Top 100 / Best Indie Retro Games on Nintendo Switch

DUSK

When I played just a demo of this well over a year ago at PAX East on the Switch hardware I knew it had massive potentia...

PICROSS S GENESIS & Master System edition

If you’re a puzzle gaming fan, you’re probably well-acquainted with the Picross franchise. While the S se...

Horizon Chase Turbo

Oh, to go back to the arcades, hearing the sound of quarters being dispensed from the bill changer, and diving into s...

Chained Echoes

This single-developer passion project sets a standard for how the classic 16-bit JRPG can still be improved upon

Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration

Far more than a mere collection of well-known games, Atari 50 sets the standard for chronicling the history of an icon

Hotshot Racing

With its low-poly look coming straight out of classic Sega arcade titles like Daytona Racing we have Hotshot Racing, and...

Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes

While I’ll open by admitting that, in general, any game with the word Pinball in the title gets my attention, in the cas...

Infernax

Retro games looking to take on the rough look and feel of classics like Castlevania are always going to face a bit of an...

FEZ

This far into the Switch lifespan the list of outstanding top-notch indie titles that haven’t yet made it to the platfor...

Shovel Knight: King of Cards

While I haven’t formally reviewed any of the previous Shovel Knight games I’ve been a quiet fan of the series since it s...

Miles & Kilo

Keeping in mind that the levels in Kid Tripp were always designed to support speed running, while you could choose to ta...

Pinball FX3

While the base game hit the eShop in 2017, the periodic release of new table packs has kept this retro gaming engine ver...

Bleak Sword DX

Certainly not for those lacking in skill and patience, Bleak Sword DX distills the likes of Dark Souls into a lo-fi and brutal arcade-like action game

Donut Dodo

Rocking vibes from multiple arcade classics, Donut Dodo is an excellent and challenging remix

Cruis'n Blast

When it comes to over-the-top, crazy, and almost excessively arcade-style racing I’m not sure anything out ther...

Lucy Dreaming

A more retro-than-typical style of interface, cheeky humor, and great voice acting helps to lift this adventure up

Kathy Rain: Director's Cut

While there have been a great number of LucasArts-esque point-and-click adventure titles on Switch, not all of them h...

DRAINUS

While there’s a learning curve to its style and upgrade systems, this neuvo retro shooter is compelling

Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo

Old-school vertical shooting meets some welcome alterations in this well-made modern retro classic

Yars: Recharged

The classic Atari 2600 has gotten a significant upgrade, helping it more fully realize the potential it always had

ESCHATOS

With an absolutely unique mix of traditional arcade shooting and quasi-3D elements, Eschatos is a breath of fresh air in a crowded field

Jetboard Joust

As an old-school arcade fan I'll admit I've been a big fan of indie titles that have come to the Switch putti...

Jamestown+

The Switch has most certainly been blessed with a wide variety of excellent shmups since its release and with the rel...

The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure

Another gorgeous and generally rock-solid JRPG experience, though not terribly different from its predecessor

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow

Delivers a mix of rural character, old-school adventure, and some legitimately chilling revelations

The Big Con - GRIFT OF THE YEAR EDITION

Maybe it’s the 80s kid and 90s twenty-something in me, but I’ll admit that when a game features a slice of life from my ...

Agent Intercept

Looking back at my days in the arcade games there were a few titles that were legendary in their coolness and reputation...

SOL CRESTA

If you’re an old-school arcade shooter fan the Nintendo Switch was already bordering on a dream console. Now, with the a...

Steel Assault

Run-and-gun shooters were absolutely a consistent staple in the arcades and on consoles back in the day, and that puts a...

UnMetal

While we hardcore types love our games, that isn’t to say that when confronted with examples of the silliness we regular...

Flynn: Son of Crimson

There’s something to be said for games that know what they want to be, even if not necessarily revolutionary in any part...

Astalon: Tears of the Earth

I tend to have a love/hate relationship with retro throwback games of various kinds. Sure, I have fond memories of the 8...

Blizzard Arcade Collection

Before they became Blizzard and released the likes of the WarCraft and Diablo series, among others, the folks at then Si...

Panzer Paladin

While I have a great deal of nostalgia for the 8-bit era since I played a ton of games back in those days, going back ca...

Rigid Force Redux

When it comes to shmups on Switch the tendency is to see either games that tap firmly into nostalgia, adopting classic l...

Huntdown

As a fan of old school shooters and beat-em-ups of all persuasions perhaps it was inevitable I’d be a Huntdown fan. Thro...

Sky Racket

This is one of those games where with the elevator pitch alone I was revved up and ready to go. A retro-styled mash up o...

198X

As a child of the 70s and 80s who spent an enormous amount of time in the arcades there’s no doubt 198X was made for me....

Super Crush KO

Early in the Switch lifespan, when the pickings were sometimes a bit more thin, there were some core Nindie titles that ...

Duck Game

As long as you’re able to find people to play with whether locally or online Duck Game one of the best multiplayer exper...

Super Hydorah

While inspired by the classics like R-Type and Gradius, Super Hydorah has a great feel and style all its own. You're abl...

SNK 40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION

If you're a big fan of classic arcade games you've probably heard of or even get nostalgic for a fair number of games fe...

Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King

Perhaps a little less gaining inspiration from the classic top-down Zelda titles like Link to the Past than copying it o...

Steel Defier

A tight and generally pretty smart take on the dodge-em-up that manages to impress at its pretty humble budget price

NeverAwake

An unusual mix of classic side-scrolling shooter mechanics and twin-stick aiming makes for a thoroughly different experience

LUNARK

This pretty cool throwback to the age of classic cinematic adventures like Out of This World (and others) is a retro treat

Gal Guardians: Demon Purge

With its stunning pixel art visuals and an intense mix of slashing and shooting challenges, Demon Purge satisfies

Prodeus

Delivers the old-school looks and thrills of the Doom generation with some smart tweaks but inconsistent level design

Atari Mania

Retro gaming mash-ups abound, and present quite a challenge, in this somewhat odd and reverent adventure

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

Even not really knowing or caring about the Warhammer 4k universe, there’s no question that this visceral retro RPS is a lot of fun

Squad 51 vs. the Flying Saucers

Undeniably novel and entertaining with its decision to run with the vintage 50s black and white sci-fi look, but just a decent arcade shooter overall

Rite

For the budget asking price, Rite may not have a ton in the way of variety, but offers up some classic challenging platforming

Dezatopia

Feeling like you’ve seen every sort of retro side-scrolling shooter possible? Then get a load of this!

DEMON'S TILT

Pinball is absolutely a cornerstone of retro gaming so I’m always excited to see what people come up with to ce...

Garlic

Don’t let its pretty simple and somewhat silly looks fool you, this is a consistently challenging platformer that works pretty well

Annalynn

Mix together elements of Pac-Man with some platforming and shades of Donkey Kong Jr (and others) and you’ve got Annalynn

Belle Boomerang

Though at times it can get a bit infuriating, Belle Boomerang manages to have an 8-bit era look with some more modern flair

Fashion Police Squad

A fresh take on the old-school first-person shooter infused with color, comedy, and generally smart gameplay

Terror of Hemasaurus

While there’s no mistaking the classic Rampage base experience, Hemasaurus adds enough extra oomph to be its own game

Arcade Paradise

If you have nostalgia for the classic arcades of the 80s and early 90s the chance to run one of your own is tempting...

Slime-san

While some may think it has looks only a mother could love the challenging and satisfying platforming offered by Slim...

Ray’z Arcade Chronology

While perhaps carrying a bit of a premium price, this distinctive arcade shooting series is a blast to play without much doubt

Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX

If you’re a shooting fan you know Raiden, you probably love Raiden, and you’re likely to want this Raiden. More casual folks, it’s a toss up

Poosh XL

Sometimes one-button play, when done right, can be a compelling challenge despite the simplicity

McPixel 3

Embrace the madness, and join McPixel through loads of silly puzzles, peeing on things, and violence

Lunistice

Solid old-school 3D platforming with variety, and at a super-cheap budget price? What a bargain!

C.A.R.L.

Not a bad bit of fun for retro platforming enthusiasts, with a few novel touches that help it shine

Haiku, the Robot

A satisfying and generally very accessible Metroidvania experience awaits

Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince

Though continuing with many of the charms of the original, the somewhat dumbed down challenge gives it less appeal

Lamplight City

As a fan of both classic adventure titles and games with a unique sense of time and place, Lamplight City is an easy lay...

STAR WARS: The Force Unleashed

It has been pretty wild to return to many of the classic Star Wars titles on the Switch, and consistent with their origi...

Andro Dunos 2

The Switch has undoubtedly been blessed with a wide variety of retro shooters since release, pretty well representing al...

Tempest 4000

Though I wouldn’t say that it was among my favorite arcade games back in the day, there’s no question that the original ...

Pyramid Quest

My tendency with games is to gravitate towards things that are higher in intensity and will throw a challenge my way, bu...

FILMECHANISM

It’s always great to see smart puzzle games that deliver play that hasn’t been run into the ground and that provide the ...

Retro Highway

I’ll admit the first thing that completely drew me in with this game was the look of the road racing itself, completely ...

Inspector Waffles

Maybe I’m just a sucker for a regular stream of puns when they’re dangled in front of me often, but having played quite ...

Centipede: Recharged

Taking classic arcade titles and trying to give them new life in the modern era tends to be a challenge, and I’ve defini...

QUAKE

OK, so I don’t think anyone needs to tell you that Quake is one of the most influential first-person shooters of all-tim...

Blaster Master Zero 3

One of the surprise redux hits in this generation has been the return of the Blaster Master series with the Zero titles,...

Mighty Goose

As a classic arcade shooting fan the Metal Slug series has always had a place in my heart for its intensity, variety, an...

Raiden IV x MIKADO remix

With an abundance of retro shooters on the Switch it can be a challenge to differentiate them, but for old school arcade...

NEOGEO POCKET COLOR SELECTION Vol.1

While I used to have nearly every Nintendo handheld system and enjoyed both of the ones from Sony as well I was never in...

Olija

With it’s very retro pixelated look you could walk into Olija expecting a similarly old-school experience, but you’d be ...

Space Invaders Forever

Retro remix collections tend to be a mixed bag, but for fans of arcade classics even though not every title in Forever i...

Serious Sam Collection

As time has gone on the first-person shooter genre has gone through quite a lot of changes and evolution, generally movi...

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty

While the Switch has had some entries from the Oddworld series that have dabbled in a variety of styles of play, most of...

Batbarian: Testament of the Primordials

What’s interesting with indie games is their consistent ability to seem familiar at first but then consistently surprise...

CrossCode

Where CrossCode excels is in its scope and ambition. The game world is large, relatively varied, and absolutely crawling...

Ministry of Broadcast

Harkening back to earlier days with a gameplay style reminiscent of the likes of classics like Prince of Persia, Ministr...

The Adventures of Elena Temple: Definitive Edition

Of course, if you’re a bit younger it all may feel a bit dated or some people may prefer not to turn the clock back quit...

Super Crate Box

It’s always very cool to encounter games that have simple designs and very few rules but then manage to be so well-imple...

Sydney Hunter and the Curse of the Mayan

Going old school can be a risky proposition at times, but when it is done right the results can be rewarding as well as ...

Milkmaid of the Milky Way

When it comes to adventure games, the Switch is very well (and possibly too well) represented. The good news tied to tha...

Chiki-Chiki Boxy Pro Wrestling

While I haven’t played a wrestling game in years, back in the day it was fun to throw down with some buddies for some ar...

Gato Roboto

While there’s certainly an abundance of Metroidvania titles on the Switch, to date Nintendo’s premiere ass-kicking heroi...

Aggelos

Rocking great 16-bit-ish looks, some great chiptune tracks, and plenty of retro gaming feels Aggelos is definitely a tit...

Switch 'N' Shoot

Overall, Switch ‘N’ Shoot appears to have had a very focused vision for its design that was well-implemented. It’s simpl...

Blaster Master Zero 2

Determined not to let itself get in a rut and become too predictable, Zero 2 is a rewarding walk through nostalgia while...

Strikey Sisters

For people who are willing to get over the initial hump of getting used to Strikey Sisters there’s plenty of challenging...

Nindie Spotlight