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| Drag x Drive | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Sports |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Drag x Drive[a][b] is an upcoming 2025 sports video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch 2. The game resembles wheelchair basketball and has players compete in 3v3 matches. The game was designed to take advantage of the Joy-Con 2's mouse mode, with players using motion controls to mimic using a wheelchair to move.
Drag x Drive was one of the first titles revealed for the Nintendo Switch 2 during a Nintendo Direct and is scheduled to release in Summer 2025.
Gameplay
Drag x Drive is a sports video game centred around wheelchair basketball. The player control a robot in a wheelchair-like vehicle with the goal of shooting a basketball into the opponents basket.[3][4] Matches are split between two teams of threes with the goal of scoring more points than the other team by the end of the match.[4][5] The player control the robot using the Joy-Con 2's mouse mode to mimic the motions of using a wheelchair. Each Joy-Con controls one wheel; moving both Joy-Cons moves the wheelchair forward, whereas moving only one turns it.[6][7][8] Due to the Joy-Con 2's haptic feedback, performing this motion imitates surfaces such as concrete through vibrations.[2][4] Shooting the ball requires the use of motion controls, with the player required to raise their arms and flick the Joy-Cons whilst aiming at the hoop.[5] Depending on how far the player throws the ball, the more points earned when scoring.[4] Additionally, the player can raise their arms in order to signal teammates to pass the ball as well as clap.[8] Players automatically grab the ball if it's on the ground, or they can ram into their opponents to make them lose control of the ball.[7]
Matches are set within dark arenas fitted with bright, neon lights.[9] The perimeters of the basketball court are fitted with half-pipes,[10] allowing players to perform tricks on them as well as slam dunk the ball into the hoop.[11]
Development and release
Drag x Drive was first announced at the Nintendo Switch 2 direct in April 2025,[12] with a release date scheduled for Summer 2025.[13] According to Nintendo, Drag x Drive is expected to only be released digitally.[14] The game was made available to play to both journalists and the public during the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience playtests between April and June 2025.[15]
Reception
Pre-release
Upon the announcement of the game, some critics praised the game for representing disabilities in a positive light,[11] with Alana Hagues from Nintendo Life writing how it was a fantastic spotlight of wheelchair sports, as well as disabilities in sports as a whole, due to a lack of wheelchair sports representation within video games.[7]
Feedback on the gameplay overall was mixed, with some journalists who attended Nintendo Switch 2 preview events recount feeling aches and pains after playing,[16][17] with Hagues reporting it as "a workout for your arms".[7] However, other critics responded more positively to the gameplay, with Kate Kozuch from Tom's Guide praising the controls as feeling immersive, mentioning the game having "serious competitive potential".[2] Writing for Nintendojo, Robert Marrujo described the controls as feeling natural and easy to learn, noting that the controls felt "arcade-like".[9] Many critics compared Drag x Drive's aesthetics and gameplay to the 2015 video game Rocket League,[2][7][8] with GamesRadar+'s Rollin Bishop characterising the gameplay of Drag x Drive "something akin to Rocket League combined with Wii Sports' basketball and wind-up cars".[6]
Notes
References
- ^ Parrish, Ash (3 April 2025). "I'm not sold on the Switch 2's mouse-like controls". The Verge. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d Kozuch, Kate (4 April 2025). "I played over a dozen games on the Switch 2 — and I have a surprise favorite so far". Tom's Guide. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ Bailey, Dustin (2 April 2025). "Nintendo shows off Switch 2 mouse capabilities with a 3-on-3 basketball game that's basically Rocket League with robot wheelchairs". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d Lada, Jenni (3 April 2025). "Preview: Drag x Drive May Be the Switch 2's Blast Ball". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b Abou-Nasr, Adam (6 April 2025). "Nintendo Switch 2 Experience New York". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on 6 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b Bishop, Rollin (16 April 2025). "I was a Drag x Drive skeptic, but playing the Nintendo Switch 2's wheelchair basketball game using two Joy-Con as mice made me a believer". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Hagues, Alana; Lane, Gavin (16 April 2025). "Hands On: 'Drag x Drive' Is Fantastic, But Is It Destined To Be Switch 2's ARMS?". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 6 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Shea, Brian (4 April 2025). "Drag x Drive Rolling Start". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 5 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b Marrujo, Robert (16 April 2025). "Hands-On Preview: Drag x Drive". Nintendojo. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ Stewart, Marcus (2 April 2025). "Drag X Drive Is A Mouse-Controlled Basketball Game Coming To Switch 2". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ a b Nightingale, Ed (2 April 2025). "Switch 2's first dual-mouse mode game is wheelchair basketball Drag x Drive". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 5 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ Cogswell, Jessica (2 April 2025). "Nintendo Announces Drag X Drive, A Switch 2 Game That Relies On Mouse Controls". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ O'Reilly, PJ (2 April 2025). "Drag x Drive Is Nintendo's Switch 2 'Mouse Mode' Showcase, Puts The Rocket League Into Wheelchair Basketball". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 10 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ "Ask the Developer Vol. 16, Nintendo Switch 2 – Chapter 2". Nintendo. 3 April 2025. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
- ^ Liao, Shannon (4 April 2025). "In Search of The Perfect Pair of Pants to Game On". Inverse. Archived from the original on 11 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ Purchese, Robert (11 April 2025). "How good are Switch 2's mouse controls? Eurogamer's verdict from the big reveal event". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
- ^ Parrish, Ash (3 April 2025). "I'm not sold on the Switch 2's mouse-like controls". The Verge. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.