Nintendo has created a new sporting game called Drag x Drive, which features wheelchair basketball as its main theme. Gameplay mainly utilises Joy-Con 2’s mouse mode, which shows Nintendo’s experimental streak. Although the game doesn’t have the quirky character we often see in Nintendo titles, it nonetheless manages to feel fresh, despite having already played these types of games for the last twenty years.

When you get the hang of the gameplay mechanics, they can be quite engaging. The fun three-on-three online matches and what’s there is interesting. However, with little else and not enough worthwhile unlockables, this game doesn’t reach its full potential.

Mastering the Motion Controls

At the heart of Drag x Drive is the demonstration of the Joy-Con 2’s built-in mouse and motion control. The controller for each arm is attached to your characters. For example, sliding the controllers on a flat surface moves your wheelchair forward or backward, and lifting and flicking your wrist executes shots. You can also use a hand wave to tell your friends you’re free.

The controls are like a more complicated version of Wii Sports, and players will have to learn advanced techniques while always sliding the controllers around. If you’ve always found motion controls irritating or don’t want to rock out for multiple sessions, you probably won’t love this game.

The first hour of usage might feel unnatural to you because of the unusual control scheme. Unlike games that let you play with just one finger while the character moves automatically, with Drag x Drive, you control the character completely. This means that, like in driving games, it will take more time to get used to playing properly.

Finding Your Groove

With practice, the gameplay becomes genuinely enjoyable. Before long, you’ll be skating around the floor – a mashup of a basketball court and skate park – stealing the ball from players and dunking off halfpipes. The game has a surprisingly high skill ceiling that dedicated players may choose to master.

The gameplay performance regarding other techniques is admirable for stable frame rate. Moreover, it is possible to feel the wheelchair’s wheels through the controller haptic feedback.

How responsive you are is dictated largely by playing surface. The addition of clothes can have a significant effect on which surfaces work best with your legs. Going with the most athletic shorts worked best with textured fabrics, wrinkles, or not sitting correctly affecting whether they would accept motion. A flat desk surface gave the best results but this raises the question: Could frequent hits wear down the controller?

Advanced Techniques and Competitive Play

Once you get the hang of the basics, Drag x Drive unveils tricks to score, and more. Lifting both controllers quickly during a shot for a bunny hop will score you bonus points. If you perform a 540° turn into a two-handed slam dunk, you can score even more. These expert plays add strategy to tight matches; when teams are this close when they are playing, games get decided by points.

Playing defence is just as exciting. Collisions are allowed to dislodge the ball. You can raise your hands to block shots or position yourself to block an opponent. The gameplay truly showcases what competitive basketball feels. Furthermore, there are also cool slow-mo effects for buzzer-beaters. 

The game can be played offline against moderately intelligent bots, but it’s best played online with friends and/or strangers. Figuring out strategies with your teammates using the GameChat will give you a social feeling. It will take you away from playing alone. 

Limited Content Beyond the Court

Sadly, outside of the basketball court, Drag x Drive has no world. The environment, which is referred to just as “the Park”, has a dull grey concrete look, forgettable background music, and no other kind of activity unless one is playing online with a dozen other players in a single area.

The Park has a few time-based challenges like obstacle course races, jump rope and target shooting challenges, but most only take an hour or so to complete. Hence, people don’t find the reason to spend more time thereafter. The online lobby includes a scoreboard with high scores, awarded gold rings for those who hold the record, creating some motivation to compete, but the group minigames are largely forgettable.

One of the main issues is the lack of growth. You can unlock new helmet designs by winning games and completing challenges, but they are lacking and don’t appeal that much. Drag x Drive lacks character levelling, major accomplishments and tangible rewards, making it hard for it to hold up against other multiplayer games.

It would really help even if they had upgraded the music, court designs, or the characters especially if they mixed up their personalities. The creative gameplay is contained in a disappointing and generic package – a rare misfire from Nintendo. 

The game ironically limits players with significant physical disabilities because there are no alternatives to the physically demanding motion controls or any substantial accessibility options (e.g., adjusting in-game speed).

Unique Yet Incomplete

The control scheme here is genuinely like nothing else you’ve played. Adaptation is key with Drag x Drive, and that means getting used to a mouse and motion control schemes. For those willing to deal with mastering the controls, the game is surprisingly deep in the basketball fundamentals and online fun.

Still, the experience is pretty weakened by the lacking of “stuff”, limited personalisation choices, very little character and overall variety. A committed community may rally behind Drag x Drive due to its cool movement and trick systems. However, the game’s high barriers to entry, along with a lack of lasting incentives, may hold it back from the competitive gaming space.