique game thanks to the Joy-Con controllers. It is a party starter, but the party will not last very long.

1, 2, Switch shows Joy-Con's possibilities through a party game. It's proposal of not needing to pay attention to the TV is original and it's really fun if your friends or family don't have fear of ridicule.

1-2-Switch is a fine game to showcase both Switch and the Joy-Con, but as a game it has its share of issues. Not all the minigames are brilliant, and what's worst, none of them have the replay value of the minigames seen on WarioWare/Rhythm Paradise.

1-2 Switch shows the Joy-Con's potential for funny games, but as a game collection it offers not enough long-term motivation. Should have been part of the package.

The value proposition isn't amazing, and would be a tough pill to swallow even if it were £1 per game. Solo, this is absolutely one to be missed, while players with siblings, flatmates, partners or regular gatherings might actually find this to be essential.

If you’re into regularly hosting or attending parties then yes, 1-2-Switch is a game for you and you’ll get your money’s worth out of it. However if you’re thinking of picking this up to play with the family on weekends, you’ll find the game collecting dust fairly quick. The mini-games get old fast and the game gets exponentially less fun with less people. Top that off with its significant price point and you can be sure that 1-2-Switch will be filling up bargain bins within months.

Unfortunately, even the best mini-games from 1-2-Switch collection won’t keep you engaged for more than 20 minutes. That’s partially offset by sheer quantity of these games, but still – you probably won’t find yourself playing 1-2-Switch in the same company too often. Maybe once every few weeks. [Issue#218, p.70]

For all Nintendo’s protestations, 1-2-Switch absolutely should have been bundled with the Nintendo Switch. It's an excellent demonstration of the hardware and the sort of game that could be chucked on when you’ve got friends over and want to show them what the console is all about. Instead, you’ll have to fork out £35 for a limited, albeit fun, tech demo.

This is one party game that, like balloons and other party favors, will only be dusted off for gatherings and then quickly put back into storage. [Issue #27 – May/June 2017, p. 66]

Energetic if simplistic, shallow yet enormously replayable, it's the kind of game you'll forget about for months, rediscover during a party, and within ten minutes everyone will be shouting, laughing and clamouring to join in. [May 2017, p.119]

It’s a game that will fit in at any party or family home, but it’s a shame that because of the simple fact it isn’t packed in with the console it won’t necessarily find its audience. For those that pick it up, that first time through, with new people – it’s genuinely magic. After that, there’s little left.

1-2 Switch is just light on great mini-games, it’s shallow and once you’ve played them all with a group of friends you’re unlikely to go back. Some games just boil down to dumb luck, the real games are few and far between...You’ll have fun with it, but probably just once.

1-2-Switch serves as a nice tech demo to familiarize yourself with the Nintendo Switch console and Joy-Con controllers. It’s a unique experience, the type only Nintendo can provide. Unfortunately, though, the redundancy of the minigames means you’ll likely have fun for only a few hours, and then move on to more engaging games.

1-2-Switch displays some interesting ideas and reveals part of the potential uses of the Joy-Cons as more than mere controllers. However, its steep price and relatively uninteresting content of several of its minigames, as well as the focus on multiplayer in detriment of single player, end up harming what could be a much more attractive window into the future uses of the Nintendo Switch.

It's a good way to see what the console is capable of, but it's too expensive for the amount of content or the hours of fun it offers. Actually, it would've been an amazing addition for free with the console, since it feels more like a tech demo than a proper, almost full-price game.

Not the best option to have a party with Nintendo Switch, but it's still a good demonstration of the Joy-Con features.

1-2-Switch has some unique gameplay gems and many disappointing challenges. Quite entertaining but it should have been a bundle title.

1 2 Switch can provide you game sessions full of laughs and fun, but on the other hand it's just a collection of tech demos for the Joy-Con capabilities that unfortunately are not as deep to sell them as a retail package.

I’m not sure who 1-2 Switch is really for. As a full priced title, I don’t feel the core gaming crowd will find much appeal here and for the more casual crowd, there isn’t really anything instantly captivating or fun enough to hold interest for more than a couple hours. Having to constantly swap accessories in and out becomes tedious as well. At the very least, 1-2 Switch does act as a nice little social ice breaker to get the room interacting quickly and there are a few good ideas on display here. I applaud Nintendo for trying new things, even if they don’t always hit the mark.

1-2 Switch is able to show what Nintendo Switch is about, and it can be a lot of fun when you try a well designed minigame or watch someone playing it. But only for a short time, and this is why 1-2 Switch can't be considered as the Wii Sports equivalent.

1-2-Switch packs in an impressive amount of content, and is legitimately one of the best party games you'll come across. If it'd been included with the console, it would doubtlessly win over a lot of people. I'm just not sure anything here is compelling enough to entice people to pay an extra £40 for it – especially when Zelda is going to be sat right next to it on shelves.

For all its good ideas, inventive uses of the Joy-Con and potential as a fantastic party game, 1-2-Switch has just as many fumbles that make it far from an essential Switch launch title. It can be a lot of fun, but it fails to keep you in the moment, takes too long to explain and set up each game, and no amount of immature giggling at euphemistic games can manage to rescue it from itself. It might be quick on the draw, but what follows is more of a confused fumble.

As it stands, 1-2 Switch is a really fun couple of hours that may well end up being the star attraction at one or two friends or family get-togethers. However, it will then find itself at the dusty end of your games collection. Nintendo says it wants to offer value to Switch purchasers, yet we can’t help but feel it’s not just the cow getting milked in this scenario.

Does it live up to Wii Sports? Not a chance. But that doesn't stop 1-2-Switch being an entertaining minigame collection--just make sure you've got enough willing friends to maintain your own fading high.

By refusing to bundle 1-2-Switch with the base system, Nintendo has missed out on the kind of exposure that marketing simply cannot buy you; as a stand-alone release it feels too fleeting and ephemeral, but as a free pack-in it would arguably have been much more appealing.

1, 2, Switch is a party game with a total of 28 different mini games. The game controls are so simple that literally everyone can pick it up and play.

1-2-Switch contains minigames that are both fun diversions and promising examples of the technology at work within the system’s Joy-Cons, but several duds, a lack of substance or progression, and an expensive asking price make it feel like something that would have been better suited as a pack-in title.

Despite being a fascinating rundown of the Nintendo Switch hardware’s capabilities, as a game in its own right, 1-2-Switch falls sadly flat. You’ll enjoy yourself immensely for a few hours, but after you and your friends have tried it, 1-2-Switch will be relegated to gathering dust on your shelf and having its most innuendo-heavy screenshots be used for bad memes. If you can play a preview of this somewhere, you’ve already seen everything it has to offer.

The real problem with 1-2-Switch is the steep price: 50 bucks is a lot of money for a bunch of cute minigames (half of which are meh). There are some occasions when 1-2-Switch shows the great potential of the new Nintendo console, but it's not enough to justify the buy.

1-2 Switch isn't Wii Sports, the new features are interesting but the lack of variety of the gameplay and the price too high make them not worthy.

1,2 Switch is an interesting, occasionally fun primer to the Switch's controllers. Had it been packed in, 1,2 Switch would have garnered its fair share of converts - but with its lack of depth and its frankly ludicrous price, it’s just not worth investing in.

A proof of concept more than a game itself.

Appealing presentation masks a litany of awkward microgames you'll never play again. [Apr 2017, p.64]

1-2-Switch is fun with the right group of people, there’s no doubt about it, but the steep price and current technical issues with the Joy-Con makes this a game you should hold off on until the wrinkles are out.

There is fun to be had, but in short bursts, and you'll play it every time you want to show the system off to someone new to Switch, but this is a shallow game, with a few fun minigames, and some cool tech.

Sadly, a game that’s meant to showcase the Switch’s Joy-Cons also demonstrates how broken they can become.

The misfortune here for Nintendo EAD is that party games need to be accessible and appealing to a mass audience, but 1-2-Switch settles for a very specific demographic and all but alienates the rest. For that reason, it’s not a purchase I would recommend; it would have been better as a "free" pack in so that people would get the chance to try it for themselves before deciding on whether it had any long-term longevity for them.

Quotation forthcoming.

1-2 Switch fails in its primary goal: show how fun can be a Switch party game. There's literally no reason to buy a game that you shouldn't download even if it was free.

I'd have had no hesitation in recommending 1-2-Switch if it were included with the Switch or maybe $20 max, but as it stands it is far too expensive for the dash of entertainment it provides. 1-2-Switch is a good distraction for parties with people who don't game much, or those looking for something a little different than Cards Against Humanity for the millionth time. Otherwise, wait for a deep price drop.

Milking the cows will go down in history, but it does not change the fact that 1-2-Switch is only a collection of mini-games that will soon become boring. The whole thing is more ridiculous than funny. And then there’s an ungodly price.

Good for one evening of outlandish fun, but not one you'll come back to.

1-2 Switch is a game that should have been included with the Nintendo Switch system for free and it definitely does not justify its high price tag.

Maybe if Nintendo opted to include it as a pack-in, it would have allowed users to appreciate the half-hearted nature of its lackluster design.

Given its diehard fan base, it would be easy for Nintendo to forget that the point of first-party launch titles is to sell consumers on the capabilities of a new system – especially when it has Breath of the Wild up its sleeve. But most consumers would like more than one reason to buy a new console, and 1-2-Switch is insultingly shallow. Nintendo has created an intriguing piece of hardware, but its default runner-up launch title presents the Switch like it's a cheap gimmick machine.

At best, 1-2 Switch should have been packed in with the console to give the early adopters something to do when they get home and better acquaint them with their new hardware. At worst, it should have been sold alone at a budget price of around $20...1-2 Switch is, in this humble reviewer’s opinion, a throwback to the reviled and little-played party games of the Wii era. I’d have thought that was a time Nintendo would have rather left forgotten.

Outside of a few interesting ideas and some cool demonstrations of the Joy-Con controllers' HD rumble capabilities, 1-2 Switch's shallow collection of minigames has little to offer. The bizarre actors of the cringe-inducing live-action video demonstrations looked like they were having fun, but I certainly wasn't.

What a waste! 1-2 Switch should have been sold with the Switch. Instead, Nintendo decided to sell it 50€. Once you played the entire 28 mini-games, only 10 of them are funny. Yes, it’s a scam.