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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...
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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...

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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 Banner
Chained Echoes
This single-developer passion project sets a standard for how the classic 16-bit JRPG can still be improved upon
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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
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Hotshot Racing
With its low-poly look coming straight out of classic Sega arcade titles like Daytona Racing we have Hotshot Racing, and...
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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 Banner
FEZ
This far into the Switch lifespan the list of outstanding top-notch indie titles that haven’t yet made it to the platfor...
ScourgeBringer Banner
ScourgeBringer
There’s something about ScourgeBringer that deep down brings back my nostalgia for being in an arcade, pumping quarters ...
Shovel Knight: King of Cards Banner
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 Banner
Miles & Kilo
Keeping in mind that the levels in Kid Tripp were always designed to support speed running, while you could choose to ta...
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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...
Donut Dodo Banner
Donut Dodo
Rocking vibes from multiple arcade classics, Donut Dodo is an excellent and challenging remix
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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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
DRAINUS
While there’s a learning curve to its style and upgrade systems, this neuvo retro shooter is compelling
Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo Banner
Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo
Old-school vertical shooting meets some welcome alterations in this well-made modern retro classic
Yars: Recharged Banner
Yars: Recharged
The classic Atari 2600 has gotten a significant upgrade, helping it more fully realize the potential it always had
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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...

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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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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...
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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 Banner
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 Banner
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...
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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...
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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 Banner
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...
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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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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....
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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 Banner
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 Banner
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...
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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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
NeverAwake
An unusual mix of classic side-scrolling shooter mechanics and twin-stick aiming makes for a thoroughly different experience
LUNARK Banner
LUNARK
This pretty cool throwback to the age of classic cinematic adventures like Out of This World (and others) is a retro treat
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Gal Guardians: Demon Purge
With its stunning pixel art visuals and an intense mix of slashing and shooting challenges, Demon Purge satisfies
Prodeus Banner
Prodeus
Delivers the old-school looks and thrills of the Doom generation with some smart tweaks but inconsistent level design
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Atari Mania
Retro gaming mash-ups abound, and present quite a challenge, in this somewhat odd and reverent adventure
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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 Banner
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 Banner
Dezatopia
Feeling like you’ve seen every sort of retro side-scrolling shooter possible? Then get a load of this!
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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...

Fashion Police Squad Banner
Fashion Police Squad
A fresh take on the old-school first-person shooter infused with color, comedy, and generally smart gameplay
Terror of Hemasaurus Banner
Terror of Hemasaurus
While there’s no mistaking the classic Rampage base experience, Hemasaurus adds enough extra oomph to be its own game
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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...
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Slime-san

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

McPixel 3 Banner
McPixel 3
Embrace the madness, and join McPixel through loads of silly puzzles, peeing on things, and violence
Lunistice Banner
Lunistice
Solid old-school 3D platforming with variety, and at a super-cheap budget price? What a bargain!
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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 Banner
Haiku, the Robot
A satisfying and generally very accessible Metroidvania experience awaits
Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince Banner
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
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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...
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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...
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Andro Dunos 2
The Switch has undoubtedly been blessed with a wide variety of retro shooters since release, pretty well representing al...
Tempest 4000 Banner
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 Banner
Pyramid Quest
My tendency with games is to gravitate towards things that are higher in intensity and will throw a challenge my way, bu...
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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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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...
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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,...
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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 Banner
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...
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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 Banner
Olija
With it’s very retro pixelated look you could walk into Olija expecting a similarly old-school experience, but you’d be ...
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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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
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 Banner
CrossCode
Where CrossCode excels is in its scope and ambition. The game world is large, relatively varied, and absolutely crawling...
Ministry of Broadcast Banner
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 Banner
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...
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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 Banner
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 ...
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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...
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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 Banner
Gato Roboto
While there’s certainly an abundance of Metroidvania titles on the Switch, to date Nintendo’s premiere ass-kicking heroi...
Aggelos Banner
Aggelos
Rocking great 16-bit-ish looks, some great chiptune tracks, and plenty of retro gaming feels Aggelos is definitely a tit...
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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...
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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 Banner
Strikey Sisters
For people who are willing to get over the initial hump of getting used to Strikey Sisters there’s plenty of challenging...
Cursed Castilla Banner
Cursed Castilla
You’ll play the game as Don Ramiro, a knight on a quest to save his land from an invasion of all sorts of evil creatures...
Dragon's Lair Trilogy Banner
Dragon's Lair Trilogy
Starting with the original you’ll play as Dirk the Daring, on a quest to save the lovely (and a bit inappropriately sexy...
YIIK: A Postmodern RPG Banner
YIIK: A Postmodern RPG
The game’s main character, Alex, is a pretty major departure from a typical hero in the genre, a generally reluctant hip...
Pang Adventures Banner
Pang Adventures
I was thrilled last year when I played The Bug Butcher, a shooter with somewhat similar base mechanics, but a juiced up ...
Horizon Shift '81 Banner
Horizon Shift '81
Trying to describe everything that happens in the game gets to be quite a laundry list but here’s an attempt at a summar...
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R-Type Dimensions EX
I really appreciate the love and effort into bringing the R-Type experience to the Switch. While playing it old school h...
Hyper Sentinel Banner
Hyper Sentinel
Where things get complicated, and nuanced, is in everything layered on top of that. You’ll have to constantly keep an ey...
Sky Force Reloaded Banner
Sky Force Reloaded
While I can appreciate the volume of what can be unlocked a criticism would be that I think the rate you unlock it at is...
Crawl Banner
Crawl
Probably one of the most balanced and creative local multiplayer competitive games I've played Crawl does a whole lot ri...
2023

Nindie Spotlight

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