1-2-Switch

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Just as we wrote in our review of Nintendo's new console, 1-2-Switch is the packed-in game that the system is sorely missing at launch. The way that the various mini-games contained herein show off the true potential of the Switch is impressive, and the broad range of features built into the Joy-Cons are showcased in interesting and varied ways. All told there's a substantial mix of games, with 28 included on the cartridge, and there's also a couple of structured ways that you can play them. As a collection designed to highlight the many features of the system, it's a success.

If 1-2-Switch came in the box, a multiplayer distraction to play when you're not swashbuckling your way through The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, we'd have no issue with it. There's a decent spread, which means the weaker games don't stand out too sorely, and it's the perfect game to bust out when friends came over and you want to show them the capabilities of your new console. Like so many people who played tennis or bowling on the original Wii, this could have been an experience that inspired a second wave of purchases without offering a huge amount of depth.

However, we doubt that 1-2-Switch will make the impact that it might have done, largely because of Nintendo's insistence on boxing it up and selling it for £40. Because, at that price, it's very hard to recommend this collection of mini-games, regardless of how innovative some of them may be.

The overall focus is on diverting attention away from the screen, and in most games players have to look at each other instead of the TV. Games are preceded by a short introductory video (that you can skip) and then a second video (that you can't skip) that offers up final instructions and safety warnings. The quality and presentation of each game is actually pretty stylish, and the whole thing feels cohesive.

When it comes to the games themselves, the Joy-Cons are used in a multitude of ways, but usually players have one each and compete directly in activities that range from sedated and seated, to active and energetic. Each one is classified by intensity, and younger players will get more out of the simpler games than they will the really physical ones that require more coordination and/or physical discipline.

The HD Rumble on the Joy-Cons is extraordinary, and this feature has been put to good use in several of the games. The best of the bunch is probably Safe Crack, but it's probably that moment in Ball Count when you first feel multiple marbles rolling around in the controller in your hand that you begin to realise just how much precise movement the motors in each Joy-Con are capable of expressing to the player.

Milk is plain funny, and has players facing each other while performing a milking action that sees an invisible bucket at your feet fill with glorious innuendo. In fact, there's a lot of these games, where players will be completing physical actions that could be considered a little naughty if viewed out of context (or, you know, when you're drunk - there's potential here for a lot of drinking games).

Some of the more physical stuff works really well. Sword Fight, for example, is energetic and fun, with players guarding against incoming attacks while trying to land their own blows. Both the Quick Draw and Fake Draw games are great, the latter offering some funny moments as players are tempted into firing early by words that sound similar to "fire".

Samurai Training is nice and simple, with players trying to catch an imaginary blade above their heads, Boxing Gym is good (and the post-match replay is the best of the bunch, showing who landed the hits in a simple mock-up of a fight), and Plate Spin offers plenty of opportunity for skulduggery, with players encouraged to distract each other with underhand tactics. In fact, misdirection and distraction, whether physical or mental, is regularly used to add an extra dimension to the games. Sneaky Dice is a good example of this, as it's a game where you know your opponent's dice roll, and they know yours, but you don't know your own, and you have to persuade each other to roll again, or not as the case may be.

There are a lot of games that leave a fairly neutral impression, though. Telephone is about as exciting as it sounds, with the ring tone and its timing changing between rounds, but little else. Treasure Chest has you twisting your controller round in order to untangle a chain that's wrapped around a chest. One game, Joy-Con Rotation, has players carefully balancing the pint-sized controllers while twisting them around. Another, Shave, has you trimming your pretend facial hair, with the rumble telling you where the beard is.

For those that like to move about, there are a couple of games to enjoy, and they range from the yoga-themed Zen, to more physical games such as Runway, Dance Off, Copy Dance, and even Air Guitar. The Signal Flags game was surprisingly entertaining, with two narrators barking orders at both players, one set of instructions that you must follow exactly, the other where you have to do the opposite. There's even a game that has you competing for the affections of a female Gorilla by pretending to bang your chest to the rhythm of the jungle music.

There were a few that we didn't like very much, however. Wizard was another jousting game of sorts, with players blasting each other with spells, trying to counter each incoming attack. It felt a little vague, and while we're sure that understanding will come over time to those who dedicate themselves to learning every intricacy that 1-2-Switch has to offer, ideally these games should feel like they work perfectly and precisely straight out the box.

Table Tennis, and Baseball for that matter, are certainly games that you will get better at if you practice, but they didn't feel particularly accessible, and trying to time your swings to hit an invisible ball takes a leap of imagination on top of the timing needed to succeed. Baby has you putting an imaginary child to bed (with the Joy-Cons attached to the screen this time), and that one was a little creepy thanks to the wails that come from the Switch. Another game, Soda Shake, had us shaking up a bottle of imaginary champagne, with people taking it in turns to wiggle the bottle before it pops. We're not sure if popping the bottle makes you a winner or a loser; perhaps that's up to you to decide.

There are a couple more, like Eating Contest (which uses the infrared sensor on the right Joy-Con) and Beach Flag, and like the rest of the lineup they're innovative and make good use of the hardware, demonstrating the range of functions that Nintendo has built into the Switch. However, the quality isn't brilliant across the board, and some of the games simply aren't that fun beyond a couple of plays. There certainly isn't enough substance here to justify the lofty asking price. If Nintendo really wasn't able to ship a copy of 1-2-Switch with the console, perhaps the games could have been sold in bundles on the eShop. At the very least the price needs to come down before we'd consider recommending you pick this one up.

1-2-Switch is a decent collection of tech demos, and they're a great way to show off your new console to friends. It's throwaway family fun, and you could definitely have a good time with this at a party (Team Battle is a mode for 2-20 players where two teams compete across multiple challenges in a setup reminiscent of a board game). But, considering the overall quality of the mini-games against the value that they offer the player and the price you'll have to pay to get them, we can't make an enthused recommendation to pick this up on March 3. This could have been Wii Sports for a new generation, but pricing and inconsistency holds it back. If you've only got enough money for one game to play on your Switch at launch, our advice is to go with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.