'Drag x Drive' Is Fantastic, But Is It Destined To Be Switch 2's ARMS?

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Here's a tip for you: don't just dive into Drag x Drive mid-match.

After being thrust into a game in progress late in the day during our Nintendo Switch 2 experience, this Mouse Mode-controlled game felt like learning a completely new language. Instead of deftly throwing the ball and shooting hoops in what is essentially Rocket League meets wheelchair basketball, we were fumbling around the court and getting stuck on halfpipes.

Thank goodness the tutorial is pretty good at teaching you the ropes, and after rolling through that and another game, we had a much better handle on things. Which is good because as a game controlled almost entirely in Mouse Mode, it's a great showcase of the Switch 2's main new gimmick.

Drag x Drive is a workout for your arms, too. Even one game of pushing and pulling and lifting the two Joy-Con mice like you're using a wheelchair can be exhausting, though we didn't really feel it until the match was over, thanks to some particularly competitive opponents and a close-fought game.


Images: Nintendo

The controls are pretty simple in concept, but putting them into practice — especially depending on things like coordination — is surprisingly tricky. To move forward, you push both mice away from you before lifting and repeating the motion, simulating how you'd operate a wheelchair. To turn right, push the left mouse only; to turn left, do the opposite, etc.

You can pull sharper turns and spins by pushing/pulling in opposite directions, and you brake with 'ZR' and 'ZL'. Hold down 'R' and 'L' to pass and lift the right Joy-Con and flick it to shoot. You pick up the ball automatically by rolling into it and can steal it — or send it flying — by crashing into opponents. Seems easy enough, right?

But putting all of that into practice in a high-intensity game of 3v3 basketball and maintaining that accuracy is a whole different story. Sometimes, it's brilliant — the thrill of stealing the ball and furiously pulling your mice back as you roll towards the goal before scoring a neatly-shot three is intoxicating, especially if you're playing with others. Sometimes, it's a little frustrating trying to build up the speed to crash into another player only for you to donk into them rather than force a fumble.

Mouse Mode, on the whole, works incredibly well here. It's fast and responsive, and you can actually feel the traction of the wheels in the HD Rumble as you pull back and forth. It's extremely satisfying to pull off any kind of play. But sometimes, even if you're slightly out of time with one arm, you might go from charging forward to simply turning left. And it can be a bit awkward to keep that movement consistent during a game.

Image: Nintendo

In fact, this might be where the biggest problem with Mouse Mode comes into play; the Joy-Con mouse felt too small for our big hands hands, and a few times, they may have almost slipped out of our hands and onto the side, causing us to either drop the ball or completely come to a halt.

There's probably a skill to nailing the controls of Drag x Drive, and a short 10-15 minute session isn't really enough time to find that sweet spot. It feels like the ARMS of the Switch 2 — a new IP which uses the console's shiny new feature to full effect, but may lack wide appeal. It's the kind of off-the-wall launch window game (summer 2025) we'd expect from Nintendo. And given how intense it can get, it's a pretty amazing way to show the new system's feature off. It just might be harder when you're slinging trash talk at your friends.

We wish it were a bit prettier though. That's not to say the game doesn't run great or look smooth, because it certainly does. But aesthetically? Grey, underground courts, a few splashes of neon, a muted colour scheme, and generic-ish robot guys that, even in coloured teams, make it hard to track while you're juggling the new mouse controls with cooperating with two other teammates and taking on the opposing team. We wish it were more colourful.


Images: Nintendo

And maybe it will be — this is probably just one court, and there might be fields of meadows or a volcano or something else outside of this dark, grey bunker.

Take 2
Unlike Alana, I wasn't thrust into the demo mid-session, so I got time to experiment with the controls and settle in. The controls and momentum of the chair are surprisingly realistic and commensurately tricky at first.

Despite the spectator mode Nintendo had going where a host organised the settings of the LAN tournament (and could be seen sitting ominously courtside), it wasn't an exciting game to watch. Perhaps there's more excitement on other courts and the makers didn't want distractions as players got to grips with the controls, but the thing looked dull from the outside.

Fortunately, it was a totally different story once you were in the chair yourself. Each Joy-Con corresponds not to a wheel but to your arm, so holding up and waving Joy-Con is mirrored in game. Clapping, fist-pumping, waving to opponents, celebrating - finding out what you could do and the neat team interactions you could have gave me that delightful, trademark Nintendo buzz I crave. I spent the majority of my two matches grinning.

Another thing worth mentioning: I used the Joy-Con on my thighs around half of the time and had zero input problems dragging them across my jeans versus the Nintendo's smooth black mat. Apparently bare legs may cause issues, but from my 15 mins with the game, Mouse Mode + trouser legs functioned just fine.

I'm not a fan of the name (I kept forgetting it in my notes), but this was a lovely surprise and having six players together made for a great atmosphere. Whether that'll translate to home play with the same energy is a big question but I had a brilliant time with this. - Gavin

Image: Nintendo

One fantastic aspect of Drag x Drive is that it's a showcase for underrepresented disability sports. We never get video games showcasing wheelchair sports, and a spin on wheelchair basketball full of adrenaline and unique controls is a great way to spotlight it.

We're curious to see more of Drag x Drive, even if it's something just to help us tone our arms up, and it definitely brought out the competitive spirit in all of us taking part. In terms of showcasing Mouse Mode, it seems like a great fit and is pretty darn responsive. But whether it will be a flash in the pan and remain one of those titles you simply play for 20 minutes a put down forever remains to be seen. We really hope not.