DRAG X DRIVE REVIEW: Originality for Switch 2
We've grown accustomed to the fact that when Nintendo announces a new generation of consoles, it's accompanied by some unusual, groundbreaking change. Perhaps the Switch 2 wasn't as spectacular in that regard, but its mouse mode certainly opens up new horizons for gameplay.
Broadly speaking, Drag and Drive is a three-on-three basketball game with the unique feature that its players move around in wheelchairs. This significantly affects the controls, which seek to emulate the movement we would make with our hands to move the wheelchair's wheels. This means we don't use the Joycon sticks; instead, we have to point them downwards in mouse mode and slide them forward to advance. It's like using a traditional mouse on a PC, but in duplicate.
If we slide both forward, we move forward, but if we move one sideways, the character will spin. If we raise a hand and make the throwing gesture, our character will throw the ball. We can brake with the triggers, and with the L and R buttons, we pass to the nearest teammate. With these simple rules, we can perform quick turns, jumps to block balls, or reach higher, even propelling ourselves into a half pipe and spinning in the air.
And what about the handling itself? Well, it works surprisingly well. At first, you might have trouble calculating exactly how much to slide, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes almost instinctive and isn't as tiring as we expected. It's not necessary to play on a table. Just slide the Joycons through your pants and they respond very precisely. As I said, very comfortable.
So, the basic ingredients are good: an original idea, responsive controls, and matches that are easy to get the hang of. However, the game has one drawback that reminds us of another recent Switch 2 release, Welcome Tour: the lack of content.
It's true that in the early stages, it doesn't give that feeling. After a quick gameplay tutorial, we're dropped into a huge arena where we can move freely and encounter obstacles, half pipes, and even giant jump ropes. In the middle of this arena, we find two basketball courts, which is where we can play the matches.
Surrounding them are icons that lead us to all kinds of challenges: overcome an obstacle course, score against the clock, and perform specific tricks. If we meet the target score for each challenge, we accumulate points that automatically unlock new helmets to customize our athlete. We can also, of course, try to beat our personal best.
Aside from that, we can play matches against bots on nine difficulty levels. If we beat each level, we get more points. There are 25 in total to earn.
There's nothing else to do solo, aside from customizing our look and performance. We can change the appearance and color of the helmet, chassis, wheels, and gloves, although with very few options. More interesting is choosing between point guard, wing, or center to make the character faster, stronger, or more balanced. But again, don't expect a full-featured editor; it's very simple.
By beating specific matches or events, we'll earn a golden ring, which is good for nothing more than showing off for a while, but hey, it's always nice to appeal to our vain side. In any case, it's striking that there's no career mode, no tournaments, and no more events, although we assume they may add more in the future.
Conclusion
Ultimately, Drag and Drive is a game that does everything it sets out to do very well and is as original as it is fun for as long as it has to offer, which isn't much. Of course, to be fair, it's only €20. So, if you want to get together with your friends for an online game from time to time, it's fun, but we don't think the game will make it to All Star on the console.
