All 1-2-Switch Games, Ranked

2 – Quick Draw

Quick Draw is not only the first title Nintendo showed when they first announced 1-2-Switch, but it’s also the first game you’ll play when you start the game and likely the most memorable. Each player holds their Joy-Con down by their side, finger on the ZL or ZR trigger. At the voice command of the game, the players raise them to point at one another’s chests and try to “shoot” one another as quickly as possible, like a Wild West standoff. Firing late or firing into the dirt will result in a loss. You’re encouraged to look your opponent in the eyes while you wait for the cue, an act which results in a lot of stupid grinning and weird cowboy motions while you wait.

Quick Draw serves as a fun and weird introduction to the entire games catalog, while also exemplifying what we all thought 1-2-Switch would mostly be about: connecting with others in the room rather than staring at the screen. It’s a game that everyone who watches will want to try at least several times, even one worth attempting to set records on for awhile. In a world where we don’t look one another in the eyes all that often, Quick Draw serves up a healthy dose of awkward, shared experience that results in sincere fun and laughter.

1 – Wizard

As wholesome as Quick Draw is, Wizard does it one better. Not only are you still looking at your opponent and gauging their reactions to determine your own actions, but the sound and vibrations of the Joy-Cons play a role as well in this magic duel. After charging your wands, you and your wizard opponent will face off in a Harry Potter-esque magic fight where you each try to overwhelm the other with the stream of magic from your Joy-Con. You do this by thrusting at key moments to push your magic force forward. Pushing too much results in an overall weaker burst of magic, but thrusting just after your opponent does will net a counter-attack that will force them back. You’ll have to read your opponent well and react quickly to reign victorious.

Next: 1-2-Switch Review: Please Clap

I loved Wizard best due to its well-rounded use of multiple aspects of the Joy-Con tech–the motion sensor, the HD Rumble, the accelerometer–while simultaneously connecting two individuals face to face in a silly but challenging competition. If 1-2-Switch had included more similarly-intense games, I would have enjoyed the package as a whole more, and for longer.