1-2-Switch (Nintendo Switch) Preview

Have you ever wondered how to milk a cow? How about cracking a safe, or how it would feel to be a samurai? Well, 1-2-Switch is not exactly going to fulfil those exact desires, but it does have mini-games that take on those themes in comical ways that, with the right crowd, will lead to plenty of amusement, in short bursts.

The first trial tested out was showing off how amazing the HD Rumble feature of Nintendo Switch is going to be. Holding just one Joy-Con in-hand and gently tilting from side to side, it was possible to guess how many balls were contained within the on-screen box. Looking at the actual screen was not particularly necessary, other than to see the final result. It was more about closing your eyes and pretending the actual box was being balanced on the palm of your hand, slowly moving it to feel the balls rolling. The sensation was indeed quite shocking because of how realistic it all felt, and the implication for how this can be used in future titles is phenomenal. The mind boggles!

The same rumble technique was used for cracking open a safe by slowly twisting one Joy-Con around in a circular motion, clockwise and anti-clockwise, until a small click could be felt. Sometimes it was so subtle that you ended up fooling yourself into thinking a click had occurred, giving false positives, especially when racing against a competitor to beat them to the loot. Again, the effect was wonderful, with movement being perfectly accurate (none of the jerkiness of the Wii Remote and sensor bar if in poor lighting or if the sensor bar was not placed in the best position).

Other modes showed off how accurate the Joy-Con are, with one having a person swing from an above head height position downward, whilst the other player held the pad cupped in their hand and had to clap over it with the other hand, which when the inner microphone picked up the noise, caused the on-screen character to try and stop the incoming blade. Cue all sorts of bluffing from the sword swinger, trying to catch out the other player, making them clap too quickly or too late. Again, how the inner microphone will be used in future experiences is very intriguing indeed.

The two other trials that were tested during the event were a gun shooting mode, and the now famous milking a cow episode. In the quick draw mini-game, it was all about quick reflexes and accuracy. Holding one Joy-Con pointing towards the floor, the aim was to wait and then, when given the signal, it was first to draw their weapon and hit the trigger button to fire. The game then picked up how quickly the Joy-Con was lifted, who shot first, and exactly what angle it was at when firing, giving a points total depending on how impressive the player was.

This is the accuracy of the Wii Remote Plus taken to a whole new level, and it was great to see Nintendo had been developing the technology in this way, rather than just relying on the old devices. Whether or not Wii Remote and Wii Remote Plus controllers will work with Nintendo Switch is currently unknown, but hopefully they will, tapping into the large market that still has all of the old peripherals.

The same impressive accuracy and comical value was applied to the - also highly embarrassing - milking, where players faced each other and had to mimic the up and down motion of squeezing a cow's udder to extract as much milk as possible. Other than the up and down motion, the two side buttons needed to be pressed in the correct order, with the whole procedure repeated whilst trying to put the other person off by staring into their eyes and pulling funny faces. Hilarity, and a bit of blushing, ensued thanks to the expert woman demonstrating the product… How well that would do down if playing with your granny, is another matter entirely!