Drag x Drive is one of those games that sounds like it shouldn’t work, and yet for a few glorious moments, it absolutely does. I booted it up expecting chaos, and that’s exactly what I got, in the best and worst ways possible.
The first thing you notice is the control scheme. Instead of steering with a joystick, each Joy-Con acts like its own wheel, one for each arm, and you physically “push” to move. It’s meant to mimic wheelchair motion, but in practice, it feels more like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time. It took a good ten minutes before I stopped spinning in circles, but once I found the rhythm, it clicked. Suddenly, I was gliding down the court, passing the ball, boosting through gaps, and actually feeling connected to the movement. There’s something incredibly satisfying about using your arms to drive momentum. It’s weirdly immersive, almost like exercise disguised as a game.
Matches are short and punchy, three-on-three bouts that feel like a cross between basketball and bumper cars. It’s fast, frantic, and surprisingly strategic once you get a handle on it. The first time I nailed a perfectly timed boost to steal the ball and score, I actually yelled. That said, it’s also physically demanding. After half an hour, my shoulders were burning, and by the end of a full session, I felt like I’d done an upper-body workout. It’s not something you can sit and play for hours. Your arms will absolutely tell you when you’ve had enough.
Visually, Drag x Drive doesn’t do much for itself. The arenas are average, metallic and minimal, but a bit sterile. The characters look more like placeholders than heroes, which is a shame because the concept deserves more personality. It’s not ugly, just forgettable. You can tell the focus went into making the controls work first and everything else second.
What really sells it is the chaos of multiplayer. Playing solo feels hollow, but with friends, it’s hilarious. Everyone’s flailing, yelling, and accidentally spinning off course. It’s the kind of game that makes you laugh at your own mistakes. There’s not a huge amount of content, just a few arenas and side challenges, but it’s enough for short bursts of fun.
I wouldn’t call it a game I’ll return to every week, but it’s one I’ll happily bring out when friends are over. It’s physical, funny, and totally unique, even if it leaves you needing a lie-down afterwards.
