When a system has a library as diverse as the Nintendo Switch, some great games are bound to go unrecognized. There are thousands of physical titles available, and thousands more that never got more than a simple digital release. Not every game is for everyone, though. Many players choose to ignore the digital marketplace altogether because it has become so cluttered. We sometimes overlook even physical releases, now that there are so many of them. That means there are plenty of hidden gems to discover, especially when it comes to the stuff you won’t find on any other console. With that in mind, here are 10 near-perfect Switch games nobody played.
1
Part Time UFO
Image: HAL Laboratry
Released: October 2020
Developed by HAL Laboratory, better known for Kirby’s Dream Land and the many Kirby titles to follow, Part Time UFO made its debut on mobile devices before coming to Switch with additional features and modes. The goal is to use a cute UFO with a claw machine attached to take on “jobs,” such as moving cows to a farmer’s truck or lifting bones to craft a dinosaur skeleton in a museum. It’s a simple but engaging puzzle game, with complex enough physics to keep things interesting. On Switch, you can also bring a friend along for the adventure, and attempt more challenging versions of the jobs you already know. It’s no longer available for purchase on iOS or Android, making the Switch version your best option by default.
2
Astral Chain
Platinum Games/Nintendo
Released: August 2019
PlatinumGames has a devoted following, thanks to past triumphs like Bayonetta and NieR: Automata. However, its efforts outside established franchises have tended to be met with a shrug from the masses, even when they’re very good. Astral Chain introduced a police special task force battling monsters in a futuristic city, which meant plenty of the nail-biting action for which the studio is known. Compared to modest hits in Platinum’s past, Astral Chain did very well for itself by finding a healthy audience of more than a million players. Having Nintendo itself as a publisher likely helped. When compared to the latest Mario and Zelda games, however, Astral Chain came up short. Many millions of players now own a Nintendo Switch and still haven’t played it, but they definitely should.
3
Demon Throttle
Image: Doinksoft/Special Reserve Games
Released: July 2022
Doinksoft is a relatively new studio that made its debut with 2019’s charming Gato Roboto. One of its next big releases (after a ‘bootleg’ game collection), Demon Throttle, launched exclusively on Nintendo Switch. Its publisher chose to go a unique route and made the game available only as a physical cartridge. You still can’t find it in the Nintendo eShop, either as a standalone title or as part of The Doinksoft Collection (which also was physical-only), making it a genuine collector’s item that a lot of players still don’t know about. As for the game itself, it’s a scrolling shooter in the vein of Pocky & Rocky, with old-school visuals and audio to drag you back to a simpler time when every mall had an arcade and every school had that one kid who collected weird Nintendo games.
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4
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer
Image: Brace Yourself Games/Nintendo
Released: June 2019
Crypt of the NecroDancer, from Brace Yourself Games, was an indie darling that appeared on most relevant platforms of the era. Cadence of Hyrule honed in on the Nintendo Switch. It featured Zelda characters and provided a rhythmic, old-school experience that felt surprisingly faithful to Hyrule as presented in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Playing the new crossover title feels a bit odd at first, because you might simply want to control the hero directly. That doesn’t quite work. Instead, you must move in time to the beat. It’s surprisingly delightful, and only rarely awkward once you get the hang of things. As oddities go, it’s one you’d do well not to miss, and maybe even the best Zelda spinoff ever made.
5
Shinsekai: Into the Depths
Image: Capcom
Released: March 2020
Capcom originally released Shinsekai: Into the Depths as an Apple Arcade title, but someone at the company later decided to port it to Switch, where the game delighted the players who gave it a chance with thrilling underwater exploration. Players must monitor their oxygen reserves while navigating the labyrinthine ruins of past civilizations, also relying on assistance from a robot who isn’t all that helpful. Satisfying Metroidvania design and beautiful environments will keep you coming back, even if the game’s mobile roots do show from time to time. Learn to ignore them and you should do just fine.
6
Good Job!
Image: Paladin Studios/Nintendo
Released: March 2020
Nintendo published a few unusual titles from indie development partners over the course of the Switch’s lifetime. One of them, Good Job!, came from now-defunct Dutch developer Paladin Studios as a surprise release. The game depicts an office environment and turns progression through mundane professional dynamics into a series of puzzles. Players must find creative (and frequently destructive) ways to clear the same obstacles, which encourages replay. There’s also a multiplayer mode for anyone who wants to bring a friend along to add to the chaos. Despite the cute visuals and some humorous satire poking fun at nepotism, the design provides a stiff challenge to keep everyone coming back for more.
7
Vitamin Connection
Image: WayForward
Released: January 2020
Vitamin Connection comes from WayForward, the development team responsible for a variety of hits and revivals over the years, including Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. In Vitamin Connection, players control Vita-Boy and Mina-Girl (do you see what they did there?) on a journey to destroy icky pathogens. The game includes six colorful worlds to explore, as well as asymmetric multiplayer. While one player holds a JoyCon vertically to move and shoot, the other person holds one sideways to rotate and aim. Endearing visuals and music add to the charm, making for a must-play experience that highlights the Switch hardware’s true potential.
8
The Stretchers
Image: Tarsier Studios/Nintendo
Released: November 2019
For you and one lucky friend, The Stretchers is a terrific way to enjoy the lighter side of being ill enough that paramedics have to haul you somewhere for treatment. It might not sound like an obvious premise for a video game, but Tarsier Studios (known elsewhere for the darker Little Nightmares) put together a fun, physics-based puzzle game that really comes into its own when you play it with someone else. The pleasant visuals and unconventional challenges will put a smile on your face and keep it there, even if the brief campaign leaves you wishing there were more.
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9
Fast RMX
Image: Shin’en Multimedia
Released: March 2017
The Fast series dates back to the Wii, with a debut title on Nintendo’s WiiWare service. The games are essentially Shin’en Multimedia’s take on F-Zero or Wipeout, bringing more than enough speed to live up to the series name. Fast RMX was one of three indie titles to launch alongside the Switch. It includes all the courses and DLC from Fast Racing Neo for Wii U, along with several new courses for the Switch version. Computer-controlled opponents are aggressive, though rubber banding difficulty can take some of the joy out of a first-rate performance on the tracks. The game did well enough to justify another new installment on Switch 2, Fast Fusion, but it deserved better still. If you haven’t updated to Nintendo’s latest hardware and you’re feeling the need for speed, it could be just the ticket.
10
Golf Story
Sidebar Games
Released: September 2017
Golf Story from SideBar Games was one of the earliest Switch success stories. It sounds like it should be a straightforward sports game about hitting the links, and it is that, but there’s so much more to it. Using mechanics that might remind you of a 16-bit RPG or action-adventure game, it tells the story of a golfer who has one final chance to fulfill his dreams. He does so by completing a variety of golf courses and meeting friends and enemies along the way. If you’re hoping for a golf sim, you’ll want to look elsewhere. But if you remember past greats like Mario Golf on Game Boy Color, which featured RPG elements that clearly inspired Golf Story, you’re in for a treat.
