Preview: Drag x Drive May Be the Switch 2’s Blast Ball

Drah x Drive is one of the more unusual games in the Nintendo Switch 2 lineup, as the game is dedicated to highlighting the mouse controls. That’s ambitious, and I appreciate it! I also like the approach and design. However, I’m also worried it is the Metroid Prime: Blast Ball. As a refresher, Metroid Prime: Blast Ball was a demo for Metroid Prime: Federation Force and involved a sports game in which two teams of three robots tried to get the most points by getting a ball into a goal. It was designed to show off 3DS multiplayer and could be really fun… if you found enough players. This proved a problem at the Nintendo Switch 2 preview session for Drag x Drive as well. In Drag x Drive, players are divided into two teams of three. Each one is a robot in a wheelchair. Your goal is to get the ball and toss it into a basketball-style hoop. This can be done from a distance, or you can attempt a sort of dunk by racing toward the inclines near the hoop and shooting from there, getting an extra point in the process for the stylish “trick.” The preview session began with an overview of the controls. Because while Metroid Prime: Blast Ball acted as a multiplayer example, Drag x Drive serves as a showcase of the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. Each one is held with the mouse side against a surface. You’re directed to move them as though you’re gripping the wheel and pulling to propel yourself, right down to only doing so with one instead of both to turn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hku89o38-hQ It works well! It’s a bit exhausting, and I found it took some time to really develop the right pacing and “strides” to get optimal speed and more natural turns. Also, due to the haptic feedback of the Switch 2 controls, I imagine it feels exactly like pushing wheels in my hands. The vibration and tactile sensation seems realistic. However, it’s after that tutorial that I encountered two flaws. The first is that in this practice session while waiting for enough players for the match, I learned there’s really only one type of shot that feels worth it. That’s the one involving racing toward the incline next to the hoop where you’re trying to score, then flicking your wrist to toss the ball in. I found the accuracy seemed better at that moment. Plus, you’re guaranteed extra points in addition to the standard two, which helps a lot. The other issue is that there were never enough people during this isolated session to actually play a game. There were plenty of demo stations set up. I actually showed up to it three times, waiting 15 minutes the first one, 10 the second, and five at the very end. It just never happened, and that concerned me. Because if I couldn’t encounter enough people to test the game in the ideal circumstances, would I get to once it launches? I like the idea behind Drag x Drive, and I do think it is helpful to better understand how the Switch 2 mouse controls work. However, I’m concerned about being able to play it in ideal conditions. I never actually got to try a game during this early demo session. If there’s a way to mitigate that after launch, such as a campaign or single-player opportunities, I think it could be fine. If not, then I’d be a bit worried, as Drag x Drive feels like a game that might live or die depending on whether it finds a large community of Switch 2 players. Drag x Drive will come to the Nintendo Switch in Summer 2025. The post Preview: Drag x Drive May Be the Switch 2’s Blast Ball appeared first on Siliconera.

Apr 3, 2025 - 18:28

Preview: Drag x Drive May Be the Switch 2’s Blast Ball

Drah x Drive is one of the more unusual games in the Nintendo Switch 2 lineup, as the game is dedicated to highlighting the mouse controls. That’s ambitious, and I appreciate it! I also like the approach and design. However, I’m also worried it is the Metroid Prime: Blast Ball.

As a refresher, Metroid Prime: Blast Ball was a demo for Metroid Prime: Federation Force and involved a sports game in which two teams of three robots tried to get the most points by getting a ball into a goal. It was designed to show off 3DS multiplayer and could be really fun… if you found enough players. This proved a problem at the Nintendo Switch 2 preview session for Drag x Drive as well.

In Drag x Drive, players are divided into two teams of three. Each one is a robot in a wheelchair. Your goal is to get the ball and toss it into a basketball-style hoop. This can be done from a distance, or you can attempt a sort of dunk by racing toward the inclines near the hoop and shooting from there, getting an extra point in the process for the stylish “trick.”

The preview session began with an overview of the controls. Because while Metroid Prime: Blast Ball acted as a multiplayer example, Drag x Drive serves as a showcase of the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. Each one is held with the mouse side against a surface. You’re directed to move them as though you’re gripping the wheel and pulling to propel yourself, right down to only doing so with one instead of both to turn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hku89o38-hQ

It works well! It’s a bit exhausting, and I found it took some time to really develop the right pacing and “strides” to get optimal speed and more natural turns. Also, due to the haptic feedback of the Switch 2 controls, I imagine it feels exactly like pushing wheels in my hands. The vibration and tactile sensation seems realistic.

However, it’s after that tutorial that I encountered two flaws. The first is that in this practice session while waiting for enough players for the match, I learned there’s really only one type of shot that feels worth it. That’s the one involving racing toward the incline next to the hoop where you’re trying to score, then flicking your wrist to toss the ball in. I found the accuracy seemed better at that moment. Plus, you’re guaranteed extra points in addition to the standard two, which helps a lot.

The other issue is that there were never enough people during this isolated session to actually play a game. There were plenty of demo stations set up. I actually showed up to it three times, waiting 15 minutes the first one, 10 the second, and five at the very end. It just never happened, and that concerned me. Because if I couldn’t encounter enough people to test the game in the ideal circumstances, would I get to once it launches?

I like the idea behind Drag x Drive, and I do think it is helpful to better understand how the Switch 2 mouse controls work. However, I’m concerned about being able to play it in ideal conditions. I never actually got to try a game during this early demo session. If there’s a way to mitigate that after launch, such as a campaign or single-player opportunities, I think it could be fine. If not, then I’d be a bit worried, as Drag x Drive feels like a game that might live or die depending on whether it finds a large community of Switch 2 players.

Drag x Drive will come to the Nintendo Switch in Summer 2025.

The post Preview: Drag x Drive May Be the Switch 2’s Blast Ball appeared first on Siliconera.