Nintendo Announces Switch Indie Games
Nintendo blew the doors off of its plans for the Nintendo Switch eShop today. Last week the company divulged that Virtual Console would not be available on the new console on day one. However, it has doubled down on indie games and today it showed off a bunch of new titles that are on the way to the Switch. There’s a lot of content on the way, and here are the games that Nintendo highlighted in the video today:
SteamWorld Dig 2
In the sequel to the award-winning original you must dig deep, gain riches and explore an underworld riddled with danger. The game is scheduled to launch this summer.
Yooka-Laylee
Explore huge, beautiful worlds, meet an unforgettable cast of characters and horde a vault-load of shiny collectibles as buddy-duo Yooka (the green one) and Laylee (the wisecracking bat with the big nose). The buddy-duo platformer is coming to Nintendo Switch soon, with multiplayer functionality perfect for the system. Launching soon!
Overcooked
In Overcooked, players must journey through a variety of cruel and unusual kitchens on their quest to become master chefs capable of conquering an ancient edible evil which plagues the land. Play solo or engage in classic, chaotic couch co-op for up to four players in both co-operative and competitive challenge modes. The special edition features the original game, plus all of the DLC. HD rumble integration means they can feel every chop through a tomato and the slosh of soup in a pot. Overcooked: Special Edition is coming later this year.
The Escapists 2
The sequel to the hugely popular prison escape series supports drop-in/drop-out co-op for up to four players (additional accessories are required for multiplayer modes, and are sold separately). Players can tie together knotted sheets and use them to climb down high windows in new multi-level prisons, and find other new ways to make a break for freedom. The Escapists 2 is coming later this year.
Gonner
GoNNER is a tough-as-hell, score-based, procedurally generated platformer with roguelike elements. GoNNER is also a story about friendship between Ikk, Death and a space whale named Sally. You will die. A lot. The console version of the game launches first on Nintendo Switch with additional content tailor-made for the system later this year.
Dandara
Dandara has awoken to reshape the world. In this strange world of quirky characters, nothing is at it seems. In this bizarre, gravity-bending world with hidden beauty, it’s up to Dandara, jumping from surface to surface, to restore order and direct a directionless world. The game is scheduled to launch on Nintendo Switch this summer with exclusive features and functionality, including HD rumble support.
Kingdom: Two Crowns
In Kingdom: Two Crowns, attend to your domain, border to border, or venture into the wild to discover its wonders and threats. First revealed today, two players can come together in co-op mode to rule a kingdom. Their choices bring hope or despair to their subjects. The game is scheduled to launch later this year.
Runner3
Runner3 continues the joyous adventures of CommanderVideo from BIT.TRIP RUNNER and Runner2. Players will encounter quests, branching paths, item shops, new Retro Challenges, new character moves, new dance moves and a roster of characters that somehow manages to rival the strangeness of Runner2. The game is scheduled to launch exclusively for Nintendo Switch this fall.
Blaster Master Zero
The same elements that made the original Blaster Master a hit are back, including side-scrolling vehicular combat, top-down adventuring and a huge sci-fi landscape, in addition to a host of new and improved gameplay systems. The game includes a two-player mode and will have numerous character cameos coming soon. Blaster Master Zero launches exclusively on both Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family systems on March 9.
Flipping Death
Welcome to Flatwood Peaks, a small whimsical town with a problem – Death is on vacation. Play as Penny and help the ghosts with their peculiar problems on The Otherside. This puzzling adventure game is scheduled to come to Nintendo Switch later this year.
Graceful Explosion Machine
Skillfully pilot the advanced Graceful Explosion Machine (GEM) fighter while blasting swarms of crystalline enemies with your ludicrously overpowered quad-weapon array. This side-scrolling arcade shooter features HD rumble support, which means players will really be able to feel those machines explode. The game is scheduled to launch first on Nintendo Switch this April.
Mr. Shifty
Shift through bullets, and master lightning-fast takedowns in a new kind of action game. Mr. Shifty follows a teleportation-fueled heist to break into the world’s most secure facility. Shift through walls, through bullets, cover huge distances and be everywhere at once. One shot kills. Survive on skills. HD rumble allows players to feel every punch, shot and crash. The game is scheduled to launch first on Nintendo Switch this April.
Tumbleseed
A small seed heads up a mountain to save his home in this physics-based game. More than 30 unique upgrades help the seed overcome challenges and enemies. HD rumble means players will feel seeds traversing across the screen. The game is scheduled to launch on Nintendo Switch this spring.
Shakedown Hawaii
This 16-bit spiritual successor to Retro City Rampage aims to be twice as good with twice the bits. From the boardroom to the streets, Shakedown Hawaii parodies big business and the white collar crimes that go alongside. Build your empire, monopolize the markets and collaterally re-zone the island’s destructible sandbox. It’s scheduled to launch first on Nintendo Switch this April.
Pocket Rumble
This deep 2D fighter makes players want to throw down, anywhere, anytime. The battles get even more intense with the inclusion of HD rumble: When players get hit by a weak attack, it’ll feel very different from getting rocked by a strong one. The game is scheduled to launch as a console exclusive for Nintendo Switch in March.
Wargroove
This turn-based strategy game offers local and online matches for one to four players. The game is scheduled to launch later this year.
Stardew Valley
Nintendo Switch will be the first console to support the game’s new multiplayer feature. The open-ended, country-life RPG is scheduled to launch this summer.
As a reminder, the Nintendo Switch will need a system update to access the eShop. There are many more indie games coming to the Nintendo Switch this year, including:
- Rogue Trooper Redux
- The Fall Part 2: Unbound
- Treasurenauts
- sU and the Quest for meaning
- RIME
- Zombie Vikings
- Mr. Shifty
- TowerFall Ascension
- Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas
- Thumper
- Splasher
- RIVE
- Enter the Gungeon
- Cave Story
- NBA Playgrounds
- 1001 Spikes
- Redout
- Unbox: Newbie’s Adventure
- Graceful Explosion Machine
- Pocket Rumble
- SteamWorld Dig 2
- Little Inferno
- Ultimate Chicken Horse
- Runner 3
- Neuro Voider
- Kingdom Two Crowns
- Pankapu
- Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
- The Binding of Issac Afterbirth +
- Duck Game
- World of Goo
- Yooka-Laylee
- The Escapists 2
- Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
- Blaster Master Zero
- ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove
- Space Dave!
- TumbleSeed: A Rolly Roguelike
- Terraria
- Wargroove
- Fast RMX
- Has Been Heroes
- Human Resource Machine
- Gonner
- Dandara
- Flipping Death
- Snake Pass
- Stardew Valley
- Celeste
- Perception
- Hollow Knight
- Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom
- WonderBoy and the Dragon’s Trap
- Shakedown Hawaii
- Overcooked!
- The Jackbox Party Pack 3
- Hover: Revolt of Gamers
- Away: Journey of the Unexpected
- Portal Knights
- State of Mind
- The Next Penelope
- Mutant Mudds
- Battle Chef Brigade
- Ittle Dew 2
Needless to say, it’s fantastic to see this level of support for Nintendo’s new console. Since many indie games don’t require the most powerful hardware to run, expect most of them to look as good on the Switch, and some will even have special features not found elsewhere. Obviously, one huge benefit is that all of them will be able to be played anywhere with anyone at anytime. We will have much more on these games as they approach release. Watch our preview section for more information, screens, and videos!
The Nintendo Switch system launches on March 3, and people can expect an exciting lineup of games on Nintendo eShop for day one and beyond. Nintendo has been working closely with independent publishers and developers to deliver a steady flow of unique and original experiences to Nintendo eShop.
More than 60 quality indie games are confirmed for Nintendo Switch this year alone, and many games take advantage of unique Nintendo Switch features, including multiple play modes (TV mode, handheld mode, tabletop mode), flexible control options, local and online multiplayer* and innovative JoyCon functionality like HD rumble. In a Nindies Showcase video, Nintendo highlighted some of these games that are in development.
“Our Nindies Showcase gives fans a taste of some of the great content on its way to Nintendo eShop,” said Steve Singer, Nintendo of America’s Vice President of Publisher and Developer Relations. “We’re working with both mainstream and independent developers to make Nintendo Switch the destination for entertaining games and experiences.”
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
