''1-2-Switch'' is a 2017

party video game A party video game is a genre of video game that stems from in-person party games, involving player-to-player interaction as the central gameplay element. These games are often defined by simple controls which can be easily picked up and understoo ...

developed and published by

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

for the

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

. It was released as a

launch title Since the origin of video games in the early 1970s, the video game industry, the players, and surrounding culture have spawned a wide range of technical and slang terms. 0–9 A ...

for the system. The game uses the system's

Joy-Con Joy-Con are the primary game controllers for the Nintendo Switch, a hybrid video game console. A set of Joy-Con consists of two individual units, each containing an analog stick and an array of buttons. They can be used while attached to the mai ...

controllers, with players facing each other performing various

minigames A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements and is often smaller or more simplistic than th ...

. By December 31, 2022, it sold over 3.74 million copies, ranking 40th in best-selling games on the platform. A sequel, '' Everybody 1-2-Switch!'', was released in 2023.

Gameplay

''1-2-Switch'' is a

in which players do not usually rely on what is happening on-screen, but rather make use of audio cues and the functionality of the Switch's

controllers to play in several different games. It features 28 different minigames, most of which involve two players, who each use one of the Joy-Con controllers and are often encouraged to look at each other during gameplay. Aside from tutorial videos for each game, players mostly rely solely on audio cues and feedback from the Joy-Con's rumble feature to indicate how well they are performing.

Development

After Nintendo announced the game at the Nintendo Switch event in January 2017, Nintendo showed off six of the minigames to the public. The game was also unveiled to show off Nintendo's innovative

capabilities, through the HD Rumble and IR Motion Camera features. As a way to promote the

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minigame and the Nintendo Switch, several representatives of Nintendo of America took part in a cow milking competition at a dairy farm in

Woodstock, Vermont Woodstock is the shire town (county seat) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,005. It includes the villages of Woodstock, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and West Woodstock. History Cha ...

Reception

''1-2-Switch'' received "mixed or average" reviews, according to

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website

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. Upon the release of its initial trailer, several commentators compared the game to the ''WarioWare'' series. Ben Skipper of the ''

International Business Times The ''International Business Times'' is an American online newspaper that publishes five national editions in four languages. The publication, sometimes called ''IBTimes'' or ''IBT'', offers news, opinion and editorial commentary on business and ...

'' made note of the game's sexual innuendos. Nintendo's decision to release the game separately from the system was criticized by several commentators, arguing that the game would be better off as a

pack-in game Since the origin of video games in the early 1970s, the video game industry, the players, and surrounding culture have spawned a wide range of technical and slang terms. 0–9 A ...

, similarly to ''

Wii Sports ''Wii Sports'' is a 2006 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game was released in North America along with the Wii on 19 November 2006, and in Japan, Australia, and Europe the fo ...

,'' although Nintendo stated that they opted to allow consumers to select a game to purchase rather than bundling one and increase the Switch's price so as to not disinterest consumers and compromise the console's sales. Cory Arnold of ''

Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. Histor ...

'' criticized the lack of a true

single-player mode A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the gameplay. Video games in general can feature several game modes, including single-player modes designed to be played by a single player in addi ...

, and said that the minigames were far worse than what was included in ''Wii Sports'', arguing that they lacked any sort of progression.

Sales

By April 2017, Nintendo reported that ''1-2-Switch'' had shipped nearly a million copies worldwide. By March 2018, that number had risen to over two million. By June 2019, total sales reached 3.01 million. The 2023 CESA Games White Papers revealed that ''1-2-Switch'' had sold 3.74 million units, as of December 31, 2022.

Accolades

Sequel

In June 2022, ''Fanbyte'' reported that a sequel to ''1-2-Switch'' was in development. Tentatively titled ''Everybody's 1-2 Switch'', the sequel was described as inspired by ''

The Jackbox Party Pack ''The Jackbox Party Pack'' is a series of party video games developed by Jackbox Games for many different platforms on a near-annual release schedule since 2014. Each installment contains five games that are designed to be played in groups of ...

'' series, featuring a collection of minigames that can be played with either traditional control methods or a smartphone. The game was reportedly received extremely poorly by playtesting groups, and while it was internally delayed for additional development time, empty game cases were already produced. While some within the company suggested including it as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, Nintendo executives planned to release the title as a standalone US$60 release. ''Everybody 1-2-Switch!'' was officially announced on June 1, 2023, and was released on June 30, 2023.

References

External links

*{{Official website 2017 video games Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development games Nintendo Switch games Nintendo Switch-only games Party video games Video games developed in Japan Multiplayer video games Nintendo games