When I first got my hands on ‘Drag x Drive’ at the Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on event earlier this year, I walked away feeling quietly excited. Developed by Nintendo Entertainment, the game immediately stood out as one of the boldest showcases of the system’s new Joy-Con 2 “mouse-mode” controls.

Playful, inventive, and accessible in concept, this game had me guiding my in-game wheelchair across a half-pipe basketball court by physically sliding the Joy-Cons across a surface. It felt not only novel but deeply Nintendo.

Months later, with the full release in my hands, I was eager to see if that spark could evolve into a fully realised sports experience. The answer, unfortunately, is a little more complicated. Drag x Drive has flashes of brilliance, moments where its experimental spirit pays off in satisfying and chaotic fun. However, when the novelty fades, what’s left feels shallow and uneven, a game that struggles to live up to the pedigree of the developer behind it.

There’s no denying that the control scheme is the game’s biggest hook. Rather than relying on analog sticks, Drag & Drive leans entirely on the Switch 2’s new mouse mode, asking players to slide their Joy-Cons across a tabletop or flat surface to mimic the physical style and effort of propelling a wheelchair.

Each hand controls one wheel, and coordinating them for speed, turns, or sudden jukes quickly becomes second nature. It’s a wonderfully tactile idea, and when it clicks, gameplay feels great.

In the heat of a 3v3 match, those mechanics come alive. Courts are designed with ramps and half-pipes, encouraging you to fling yourself into tricks, wall-rides, and wild shots at the basket. The game delivers moments that feel like a cross between ‘NBA Jam’ and ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater’; ridiculously, over-the-top fun where skill and chaos collide.

While Drag & Drive shines in quick spurts, its shortcomings slowly reveal themselves. This is a game that thrives on its control schemes, but without meaningful modes or progression systems to back it up, it runs out of steam fast.

Outside of the standard matches and a handful of mini-games, there simply isn’t much to do. There are no campaign or career options to keep players engaged long-term, no real narrative framework, and very little customisation beyond cosmetic tweaks.

Worse still, the physicality of the controls can be a double-edged sword. Sliding Joy-Cons around is exhilarating at first, but after a few matches, fatigue starts to set in. What felt novel in short demos becomes exhausting in extended play sessions. It’s a genuine barrier to longevity, and one that will limit the game’s appeal for many players.

If Nintendo is known for anything, it’s for injecting its sports spin-offs with colour, personality, and charm. ‘Mario Strikers’, ‘Mario Tennis’, and ‘Wii Sports’ are remembered by their expressive worlds and characters. Drag & Drive, by contrast, feels bleak and dreary.

Courts are bland and industrial, resembling empty warehouses more than vibrant sporting arenas. Character models are agreeable but lack personality, a missed opportunity to inject the game with some character.

That sparseness is particularly disappointing because the concept of spotlighting wheelchair basketball deserves better. The representation itself is refreshing; an adaptive sport brought into the spotlight by one of gaming’s biggest companies is no small thing. The bland art direction, however, doesn’t resemble that representation well, presenting players with mechanics worth celebrating but aesthetics that feel unfinished.

Another layer of complexity comes in how the game balances its representation with accessibility. While Drag & Drive shines a light on a marginalised sport, its heavy reliance on physical, surface-sliding controls ironically makes it less accessible to many players. Without adjustable controls or alternative input schemes, the game risks alienating the very audiences it should be celebrating.

Drag & Drive is exactly the kind of experiment Nintendo is famous for: a bold, unusual concept brought to life through innovative hardware. For that alone, it deserves recognition. In short bursts, particularly with friends, it can deliver exhilarating, manic fun that feels like nothing else out there. After the novelty fades, though, it becomes clear that this is a game is minimal. Without a deeper structure to support its inventive mechanics, Drag & Drive loses momentum, a sports title that shows promise but can’t quite push itself over the finish line.

Written by: Bradley Thorsen