#DRIVE Rally (Nintendo Switch) – Review

If you grew up on the era of chunky polygons, dust clouds that looked like beige confetti, and co‑drivers who sounded like they were shouting instructions through a walkie‑talkie taped to a blender, # DRIVE Rally is absolutely trying to speak your language. It’s a retro‑arcade rally racer that wants to whisk you straight back to the Sega Rally / Colin McRae days, big drifts, bigger personality, and a whole lot of loose‑surface swagger.

On Nintendo Switch, that ambition mostly lands… but not without a few bumps, skids, and the occasional “did that tree just pop into existence?” moment.

# DRIVE Rally doesn’t waste time with tutorials or hand‑holding. You pick a team, jump into a championship, and immediately start throwing unlicensed-but-obviously-inspired rally icons around winding stages. Championships are chunky, multi‑stage affairs that cycle you through different cars and locations, giving the whole thing a breezy, arcade‑friendly rhythm.

Currency trickles in as you win races, though it’s mostly used for unlocking cars in Free Roam and Hotseat rather than shaping your championship progression. Upgrades happen automatically as you advance, which keeps things simple but also removes some of the tinkering joy that rally fans might expect.

Free Roam is a surprisingly generous addition: each location is a full map you can explore, hunt collectibles in, or simply blast around for the fun of it. And if you’ve got friends nearby, the eight‑player Hotseat mode is a brilliant throwback where you pass the controller, set a time, talk trash.

The handling is where # DRIVE Rally shines. It nails that floaty, loose‑grip sensation of classic arcade rallying. Sliding into a corner just right feels chef’s kiss satisfying, and recovering from mistakes is quick enough that the game rarely punishes you for experimenting.

Target times are forgiving, making the campaign more about flow than precision. It’s fast, it’s accessible, and it’s got that “one more stage” energy that good arcade racers thrive on.

The low‑poly ’90s aesthetic is charming in concept, but the Switch version struggles to keep the illusion intact. Objects pop in aggressively, textures can look muddy, and the dramatic lighting seen in promotional materials doesn’t fully translate during gameplay.

Performance varies depending on your hardware:

• Switch 2: A smooth 60 FPS that makes the racing feel fluid and responsive, even if the visuals remain rough around the edges.

• Original Switch: A variable framerate hovering around ~40 FPS with uneven frame pacing, giving the game a choppy feel that undermines the otherwise enjoyable handling.

  
  

The cars themselves look great with detailed models, lively suspension, and enough personality to sell the fantasy of throwing them sideways through forests and deserts.

Pros

• Floaty, satisfying arcade rally handling

• Big retro personality

• Free Roam and Hotseat add real value

• Accessible and forgiving gameplay loop

Cons

• Aggressive pop‑in and rough textures

• Choppy performance on original Switch

• Campaign progression feels a bit too automated

# DRIVE Rally is a fun, fast, nostalgic rally romp that absolutely nails the feel of ’90s arcade racing but its Switch performance and visual roughness hold it back from greatness.

If you’re playing on Switch 2 and you’re happy to overlook scrappy graphics, there’s plenty of sideways joy here. On the original Switch, though, the inconsistent framerate makes the experience feel less polished than it deserves.

XPN Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (SILVER)

# Drive Rally is available now!