For me, the Nintendo Switch Hands on event started with mini game collection 1-2 Switch. A party game, designed around direct competition, and definitely built to show off the new controllers.
This game is unique. It’s fundamentally designed around the JoyCon Controllers, in a similar way to something like Wii Play. The concept is that it’s played with the device in tabletop mode, with two players. One for each JoyCon.
What I found most intriguing is that this game is tailor made for audience play. It’s for two players to compete, and there’s an encouragement to stare into your opponents eyes as you engage in silly games. With an audience egging people on, and not focussed on a screen, this game has serious potential as a party tool.
The game was played entirely using one JoyCon, fitted with the wrist strap. I found that the wrist strap, and extended shoulder bumpers, made the JoyCons a lot more user friendly.
Within the full compilation for 1-2 Switch, I tested the mini games, Safe Crack, Samurai Training, Ball Count, Milk and Quick Draw.
Didn’t get a chance to try Copy Pose, but the basic idea is that one player creates a pose, recognised by position of the gyroscope in the JoyCon, and Player 2 copies that exactly. Like almost all of these games, they’re designed around the players both engaging and being willing participants in the silliness.
Safe Crack is a competitive safe cracking game. You hold the joy con in your hand and rotate it to try and find the sweet spot three times before your opponent.
It’s a simple concept, and surprisingly subtle. The HD Rumble allows for very minute changes in sensitivity. Actually found it easier to play the game without looking at the screen, allowing my brain to focus on the sensation in my hand.
Samurai Training was far more fun than I expected. One player swings their JoyCon downwards towards the other player, who tries to clap their hands around the joy con to catch the blade.
It’s based around timing and reacting to your opponent. Again, facing your opponent allows for a very personal game. The gyroscopic sensor was smart enough to detect the difference between a feint and a true swing, which allowed for some Yomi style mind games.
Count the Balls is the mini game that feels the most like a tech demo. Holding a joy con like a matchbox, the player manipulates the controller and uses the rumble to try and identify how many marbles are rolling around inside. It’s very good at showing off the HD rumble feature, with one instance in my session featuring two balls rolling at opposite sides of the box. Each was individually identifiable by sensation. As a game, it probably has limited longevity, but it is one mini game of many.
Quick Draw is a reflex based cowboy game. Look your opponent in the eyes, point your JoyCon at the ground and, on the sound of the command,raise your JoyCon like a gun and pull the trigger. This is a game where victory is measured in fractions of a second, and again, is best played with both players willing to ham up their performances for an audience.
Milk is odd. Milk is a game where you milk a cow, and try to milk it more than your opponent. You stare deep into their eyes, and while a cow moos in the background, you rhythmically move your hand up and down with a JoyCon, whilst squeezing the protruding bumpers in a downward motion. It is exactly as awkward and silly as you imagine. Again, this uses the HD Rumble to pass information to the player. If they’re not in a good rhythm, the “stream” passing through the JoyCon will feel weak. If not, it will pulse more vigorously.
Yeah. This one is definitely designed with a party audience in mind.
Now, this is only a few mini games. There seem to be many more judging by trailers and streams over the last few days. There’s a real sense that this whole collection in 1-2 Switch is meant to be a game that’s shown off to people. I suspect that part of that is due to the portable nature of the switch. It’s a lot easier to showcase to people why they should care about a games device when the barrier to entry is as simple as someone bringing it to you.