There was never a game more perfectly created for me than a wizard battle. When it popped up onto my TV screen, I knew that it was a challenge I had to accept. And I would only be satisfied if I won.
I grabbed the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controller and took my position in my living room, squared off against my roommate. After several seconds of wand twirling, and staring into her soul, our battle began.
Bright lights of blue and red reflected onto our faces as we combated. Spells were cast and deflected left and right, until I could feel that I had the upper hand and was winning.
I could feel my power strengthening, as the battle’s end grew nearer. With one last fervent flick of the wrist, the battle was over, and I was deemed victorious.
Although I was handed my own defeat a few days later during a team battle, the euphoric feeling of winning a wizard battle will never be forgotten. However, the loss almost made the scar on my forehead start hurting.
The battle of the wands is just one of the 28 mini games that make up 1-2-Switch, from Nintendo. Embracing the unique features of the Nintendo Switch, 1-2-Switch games require face-to-face play with fairly simple rules. Each game starts with a quick video demonstrating the gameplay.
Some games focus more on motion, such as the copycat dance off, or the shaver game, in which players go head-to-head while pretending to shave a beard and leave the fewest patches of hair behind. Other games use the rumble feature, such as guessing the number of marbles in a box, or liar dice, which requires you to “roll” dice with the controller, feel the number your opponent has rolled, and then lie to them as you try to figure out who has the higher roll.
There are a few games that lack in replay value. Air guitar battle only has one quick song to play over and over. But if you get a fun group of people together, replaying the games induces many laughs and competition.
All the games are best played with enthusiasm. If you can’t look at your friend in the eye with extreme intensity while pretending to milk a cow, or strike the fiercest pose at the end of your exaggerated cat walk, then this game may make you a little uncomfortable.
Instead of facing the screen while playing, each game asks players to face their opponents instead. If you haven’t truly made eye contact with your friends in awhile, it’s time to relearn their eye color. Eye contact is most crucial in comes like quick draw or fake draw, when players try to be the quickest and most accurate shooter wild west style.
There is the option to just scroll through the games and pick ones you want to play, or there is a team battle that sets up a game board filled with mini games. And since the game console is portable, these battles can be taken out of the living room and into the backyard, or anywhere else that gives you more space to dramatize a sword battle.
Wherever you play, 1-2-Switch is great for those looking to make use of all the best features of their Nintendo Switch, and all the games leave you in a great mood, win or loss.
