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Lexar NM1090 Pro 4TB SSD Review: A ‘Budget’ High-End Drive

by admin September 12, 2025

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Lexar needs no introduction. The previous-gen NM790 changed the landscape for capacious, budget SSDs when it came out at 4TB with an affordable price. The company also has other great memory products, but arguably the NM790 put them on the map in the PC storage space. We didn’t like the NM800 Pro quite as much, as it really wasn’t a budget drive, and the controller had issues in the long run. Now it has a successor: the NM1090 Pro, also available at that tasty 4TB point. Is this another winner, or will this drive end up forgotten?

We’re happy Lexar went for 4TB out of the gate on this one, and that’s the capacity we’re reviewing today. However, the drive is pretty well-priced at 2TB, too, and we can recommend either capacity. This drive has DRAM, unlike the NM790, following in the footsteps of the NM800 Pro. However, given the other high-end drives released recently, the NM1090 Pro has one foot on the budget side of the line. It uses older flash and is priced competitively, which works in its favor. This is not the only drive in this category – the Acer Predator GM9000 has the same hardware – and more competition is due from performance DRAM-less drives like the Biwin Black Opal X570, too.

This means you have to shop around. The NM1090 Pro, in our opinion, makes the most sense as a secondary drive at higher capacities. It’s not really the best option for laptops, and there are certainly faster drives out there. If your system has two or more PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, though, this could be a roaring games drive that saves you some money without any real deficiencies for that type of usage. It also drops the drawbacks of high power consumption, including at idle, and poor power efficiency that early PCIe 5.0 drives had.

Lexar NM1090 Pro 4TB SSD at Amazon for $359.79

Lexar NM1090 Pro Specifications

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Product

1TB

2TB

4TB

Pricing

$139.99

$199.99

$379.99

Form Factor

M.2 2280 (Double-sided)

Interface / Protocol

PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe 2.0

Controller

SMI SM2508

DRAM

LPDDR4x

Flash Memory

Micron 232-Layer TLC

Sequential Read

14,000 MB/s

Sequential Write

10,000 MB/s

13,000 MB/s

Random Read

1,650K IOPS

2,100K IOPS

Random Write

1,800K IOPS

1,700K IOPS

Security

N/A

Endurance (TBW)

700TB

1,400TB

2,800TB

Part Number

LNM109P001T-RNNNU

LNM109P002T-RNNNU

LNM109P004T-RNNNU

Warranty

5-Year

Today’s best Lexar NM1090 Pro 4TB SSD deals

The Lexar NM1090 Pro is available at 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB with current prices at $139.99, $199.99, and $379.99. This makes the 4TB the best deal and that is what we’re reviewing today. Peak performance can be hit at 2TB, though, with sequential reads and writes up to 14,000 / 13,000 MB/s and IOPS up to 2,100K / 1,800K for random reads and writes. Lexar offers a standard 5-year warranty with 700TB of writes per TB of capacity, which is more than the typical 600TB, but not a significant enough difference to be meaningful.

If the NM1090 Pro is to succeed, it needs to be priced right, and at the time of review, it mostly is. It offers a discount over the most common new high-end Gen 5 drives, such as the Crucial T710 and the WD_Black SN8100 from SanDisk, and the only drive that really comes close to it is the Samsung 9100 Pro. It’s bound to outperform the slower Phison E26-based drives, like the Crucial T700, and it’s also more efficient than the faster ones like the Crucial T705. This makes it an interesting “budget” high-end drive at 2TB and 4TB, possibly offering a second-drive solution for enthusiasts

Lexar NM1090 Pro Software and Accessories

Lexar has two downloads available for the NM1090 Pro: Lexar DiskMaster and Lexar DataShield. DiskMaster is your standard SSD toolbox application with S.M.A.R.T. disk health information, performance testing, diagnostics, firmware upgrades, a secure erase function, and data transfer functionality. This is pretty standard stuff but it’s nice to have convenient downloads. For alternatives we recommend CrystalDiskInfo for health tracking and MultiDrive for Windows-based cloning or imaging, or Clonezilla for a bootable imaging solution.

Lexar NM1090 Pro: A Closer Look

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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

We regret to inform you that the Lexar NM1090 Pro is not single-sided, although that’s not as big a deal these days. Especially for high-end drives like this. Using more NAND flash packages means fewer dies stacked per package, which can be easier to manufacture. Signal integrity and timing can become issues with large die stacks, which are often alleviated by using specialized chips within the packages. Typically, the maximum is 16 dies per package (16DP), although 8 dies (8DP/ODP) is much more common. The possibility of stacking up to 32 (32DP) does exist, but is not something we’ve seen yet in consumer drives. The NM1090 Pro is using 1Tb TLC flash drives so, at 4TB, requires 8 dies per package.

Image 1 of 4

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The NM1090 Pro uses the excellent SMI SM2508 controller. For more technical details, please refer to our original preview. It’s an eight-channel controller with 4 chip enable signals per channel, which means it should handle up to 8TB of flash without a problem and up to 16TB with 2Tb dies. It does have DRAM, which in this case is Foresee LPDDR4x. Using this type of DRAM can reduce power consumption.

The flash appears to be 232-Layer TLC from Micron, which is a generation behind at this point. This flash was used to good effect on the popular Crucial T705 and Crucial T500. Micron has since gone up to 276 layers with an iterative improvement, which, with this same SM2508 controller, has proven to be very power-efficient on the Crucial T710. We’ve seen this controller with older flash on the Acer Predator GM9000 as well, and the result was a drive that falls somewhere between the original Phison E26 and newer, higher-end controllers and flash, including the Phison E28 with BiCS8 TLC. The NM1090 Pro should perform similarly to the Acer, but the capacity change mixes things up a bit and is worth careful consideration if you’re looking for the largest drive possible.

MORE: Best SSDs

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Lexar NM1090 Pro 4TB SSD: Price Comparison

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September 12, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Amazon Hits Seagate Hard, This Hard Drive Now Costs Just $0.02 Per GB

by admin September 3, 2025

Backing up your files is something everyone should think about, especially if you don’t want to risk losing important stuff on your computer. Not everyone can or wants to pay for fast SSD drives, and that’s where classic external hard drives still shine.

Right now, Amazon is offering a fantastic discount on the Seagate Portable 4TB external hard drive – it’s dropped to just $99 from $125. That’s about two cents a gigabyte which is just utterly fantastic if you need a lot of space without spending a fortune.

See at Amazon

Speedy Transfers

This drive’s got USB 3.0 which means it’s speedy enough to transfer big files without leaving you waiting forever. And it’s very low-maintenance as well, reads perfectly fine from PCs, Macs and even PlayStation and Xbox. And it doesn’t need a separate power supply since it gets its juice directly from the USB port.

Size-wise, the Seagate portable HDD is thin and light so it won’t be holding you back if you’re accidentally tossing it in your bag. It’s for everyday wear and tear use, so don’t fret about a little bump or two.

And with 4TB of storage, you’ve got plenty of room: We’re talking thousands of photos, stacks of high-definition videos, and hundreds of music files – all in a secure, easy-to-reach location. It’s a good alternative or supplement to cloud storage services, if you want your things close at hand or can’t always trust the internet for backups.

The additional sweet touch is the free one-year Rescue Data Recovery Service: That’s right, if anything does happen (like accidentally deleting files or a hardware failure), you’ve got experts standing by to assist in getting your data back.

Yes, SSDs are faster because they don’t have moving parts but they’re sometimes ridiculously pricey, especially if you require more than a few hundred gigs. That’s where hard drives like this Seagate shine through – they offer tons of space for far less money. If you’re looking for a high-capacity device that won’t break the bank, this deal is definitely worth considering.

See at Amazon

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September 3, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Stablecoins and AI Could Drive Post-Trade Shakeup, Citi Says

by admin September 2, 2025

The global post-trade industry is entering a new phase of transformation driven by digital assets and AI, according to Citi’s latest “Securities Services Evolution” whitepaper.

The bank’s fifth annual survey, which gathered input from 537 market participants including custodians, broker-dealers and asset managers, highlights how tokenization, accelerated settlements and AI-driven automation are reshaping trade processing.

Citi estimates that by 2030, 10% of market turnover could be conducted through tokenized assets. The report points to bank-issued stablecoins as the main enabler, helping with collateral efficiency and fund tokenization. Asia-Pacific is already leading adoption, thanks to strong retail interest in crypto and regulatory support for digital assets.

The use of AI will further drive post-trade efficiency, the report states. Some 86% of surveyed firms say they are testing the technology for client onboarding as the key use case for asset managers, custodians and broker-dealers. A further 57% indicated that their organizations are piloting the technology for post-trade specifically.

Speed and automation are a priority, Citi said, as the post-trade industry faces the cumulative workload of moving to T+1, a standard settlement cycle for securities transactions where the trade is settled one business day after the trade date.

“From accelerated settlements to automation in asset servicing, and increased shareholder participation and governance, the collective vision of firms worldwide is converging on the same core themes. The industry is at the cusp of significant change as market participants intensify their focus on T+1, accelerate the adoption of digital assets, and implement GenAI across their operations,” said Chris Cox, Head of Investor Services, Citi.

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September 2, 2025 0 comments

Seagate Portable 2tb External Hard Drive Hdd

Game Reviews

Seagate’s Portable 2TB Hard Drive Is Just $5 More Than the 1TB, Almost Free Insurance Policy for Gamers

by admin August 31, 2025

A catastrophic data loss goes way beyond just losing files. You could have digitized photos or home movies on your hard drive, and if they’re not backed up when your computer meets with a sudden disaster, they’re gone forever. That’s when your data loss becomes a huge ball of emotional stress that you really could do without.

The $70 price attached to the Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive at Amazon during a limited-time deal might be the least expensive insurance policy you’ll find today, and that’s true for PC and Mac users, and also Xbox and PlayStation gamers. (Because losing game data also sucks.) It’s two terabytes of plug-and-play, cross-platform-compatible peace of mind at an exceptional price.

See at Amazon

Fast and Secure

The Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive works with USB 3.0 for super-fast file transfers of up to 120MB/s, and also with USB 2.0 on older devices. Either way, there’s no app or driver you need to install, and it doesn’t need any external power source. It’s strictly plug-and-play across all of its compatible platforms. The included 18-inch USB 3.0 cable gives you flexibility when it comes to where to set up the drive. (There’s really nothing worse than those cheap 4-inch cables packaged with other drives.)

The Seagate 2TB drive works with automatic backup apps like Apple’s Time Machine, and also as a drag-and-drop interface. If you want to take your data or game files on the go, the Seagate is literally pocket-sized, barely over a half-inch in thickness and exceptionally light, and built sturdily enough that you don’t have to worry about tossing it into a backpack on your way out the door.

Backup for your Backup

Things do happen, which is why you’re buying a reliable backup drive in the first place. And if some awful fate were to befall your Seagate drive, it comes with a year of Seagate’s Rescue Service, which depending on the severity of the damage would either repair the drive or extract the data from it and send it back to you on a new drive.

A smart and increasingly common practice is to copy your most precious and/or sensitive data and files onto one drive and store it in a safe location outside of your home, thus covering yourself in case of fire or other natural disaster. At the current $70 Amazon price for the 2TB Seagate Portable Hard Drive, having one emergency backup drive offsite and another to keep with your computer is a smart tactic. But having at least one fast, reliable backup drive is essential, so head to Amazon now and grab a Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive while it’s on sale for just $70.

See at Amazon

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Ripple CTO on How XRP, RLUSD Drive Liquidity on AMM: Details

by admin August 30, 2025

In recent replies on social media X, Ripple CTO David Schwartz explains AMM liquidity pools in relation to the Ripple USD (RLUSD) stablecoin. This was in response to an X user who had sought clarification as regards the subject matter.

The pool holds half RLUSD and half XRP. The assumption of the pool is that LP token holders want to be long XRP and to profit from XRP volatility.

— David ‘JoelKatz’ Schwartz (@JoelKatz) August 30, 2025

Automated Market Maker (AMM) on XRP Ledger uses liquidity pools instead of traditional order books to facilitate trades. The AMM functionality was enabled with the amendment XLS-30D in March 2024.

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The clawback amendment, which went live in January this year, enabled Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin to be floated and traded directly on XRP Ledger’s DEX, boosting its liquidity and trading options and increasing decentralized finance (DeFi) activity on the XRPL network.

RLUSD AMM liquidity pool explained

According to Schwartz, the AMM liquidity pool holds a pile of RLUSD and XRP, each of roughly equal value. It also issues tokens that represent claims against the pool for a proportional share of its assets.

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When the price of XRP goes down, the pool converts RLUSD to XRP to equalize the values; on the other hand, when XRP price goes up, the pool converts XRP to RLUSD for value equalization.

The aim is to always increase the value of the pool constant (the amount of RLUSD times the amount of XRP divided by the number of issued tokens outstanding) and never to allow it to decrease.

According to the Ripple CTO, the idea behind the AMM liquidity pool is that, regardless of whether XRP’s price takes a round trip, the value of each liquidity token would serve to maximize the pool constant.

The value of the liquidity tokens in the pool can also increase as individuals use the pool as a liquidity source to trade XRP for RLUSD and pay a spread. The Ripple CTO stated that while the tokens gain and lose value with changes in XRP’s price, it may be less significant than those experienced by holding only XRP.

In further responses, the Ripple CTO explained that since the liquidity pool holds half RLUSD and half XRP, the assumption is that the token holders want to be long on XRP and profit from its volatility.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

Ethereum (ETH) Ready for $5,000 Drive, Shiba Inu (SHIB): Everything Next Week, XRP Crash to $2.50 Incoming?

by admin August 30, 2025

XRP’s critical breakdown
Shiba Inu anemic

After a severe correction, Ethereum recovered and is now firmly above the $4,300 support zone, demonstrating its resilience. The daily chart’s structure indicates that ETH may be poised for another surge toward the $5,000 milestone, suggesting that the recent pullback may have reached its end.

The 50-day EMA has been a dynamic support for ETH’s strong recovery over the last few weeks. The recent uptrend has seen shallow corrections that have been swiftly followed by fresh buying pressure. This kind of market behavior reflects strong investor confidence, a necessary ingredient for pushing ETH into uncharted territory.

ETH/USDT Chart by TradingView

The RSI at 59 indicates that there is space for a new rally, as ETH has cooled off from overbought conditions. In contrast to earlier this year, volume is still high, even though it has been decreasing during the correction phase.

In the upcoming sessions, ETH may retest recent highs around $4,800 and push above them toward $5,000 if volume increases. Nevertheless, Ethereum’s rallies are infamously erratic. Investors should keep in mind that even though the chart structure encourages continuation, parabolic advances frequently come to an abrupt end.

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Deeper corrections could return to the 200-day EMA around $3,400 if the price fails to stay above $4,200. The path of least resistance is still up for the time being. With investor interest, momentum recovery and structural support, ETH is well-positioned to try another breakout.

The $5,000 drive might happen sooner rather than later if momentum is in favor of it, but traders need to be on the lookout because Ethereum rallies have a history of reversing as fast as they start.

XRP’s critical breakdown

Now hovering just below the crucial $3.00 level, XRP is getting closer to a definitive breakdown. Instead of providing bullish potential, the symmetrical triangle pattern that has been tightening over the past few weeks appears poised to tilt toward the downside, according to the charts.

As of press time, XRP is trading close to $2.82 and has already started to decline below short-term support. By confirming the formation’s increasing weakness, this price action raises the possibility that the market is getting ready to continue its downward trend.

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While the triangle’s breakdown is a bearish signal in and of itself, it becomes even more dire when combined with declining volume. If this happens, XRP may quickly decline toward its 200-day EMA, which is located around $2.50. This level serves as both technical support and the next psychological safety net for investors.

If this were to drop, selling pressure would probably increase, and XRP would likely see more significant corrections. There are no indications of reversal divergence, and the RSI at 42 indicates bearish momentum. This implies that buyers are merely unwilling to intervene at the current levels, especially when combined with the declining market participation.

XRP is probably going to continue to face pressure unless a powerful catalyst appears, like an abrupt market-wide recovery.

In summary, the symmetrical triangle of XRP has successfully moved from a consolidation zone to a breakdown structure, and investors should brace themselves for a decline toward $2.50 unless $3 can be recovered quickly. Given the market’s fragility, XRP might not have much left to hold onto before more declines occur.

Shiba Inu anemic

The price of Shiba Inu, which is currently trading at around $0.0000122, is still consolidating inside a tightening symmetrical triangle. The lack of momentum leading into the weekend is what makes the current setup so important, even though the pattern has been developing for a few weeks.

The daily trading volume has stagnated, and SHIB has historically had little-to-no liquidity on weekends. This implies that once more market activity resumes next week, the true direction will probably become apparent.

It is evident from the technical picture that SHIB is being squeezed between the lower edge of its triangle support and the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day EMAs’ strong overhead resistance. An explosive breakout is anticipated in the future if price coils more inside this structure without volume.

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Because SHIB has continuously failed to reclaim higher resistance zones throughout August, the overall trend remains bearish, which presents a challenge for bulls. With neither bulls nor bears fully in control, the RSI at 44 indicates weak momentum.

However, SHIB might swiftly decline toward $0.0000110-0.0000100, a region that offered stability earlier this year, if the lower triangle support gives way. On the other hand, any significant recovery would require a bullish breakout above $0.0000135-0.0000140, but this move appears unlikely in the near future without volume.

Shiba Inu investors are unlikely to find answers this weekend. When volume resumes the following week, the market will decide whether SHIB can withstand another round of selling pressure or not. This is when the real test starts. The next course of action will probably decide SHIB’s short-term future since the triangle is getting close to its apex.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Don’t let an apathy towards trucks drive you away from American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2 now they’re heading to PS5 and Xbox

by admin August 23, 2025

If I had to make a list of the things in life I have absolutely no interest in, trucks would be pretty near the top. And yet, I am obsessed with developer SCS Software’s Truck Simulator series of games. And so, following the news both American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2 are at long last making their way to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, I’m here to convince you their soothing expanses of endless virtual highway might also be for you, even if you don’t know your backhaul from your bill of lading.

The downside to this whole not-being-into-trucks thing is, of course, that I’m a terrible guide through the series if you’re here for proper hobbyist reasons, so apologies in advance. For me, though, the appeal is not so much the allure of a Hopper Body and the promise of a lubricated Glad Hand, as it is the pure ASMR pleasures of hours spent in empty minded tranquility with naught for company but the swoosh of scenic vistas, the tick of an indicator, the quiet hum of an air-conditioned cabin, and the lulling rumble of rubber on road.

I’m being a little reductive, admittedly. Well, a lot actually. Even without delving deep into the Truck Simulator games’ more specialist particulars, there’s a lot to love. There’s the fundamental progression system that sees you doing odd jobs in loaned trucks and then scrambling up the XP tree to unlock new missions, or stockpiling enough cash that you’re able to buy your own truck, even start your own business with your own HQ. It’s not necessarily a particularly flashy package, but its basic structure is sound enough that it provides an additional layer of focus to your life on the open road. Chuck in the kind of cabin customisation that lets you scatter tatty souvenirs and pizza boxes around the place (honestly, I love this kind of nonsense), occasional community events, and a multiplayer mode enabling up to eight friends to form a convoy – a wonderfully, surprisingly hilarious recipe for chaos with the right (or wrong, depending on your perspective) people – and it’s brilliantly compelling, even if you don’t give a truck about trailers and the like.

ATS and ETS 2 are coming to consoles.Watch on YouTube

As for the different flavours of sim coming to Xbox and PlayStation, both – if you’re not already aware – are fundamentally the same experience, just with a very obvious change of scenery between them. Personally, I’m far more partial to the big skies and breathtaking wilderness of American Truck Simulator than its European counterpart (the sheer uncanny weirdness of ETS2’s deeply unconvincing UK expansion was a bit of a turn-off when I tried it a fair few years back), but your mileage – no pun intended – will almost certainly vary.

Unfortunately, SCS’ Truck Simulator console announcement is almost completely devoid of specifics, so pretty much all we can say with certainty right now is that ATS and ETS 2 are on the way. I’d assume both will be pretty close to their PC counterparts (minus, perhaps, extended peripheral support and mod availability), especially after all the work SCS has done to improve controller support and upgrade the interface over time. It will, though, be interesting to see how the studio handles the games’ years of paid cosmetic, truck, and map expansion DLC. A couple of free packs-ins to help consoles catch up? Starter bundles? Nothing of the sort? Time will reveal all.

So there you go; American Truck Simulator and Euro Truck Simulator 2 are finally making their way to Xbox Series X/S and PS5. And if the thought of the open road and an endless shifting horizon stirs even the faintest twinge of latent yearning, you’d do well to lean in. You too might discover a love for a virtual four-wheeled life of adventure hitherto unknown.

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August 23, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Drag x Drive Review – Functional, But Shallow

by admin August 20, 2025

Getting your hands on Drag x Drive for the first time, the instinct is to make fun of its absurd control scheme. Essentially gliding two mice around to move and pantomiming the act of shooting a basketball to score is admittedly not the primary way any logical person would imagine playing a wheelchair basketball video game. But if you give it a little time and move past those initial skepticisms, what you find is a game that is surprisingly functional and is unique. Ultimately, however, it’s not particularly fun to play even after getting a grasp on the controls, and there isn’t much to do.

Drag x Drive’s strange control scheme is its selling point, and moving the Joy-Con 2 mice along a table in front of you (or your thighs, which ended up being my preferred playstyle) works quite well. Driving both Joy-Con 2s forward to gather speed, hit ramps, or bang into another player to knock the ball out of their hands feels surprisingly good.

The controls also allow for nuance when turning and quickly spinning. Pulling the brake on one wheel to do a quick 180 when your teammates manage to steal the ball and start heading to the opposite end of the court is a fun moment I experienced often. Shooting the ball, which involves approximating the real-world act, also feels good. The Wii left a bad taste for motion controls in many players’ mouths, but the technology has come a long way since then, and Drag x Drive serves as a reminder.

Loitering around the park also does a good job of feeling like you’re hanging around a big set of courts just waiting your turn to jump into a pick-up game, and amounts to what is basically Drag x Drive’s only mode. You can see other games happening in real time while you wait for yours to start, or play nearby minigames while you’re killing time. I am grateful the minigames exist, but it does not take long to experience all they have to offer, like speeding between cones or hitting markers as you stunt off the side of a half-pipe.

Between the primary basketball games, you also occasionally opt into a change of pace game that gathers everyone on the server to pursue one goal, like fighting to grab a rebound or competing in a race. It all makes the lobby area feel active, even in the moments you’re just sitting around waiting.

Playing the actual basketball games is quick and straightforward. I had occasional intense moments of intercepting passes, pulling off last-second three-pointers, and generally enjoyed the basics of the game. However, I never had the desire to dominate or wish I were just a little better for next time. Not much exists in the way of incentive to keep playing. Customization options for your player are limited, and beyond having stats worth looking at, there is little reason to hop into that one more game.

Playing for extended periods also hurts my wrists and thumbs. I haven’t found an entirely comfortable way to grip the controller while still being able to hit the shoulder buttons, and my wrists get sore from the frequent and required back-and-forth movements. This makes me less than eager to start a new game, and more often, I look forward to stopping.

For all those complaints, however, I do admire that Nintendo tried and arguably succeeded at creating something unique that could not really be ported to another platform even if Nintendo wanted to. Nintendo does not automatically get credit for making something different, of course – the game still needs to be fun to play and give you reason to play – but I will always appreciate Drag x Drive for being unlike anything else and working better than I expected.

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August 20, 2025 0 comments