8 years later, first person ever beats Nintendo Switch game 1-2 Switch

Over eight years after the game originally launched, someone has come forward claiming that they’re the first person to ever fully beat 1-2 Switch.

Until now, no one had confirmed that they had completed the Plate Spin mini-game. While all of the other mini-games don’t take terribly long to finish, it’s this one that’s particularly challenging.

Evan – who goes by Elfilin on Reddit – sent us this tip and recently talked about playing through Plate Spin and why it’s so difficult to complete. He shared the following:

In Plate Spin, two players each use a Joy-Con to balance an imaginary spinning plate. Players are encouraged to physically mess with their opponent to throw off their balance. Every 30 seconds, the plate shrinks significantly, making the game exponentially harder the longer it goes. In my experience, most players drop the plate in under a minute, even without interference.

Unlike most 1-2 Switch minigames, which are purely competitive, Plate Spin offers an alternative cooperative challenge. An on-screen timer counts down from two minutes during this minigame, suggesting that there must be a definitive ending. But I couldn’t find anyone online discussing it or even attempting to beat it.

This challenge is especially tough for a couple of reasons. First, it requires two people in-person, so even if you master it solo, you can’t complete it without a partner who’s also mastered it. You can’t even practice alone, and if your partner drops the plate, you both have to start over with the biggest, easiest plate. Second, it’s surprisingly physically demanding. It doesn’t feel that way in short bursts, but try holding your arm up and spinning it like a lasso for several hours. Both my arm and my friend’s were sore after every session.

Despite all that, I kept going. I spent hours replaying this one minigame, figuring out new techniques as I went. Eventually, my friend and I became master plate-spinners and survived the full two minutes required to beat it.

You can find Evan’s winning result for Plate Spin below.

It’s technically possible that someone has beaten Plate Spin today. However, there doesn’t appear to be any documented proof of that online, and as we’ve learned, it takes a high level of skill to complete.

This feels like a full circle moment for Nintendo Switch. 1-2 Switch was one of the first games to ever release on the console, and in just a couple of days we’ll be entering the Switch 2 era.

Nintendo followed up 1-2 with Everybody 1-2 Switch in 2023. You can learn about that game here.