Drag X Drivewas one of the most unique titles to come out of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct in April. A sports game based around wheelchair basketball,Drag X Drivewas the first new IP Nintendo revealed for its upcoming console. Set to launch in the summer, this title is just one of the many major first-party games that look to contribute to an exciting first year for Nintendo’s long-awaited new system.
Among all thefirst-party titles revealed for the Nintendo Switch 2in April,Drag X Driveis the lone Nintendo-developed new IP for the system in its first year. While it’s definitely an exciting prospect to see Nintendo branching out into new territory, the early promotion for the game strikes a few of the same notes that another title did in the early part of the first Switch’s life. Thus, Nintendo will have a lot of work to do to make sureDrag X Drivestands out more than one of the Switch’s early games did eight years ago.
Drag X Drive Needs To Carve A Greater Identity Than Arms Did
Drag X Drive Could Be The Switch 2’s Arms
In a couple of ways,Drag X Drivefeels like the Nintendo Switch 2’s versionof a previous Nintendo Switch title,Arms. Like that game,Drag X Driveis positioned as a very early title in the Switch 2’s life, and it’s also a showcase of one of the system’s unique features. WhereArmswas a showcase of the Switch Joy-Con’s motion controls,Drag X Drivewill demonstrate the Joy-Con 2’s new mouse control scheme.
WhileArmsdid fairly well commerciallywith almost three million copies sold, the game was overshadowed by another multiplayer Switch title released around the same time,Splatoon 2, and lacked a bit of shelf life for Nintendo. While the character Min-Min appeared as a downloadable fighter inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, a graphic novel tie-in by Dark Horse Comics was canceled in 2021, and the aspirations for a franchise didn’t seem to come true. Even ifDrag X Drivedoesn’t have the immediate franchise expectations ofArms, it should make sure it doesn’t fall into some of that game’s traps.
Drag X Drive Needs More Content If It Is To Succeed
IfDrag X Drivewants to carve outa larger audience than whatArmswas capable of, it will need far more content than that game.Armslacked much in the way of single-player content, soDrag X Drivecould very well benefit from adding a more robust single-player mode to the game to ensure players don’t move on too quickly. Nintendo should also ensure thatDrag X Drivehas a decent amount of online options and modes, especially if the publisher hopes for it to reach anywhere near the level of another game it’s been closely compared to,Rocket League.
More than anything,Drag X Drivewill have to be a bit more accessiblethanArmsto succeed. One of the biggest issues withArmsis that it got stuck at a crossroads where it didn’t quite know what types of fighting game players it wanted to appeal to. Thus, it proved too complex for casuals and not deep enough for hardcore fighting game players.Drag X Drive’s mouse-based control scheme may already be a bit of an arm-sore for some players, so Nintendo will have to balance the gameplay accordingly to compensate for the unique method of play.
Even ifDrag X Drivedoesn’t have the immediate franchise expectations ofArms, it should ensure it doesn’t fall into some of that game’s traps.
Drag X Drive Shouldn’t Get Swept In The Pricing Controversy
Another sticking point that could influence how wellDrag X Drivedoes in comparison toArmsis the game’s price. Ever since the Switch 2’s announcement, the prices of the games have been one of the system’s biggest sticking points, with titles such asMario Kart Worldeven selling for as much as $80.Armswas a full-priced game for the Switch back when “full-priced” still meant $60, and given that the Switch 2 prices will be variable, Nintendo will have a lot to consider withDrag X Drive’s price before the game hits the market.
Drag X Driveis certainly one of the most uniquenew games arriving on the Switch 2, but it doesn’t seem to be escaping comparisons toArms. It looks to be following the game’s footsteps of being a wacky early-life title that shows off one of its new system’s new features, but how much shelf life it’ll have isn’t clear yet. Here’s hoping Nintendo adds enough content to this title to make it a worthwhile play throughout the Switch 2’s life.
