1-2 Switch – Feature – Nintendo World Report
1-2 Switch was quite a surprise when Nintendo revealed it in January 2017. While some out there argued it should have been a pack-in, maybe it was better off this quirky slice of mini-game fun was more of a footnote than a main event. It did show off some things about the Joy-Con controllers that were neat. HD Rumble sure made it so you could feel ice cubes.
Daan Koopman gave it a 6.5 back at launch in his review, saying “[he] had a solid time every time [he] picked it up,” and that “it is a fine showcase for what the Joy-Con controllers can do.” To sum it up, Daan basically recommended it if you had people to play it with. Anyway, here’s what Neal, Joel, and Syrenne think now.
Neal Ronaghan: I wanted to get into 1-2 Switch. I wanted to believe this walking meme of a game could be something subtly brilliant. It’s legitimately very silly and funny, but it’s a gimmick of a game that wears off very quickly. It’s bizarro Nintendo Land in the fact that I felt like I had to trick people to play it with me, but the difference is that people seemed to get into Nintendo Land whereas with 1-2 Switch, it’d just be bemused milking and then inevitable boredom. I’m kind of glad this exists, but it’s not great.
Syrenne McNulty: 1-2 Switch is a bit of a meme game, but I will say that some of the concepts are so unhinged, such as baby or gorilla, that I really do appreciate the comedy on display here, and it seems very self-aware comedy, especially with the way that they shot the videos. I do not think this game justifies its price tag. I don’t even think it comes close. I don’t think that this is really engaging beyond the first play experience, where you’re trying everything out for yourself. I don’t regret playing it, but I do wish that this had clocked in at maybe $20 at most.
With that said, with the economics of a new cartridge format and this being a launch title, the business side of me unfortunately understands it.
Joel DeWitte:
Nintendo Switch’s slate of launch games were thin. While Breath of the Wild captured me and consumed every waking moment, 1-2 Switch seemed like the kind of demo showcase for what the hardware could do that I’d expect from a Nintendoland or Wii Sports. The manic presentation with live people popped, and looking for something to play with others meant I dropped the $50 asking price. It’s not that there aren’t some clever ideas with some of the games like a duel where the announcer tries to fool you with words other than fire like an offshoot of simon says. It’s that every experience is short lived, with limited replayability, and the novelty wears off very, very quickly. 1-2 Switch is a fever dream that would have been better remembered as a pack-in tech demo than how it tried to masquerade as a full-price game. Rest in peace, HD Rumble.
