When you read this, the polar ice caps will have melted. People travel by teleportation tubes, and Trump is president. 1-2-Switch existed before all these things, but here are some words. Should you buy it or not?
A Novelty Item With Limited Appeal
1-2-Switch fits into a couple of categories for me: launch title, that go-to game for when visitors come around, and one for the completists. Basically, this is a novelty game that demos the HD rumble and ‘encourages’ social gaming.
Social gaming is where you play games with other, real people. Like the golden days of controller cables, you could pull out if your pal was winning. Cheating at its most effective. As with most novelty items, it has a limited appeal.
There are similar multiplayer-type games you can already play on the Switch – be it split-screen or with multiple Switches-es-es. Evidently, the best multiplayer games are on this very website.
1-2-Switch, 1-2-It’s All Over
It’s not the worst game, but 1-2-Switch is a short ‘fun-filled’ party game. You’re probably well aware, this kind of game doesn’t have long-lasting appeal. In fact, all the games can be completed within an hour, but that’s not the point. The point is to have a get-together and make a fool of yourself.
Mini-games are short so everybody gets to have a go. No waiting around while the two best players co-op for hours on end. The real fun is the interaction with one another. Or laughing at that friend who takes it all too seriously when playing the Duel mini-game.
While the games aren’t exactly high-brow, they aren’t as wacky as WarioWare: Smooth Moves or Toridama: Brave Challenge. but the ‘Milk’ game is probably the most awkward, entertaining of them all. Other games include ‘Ball Count’ and ‘Telephone’ – the latter tests reaction times, or the ‘Treasure Chest’, where you will use the joy-con to unravel a treasure chest wrapped in chains.
You can theoretically wing it and shake the controls like a nutter, but there’s no fun in that. Go on, dress up like a clown when spinning those plates. Also, do it while playing 1-2-Switch.
If you’re keen on purchasing it, check out the price on Nintendo’s site or your favourite online store. I’d buy it used. That way, you don’t feel so dirty paying full price for a demo.
