Nintendo are a company that has never been afraid to take risks, from the colossal failure of the Virtual Boy to the Earth rattling success that was the Wii, and some may view focussing so heavily on indie games with the Switch as a risk along those same lines.
With the Switch, Nintendo are going all-in on indie games, recently unveiling a myriad of indie games at their Indie World showcase from Gamescom 2019. Here is a full list of what was shown off and what you can expect to see in the near future from the Big N.
The biggest draw for a lot of people, myself included, was Skater XL, a game touted to be the next Skate. Having played the “Prison Demo” when it was released for PC, I can safely say that this Kickstarter-backed project has a great deal of promise. Whether or not it will rival EA’s skateboarding games remains to be seen; but at this point, there is a void waiting to be filled. Can what was birthed from a 5 man studio truly topple something from a megalithic corporation? With the backing of Nintendo, I really think it stands a good chance of at the very least, coming close.
Originally a PC and Xbox exclusive title, Ori and the Blind Forest was also unveiled as coming to the Switch. Promising to retain the same fantastic action-platforming as was found at its initial release, the Definitive Edition comes to the Switch on September 22nd and will more than likely pick up a lot of new fans along the way, before and after release.
Eastward, originally announced for PC and Mac, being brought to the Switch by Chucklefish, who you may know as the ones who assisted with Stardew Valley development (another great indie game available on the Switch), seems to have retained a lot of the charm found in the fantastic farming RPG. Hopefully, the combat mechanics are slightly more refined this time out. Eastward will be hitting the Switch in 2020.
Another massive draw, and one of my favourite games from 2016, Superhot has also come to the Switch. So now you can dodge bullets and manipulate time in one of the most stylish first-person games I have ever seen. To call it a fantastic experience is an understatement. Not only is the gameplay tight and responsive, graphically the game is a masterpiece. Not of high-quality graphics, but with its stylistic choices. Superhot is available now on the eShop.
Launching in November is The Touryst from Shin’en Multimedia – previously known for some of the prettiest games to hit Nintendo consoles, including the Fast Racing series. The Touryst, however, is a step away from their previous efforts. A voxel-based sandpit, with a strong emphasis on taking a nice relaxing holiday (as suggested by the name), you can go SCUBA diving, go to the arcade and indulge in some shopping; all very holiday-esque activities. Although, the trailer does hint at something hiding beneath the sun, sea and shopping, with Zelda-esque dungeons to contrast the idyllic setting. Some people are calling this the second coming of StarTropics, which was an NES cult classic.
In a surprising twist, Devolver Digital’s notoriously bloody and excellent Hotline: Miami is also coming to the Switch. This retro-styled piece of ultra-violence is one of the most adult-themed games to hit the Switch for quite some time, if not at all. Of all the games I thought would end up on the Switch, the Hotline Miami Collection was not one of them. This deceptively tricky top-down shooter will test your ability to think on your feet and make the most of the opportunity to crush skulls and fill people with bullets to survive each mission.
These are just the games to be the most hyped for, or that I myself am most looking forward to. Below, you can find a complete list of all the games that were showcased at Indie World from Gamescom 2019.
- Risk of Rain 2
- Roki
- Skellboy
- Trine 4
- What the Golf?
- Freedom Finger
- Torchlight II
- Yourpa
- Spiritfarer
- Munchkin: Quacked Quest
- Northgard
- Kine
- PHOGS!
- Creature in the Well
- One Finger Death Punch 2
- Spiritfarer
- Earthnight
- Blasphemous
- Skellboy
- Close to the Sun
- Cat Quest II
- Dungeon Defenders: Awakened
- Hypercharged: Unboxed
