Ever since I picked up a Nintendo Switch 2, I’ve been a little underwhelmed by how little its games use the mouse controls that the Joy-Con 2 is capable of. Thankfully, that’s finally starting to change this week, as a couple of Nintendo’s most recent announcements put mouse controls front and center.
I’m, of course, talking about Mario Paint coming to Nintendo Switch Online and the new overview trailer for Drag X Drive. These announcements both suggest that Switch 2’s mouse controls have a bright future and are not just a console gimmick that will be quickly forgotten about.
Mario Paint and Drag X Drive give Switch 2’s mouse controls more uses
On Tuesday, Nintendo revealed that Mario Paint would be coming to Nintendo Switch Online’s SNES game catalog. This game is essentially a tool of creation software where players can draw, color in images, and even create music of their own. The original release famously came packaged with the SNES Mouse, so when Switch 2’s mouse controls were revealed, it felt like it would be a natural addition.
I was worried when Mario Paint wasn’t added to Nintendo Switch Online around the Switch 2’s launch, but it’s great to see it finally added to the catalog. The fact that other SNES games already on the service, like Mario’s Super Picross and Nobunaga’s Ambition, also got mouse support shows that any mouse-driven Nintendo games from the past are now fair game for Switch Online.
Nintendo’s legacy of mouse-controlled games will also continue next month with Drag X Drive, a new Switch 2 exclusive. It’s a basketball game where players are in wheelchairs they can move using mouse controls. An overview trailer for the game was released yesterday, highlighting several unique actions players can perform with its unique dual-mouse setup. While I was unsure of Drag X Drive before watching this video, now my curiosity is piqued, and I plan on checking it out at launch on August 14.
I’m thankful that both of these announcements have put the Switch 2’s mouse controls front and center, because I haven’t used that feature much yet. It was one aspect of the Switch 2 I was most excited about ahead of its release, yet I haven’t been able to do much with it outside of navigating system menus so far. I thought Tamagotchi Plaza could be the game to show me its uses, but that ended up being an overly simple and boring minigame collection.
The most fun I’ve had with it yet is the DK Paint mode in Donkey Kong Bananza, but that was a side mode and not a full game. Now, there are two entire games I can try out the Switch 2’s mouse controls with in the coming weeks, and games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are on the horizon and will use it to. A month or so into the Switch 2’s lifespan, I’m elated to finally be convinced to use a unique console feature.
