Everybody 1-2-Switch! Hands-On Preview: The More the Merrier

Earlier this month, Nintendo surprised fans with a low-key announcement for Everybody 1-2-Switch!, a sequel to the 2017 Nintendo Switch launch title. The game was leaked over a year ago by a highly negative report that claimed Nintendo was worried that Everybody 1-2-Switch!'s low quality could hurt the company's reputation. When the game was officially announced with little fanfare, it seemed like Nintendo might be trying to quietly release it between bigger titles like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4. During a special preview event, ComicBook.com had a chance to go hands-on with Everybody 1-2-Switch! to see what the game has to offer. 

In Everybody 1-2-Switch!, players compete in a number of different party games, some of which support up to 100 players. To showcase this, the event was attended by members of the gaming media, as well as employees of Nintendo, with a group of about eight people participating in games that revolved around the use of Joy-Cons, and more than 10 in games that used mobile devices. During our session, a handful of games were specially curated for the group. The first of these was a team-based game that centered around inflating a large balloon. An outline for the ideal shape was shown, and then teams of four would compete to match the shape without making it explode. Inflating the balloon required a pumping motion using a Joy-Con, but every single player on the team could increase the size, requiring teamwork to ensure that the balloon wouldn't explode.

Following that game, we competed in Hip Bump, a game where the Joy-Con is held at the hip and players must try to bump one another off of a platform while standing with their backs towards one another. After this game, Nintendo chose to highlight Everybody 1-2-Switch!'s compatibility with mobile phones. Certain games in the collection actually require the use of a mobile device, which is accomplished by scanning a QR code. The first of these games involved color matching; players were shown a color on the TV screen and then set about looking for a color close to it in the room, snapping a picture with their phone. Players were then awarded points based on how close they were to the color shown.

While some games require a mobile device, others allow it to be used alongside Joy-Cons, including one that had teams competing to help aliens land on Earth. As players keep the beat, the aliens are encouraged to land, and the team that successfully gets the aliens to signal their approval is the winner. The aliens would actually pull back to their ships if players weren't able to stay in sync with one another, so a victory can take a bit of time if neither group can stick the pace. As a result, this game was the most physically taxing of those we played, and gave me some flashbacks to reviewing Nintendo Switch Sports last year.

The final game showcased during our preview was Quiz Party. While Everybody 1-2-Switch! features built-in quizzes, Nintendo used the opportunity to highlight a custom quiz option. The quiz we participated in featured a mix of Nintendo trivia, as well as sillier questions including one that asked which floor of the building we were currently on. The Treehouse staff noted that these custom quizzes could be made for things like bachelorette or graduation parties. Since Quiz Party is played using a mobile device, it's easy to imagine ways that big groups could take advantage of the format; unfortunately, each question can only have two answer options. While Nintendo did not show us the mode, Everybody 1-2-Switch! apparently features a Quiz Party option where multiple players will be able to create and submit questions on their phones for a quiz before it begins.

Every once in a while, Nintendo creates a piece of software that showcases the company's weird sense of humor. We've seen it on full display in games like WarioWare, and Everybody 1-2-Switch! continues that tradition. The game's presentation and horse-headed host Horace might even be more bizarre than anything in the WarioWare series. But underneath all the weirdness is a game that feels like it could appeal to the types of gatherings that embraced games like Wii Sports Resort. It remains to be seen whether Everybody 1-2-Switch! will find that kind of an audience, and that's definitely the biggest issue I came across during the preview.

After playing Everybody 1-2-Switch!, I found myself wanting to play more, but also wondering if I'd be able to pull off the kind of gathering required to get the most out of it. While Nintendo has often created "party" games, Everybody 1-2-Switch! feels like it's specifically designed for real-world parties, and that's an important distinction; Mario Party is at its most fun with four players, but Everybody 1-2-Switch! might need a bit more than that for buyers to get the most out of the game. That's going to be a real hurdle to clear, but it's much easier to see what the developers were going for after spending some hands-on time with the game. It's possible that the rest of the activities won't be as fun as the ones we were shown, but from our preview, Everybody 1-2-Switch! definitely doesn't seem like the disaster some were predicting. It just might not be for "everybody."

Are you looking forward to Everybody 1-2-Switch!? Does this sound like the kind of party game that you would enjoy? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

Everybody 1-2-Switch! was played during a hands-on preview event hosted by Nintendo with travel expenses paid for by the publisher.