Entering the world of Drag x Drive is a novelty. With a unique physical movement system that makes use of the Nintendo Switch 2’s mouse controls, and a focus on the compelling sport of wheelchair basketball, it has plenty going for it. Rarely do sports games try something different, or reimagine gameplay in such a unique manner.
The game’s system lends itself well to a feeling of discovery, as you race across an open playground or within a court, playing around with sudden bursts of speed, stops, bunny hops, and slides. It takes some getting used to, but as you embrace the game’s sense of physicality, you can perform all sorts of tricks, gliding around courts with ease, dunking balls, and earning your latest shiny park ring.
Mastering these tricks is another thing entirely – but you’ll feel on top of the world when you do. Getting together with friends and slam-dunking your way to a last-minute victory is a feeling that’s rarely matched. In these bursts, Drag x Drive is a frantic joy. You’ll feel elated when you finally pull off a slam dunk, and all your teammates hoot and holler as you do a victory lap. Winning is an art, and performing consistently well is tough – but gosh, it feels good.
It’s in the consistency of this feeling that Drag x Drive eventually falters.
Drag x Drive and the feeling of novelty
Playing through the first rounds of this game – first solo, then with mates in online mode – is raucous. You’ll rove on wobbly wheels at first, figuring out how best to use your Joy-Con 2s to plow ahead. Everyone gets a good laugh when you attempt a shot and spin off in another direction, too keen to maintain focus. Eventually, you’ll learn the art of the dunk, and the last-minute snatch, and how to plow into opponents, in a way that makes them completely fumble the ball.
And once this learning curve is mounted, Drag x Drive loses a good deal of its shine. The issue is largely in progression. While you can have an immeasurable amount of fun in rounds of gameplay, there’s not really a sense of making progress, or earning upgrades. There’s some cosmetics you can unlock by achieving certain feats, but nothing to encourage working for them. Most of the time, you’re simply roaming an open park (whether a public park or one populated by friends) popping in for rapidfire matches or other mini-games.
There’s certainly fun to be had here. Those mini-games are great fun – particularly slalom races, and one where you have to chase down a bouncing ball. But these are short and relatively consequence-free, so they play out more like filler. It doesn’t help that offline parks are empty of other bodies, so you feel like you’re constantly roaming quiet corridors, in search of something to do.
An experimental sports simulator
A lack of depth encourages a wandering eye. For those who enjoy short, sweet gameplay sessions, playing in multiplayer can be hilarious and gratifying. But those who don’t fit this box will find the novelty wears thin fairly quickly.
Drag x Drive could be so much more. That much is clear in how bright and brilliant its gameplay system is, at its heart. There are no other games that play quite like it, with its mouse-based dragging mechanics feeling genuinely fresh (even as they stress your forearms). The vision behind this game is clear, and there’s cleverness in every new trick or shot you can pull off. As an aside, it’s also nice to see wheelchair basketball represented in a new format, and with a focus on the speed and finesse that makes this sport so engaging.
But with an overall simplicity in its basketball matches, and only a handful of mini-games to keep players engaged, there’s just not a lot to Drag x Drive. Run through its playground, complete its many mini-games and challenges, and face off with friends or bots in short, frantic basketball matches. That’s about the sum of its parts.
It’s a cool experiment, and one that demonstrates the uniqueness of the Nintendo Switch 2, but it’s unlikely to have the staying power intended. With a reasonable price point, the barrier to entry is low, but those who do dive in may find an experience that wears thin in the long-term.
Three stars: ★★★
Drag x Drive
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: 14 August 2025
A copy of Drag x Drive for Nintendo Switch 2 was provided by the publisher and played for the purposes of this review.
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Developer
Nintendo
Publisher:
Nintendo
Release Date:
14 August 2025
