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1-2 Switch Review
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1-2 Switch Review – A fantastic tech demo that you shouldn’t have to pay for

Given the Nintendo Switch is attempting to straddle the line between casual and core gaming, 1-2 Switch is a necessary launch title.

While console veterans will likely be more than happy to plonk down their cash for The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and play it for months until more titles arrive, 1-2 Switch is aimed squarely at the party-game crowd.

It’s essentially a collection of tech demos aimed at showing off the Switch’s rather novel interface and set-up and in all honesty, it does a pretty good job in this regard. It only really has two big flaws; first, it’s a rather thin experience and second, it should have come bundled with the console at launch.

1-2 Switch Review – A great, albeit thin, showcase

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7p47TOmicQ

This isn’t the only outlet to grumble at that second point, and in spite of Nintendo’s protestations to the contrary, it’s worth repeating. 1-2 Switch is a great way to become acquainted with the Switch’s control scheme, but once the novelty (or booze) wears off, it’s highly unlikely owners will play this game much again, so demanding full price for it feels more than a little cheeky.

The reason being that, unlike tech demo suites that Nintendo has released in the past (yes, we’re looking at you, Wii Sports), 1-2 Switch doesn’t really feel like so much a game as it does a distraction. Much of the in-game experience hinges on looking an opponent in the eye while the game instructs players on how to interact off to one side.

Sure, it’s hilarious the first time you sit opposite a mate as the pair of you try to fill an invisible glass with milk from a virtual cow’s teat, but it’s hardly an engaging experience over the long term.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GpC5PZnSiw

The only time 1-2 Switch will be booted up once its twenty-eight mini-games have been exhausted is when someone who’s never seen a Switch before comes round for an afternoon and the console’s owner wants to show off. Incidentally, most of those mini-games aren’t available from initial boot-up – they have to be unlocked.

1-2 Switch Review – Genius in bite-sized chunks

That having been said, if you plan on putting on a games night – laden with food and (more importantly) drinks – 1-2 Switch is a no-brainer. After the first couple of glasses of wine lubricate the embarrassment that naturally accompanies milking an invisible cow while staring into the eyes of a friend, there’s a lot of fun to be had.

The game selection is a bit of a mixed bag and whether players will take to a lot of them will depend on individual tastes. Quick Draw and Wizard have players outperform each other based on reflexes and patterns respectively and are probably the most reliable of the bunch. Ball Counting, which required players to guess how many ‘balls’ are rattling around inside a Joy-Con (based on the rumble motors) is pretty impressive and Baby has players rocking a baby (in this case the Switch tablet) to sleep.

There are some flat out oddities – Gorilla awards points to players for beating their chests. Yes, really – and a couple of real losers – Rotation has you spinning in a circle. Yawn – but on the whole it’s a pretty convincing set of party games. Just remember to attach the Joy-Con straps to your wrist because some of these games could easily send your controller flying – and it’s rather expensive to replace them.

1-2 Switch Review – Verdict

So 1-2 Switch is solid fun provided you have friends to play it with (any Billy No-Mates need not apply). It also does a damn fine job of showing off the Switch’s versatility in terms of its controls and set-up.

But it’s not really what one would call an absolutely essential purchase – especially if you’re one of the many folk who bought a Switch at launch who can find their way around the console’s UI pretty easily. Really, if the Switch is your bag, your cash will serve you far better if it’s plonked down on the counter for a copy of the new Zelda game. Completionists should wait for a price cut.

  • 1-2 Switch was reviewed on a Nintendo Switch. A retail copy was provided by the publisher.

 

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