Hyper Light Drifter is a name that will no doubt sting a bit to many a Nintendo fan, as the game was initially due out for Wii U before being ignobly cancelled. The main issue with its initial cancellation was due to how GameMaker, the engine it was built on, was incompatible with the Wii U. This was also the case for the Nintendo Switch, but it was just recently announced that the engine is coming to Switch, opening the door to Hyper Light Drifter and many other games.
After an exciting Nindies Nintendo Direct, Abylight Studios revealed that it will be bringing Hyper Light Drifter to the Switch at long last. The team is aiming for a summer 2018 release, but hopefully it won’t take too long to port this one over; the blend of neon pixel art, intense action, and Zelda-like exploration make this one a perfect fit for the hybrid. Check out this trailer from the original release:
What do you think? Will you be getting this for the Switch? If you’ve played it before, what did you think of it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Comments 54
Finally, the best indie game of 2016 is heading to the best hybrid console. I can't wait to play through this gem again
Awesome! This is one of my all time favorite video games.
So happy!
Hyper light gets a second chance.
One of the best indie games ever. I'm excited that Nintendo fans will be able to play through now!
Take my money!
This is it. With this now every indie game on my "get at some point" list has either been released or announced for the Switch. Nintendo caught em all.
Bout time! I had given up on ever playing this game until now.
I’m a bit ignorant of certain games until they show up in the Nintendo periphery, and can’t believe a game this beautiful had almost slipped under my radar until now.
I gotta start paying closer attention.
Looks like a game I played on my iPhone many years ago... indie games all look the same (not being racist to indies).
I actually held off on buying, hoping it would come one day. Glad I waited.
The best part about this announcement is that I get the game for free, because you can be sure I'm demanding a Switch code in place of the Wii U code I was expecting when I kickstarted it.
@JimmySpades In my past experience with Kickstarter games if you don't pick a platform before a certain date they default you to their main platform (usually PC). Not sure how the people making HLD did things so maybe theirs was different. This far after it ended though I wouldn't get my hopes up.
Awesome news! Always wanted to play this.
So, is Rivals of Aether coming too due to support for the Game Maker Engine?
I have been waiting for this.
I've been waiting so long to play this.
@Syntaxkita Of course I didn't. I didn't, and don't, own another platform on which to play it. I'd always figured I'd get a PS4, but then Sony (and Microsoft) spent three E3s showing how PC-like their consoles were, so I decided I'd eventually get a PC. But then the Switch got so many great games that I'm not even sure about that anymore.
@DonSerrot I did pick a platform. They didn't provide for it, and that's why I can demand a replacement.
@Gridatttack I'm sure Hyper Light Drifter is good and all, but to be honest this has gotten me more excited about the fact that it means Rivals of Aether could possibly be out by the middle of the year too cuz they both use game maker studio.
Hyper Light Drifter and Nidhogg 2 announced... The perfect way to start a day!
This is a staggeringly beautiful game and a lot of fun on top of that. I recommend everyone to play it. This deserves a physical on any platform it graces.
@justin233 I guarantee 100% it's worth the wait.
Day One. They are doing such a great job bringing indies to Switch
At this rate Switch will be 100% caught up with the back catalog of indie gems by the end of this year.
Unpopular opinion : I found this game to be overrated in the end. Graphic were georgous, gameplay was smooth but the way they managed the narrative's pace was a big throw-off. You have very intriguing and mysterious things in the trailer/intro, then nearly nothing during the whole, then only a few more thing at very end. There's no gradual understanding, it felt...uneven.
Why didn't they announce that at Nindies ? ._.
I remember this game causing a bit of a stink with the initial PC release due to running in 30FPS, but they upped the framerate to 60 later. I'm waiting for reviews confirming the framerate it will run in on Switch. If it's 30 I'm getting it on PC.
Weird how this, the HLD shirt in Travis Strikes Again and Nidhog 2 were not in the Nindies showcase. It would have been a lot less underwhelming.
The disappointing Nindie Direct (for me anyway) doesn’t mean there are no good indies coming. What a relief.
I have come close to picking this and Undertale up on Steam many times. Now I get to play them on Switch instead. Perfect.
@terry93 Probably because it is a just a port of an old game.
@roboshort Yeah but it's a good one and a lot of people were waiting for it on the Switch... no ?
@terry93 This is one game I've been waiting for to get a Switch port despite owning it on PC.
It really should have been part of the showcase.
I absolutely love this game and the strory behind the developer. I have it on PC and I will double dip to be able to take this game with me where ever I go.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!! My dream come true. So happy! I want to finish it a second time.
Pass. I was excited for the WiiU version awhile back. When it was canceled, my interest faded with it.
Haven't gotten it yet, so this would give me a chance to play it anywhere. I'm just not sure if I should get it on sale or pay extra on the Switch. Decisions, decisions.
So funny true story:
I loved this game and was very sad it was shafted for Wii U. I was hoping it would be part of the Ninties Direct and after it wasn't, I emailed Heart Machine (the studio that made it) and asked if there were any internal discussions being had about porting it. I of course recieved the typical 'nothing to announce at this time' answer but they recommended I follow thier Twitter feed for future updates. Literally 2 hours later, they announce the port on Twitter. LOL.
I don't care what anybody says...I swear my email I sent them tipped the scales. Haha. They were like: "I swear, if we get ONE more email about this..."
Anyway...SUPER stoked. Been waiting for this article since the NX days.
Got this on steam, but never played it yet. harder for me to play some of these indies on my PC with my other stuff on there, maybe I can find the time and just double dip for the switch version depending on the price.
This is the best news.
Still haven't beat it on PC (mostly due to how difficult the bosses are) but I will definitely get this on the Switch too, it's one I've been waiting for since the Switch came out. It just seems like the perfect fit for it.
Another Game Maker Studio game. Very exciting!!
@Nincompoop I think your discrediting the game based on graphics. If you've ever enjoyed playing action adventure games like any of the 2D Zeldas sprinkled in with some light RPG elements and intense action then I highly recommend the game for you. looks great in motion and is just a blast to play. Story is pretty good too. Keeps u motivated to keep moving forward and see things through to the end.
I bought this on PS4, but couldn't finish it. It's painfully obtuse. If that's your thing that's cool. But the game tells you literally nothing. I don't see how it's possible to finish unless you do it all in one sitting.
FINALLY I will get to play this game . We had a PS4 at our house and got rid of it when Switch was released I thought I had missed out on the chance to play this, great news.
@Nincompoop Dude, I gotta say...you're a nincompoop.
I will gladly purchase this game for the 3rd time😁
It's about time. Booya!
Just watch. It will have the most sales on Switch
@Nincompoop That is such a misuse of the word racist.
@DonSerrot wot about Spelunky?
I can’t wait for this game; I purchased it on my PS4 and enjoyed it on there, now that it’s coming to the Switch I can now play it in its entirety!!
@Nincompoop Funny you somehow associate iphone games with negativity, while also using it as a benchmark in judging why indies are bad.
Not to mention, if that iphone game is so bad, why did you play it?
And this isn't to say comparisons to mobile games shouldn't be a negative, it is a negative. However, it's a negative comparison because mobile games are consistently much lower quality than console games.
So your reason for dismissing this game is actually a reason you shouldn't dismiss it, but your ignorance allows you to do something so illogical.
@Terrible_Majesty It might. I'm curious to see if it out sells the PS4 version but considering the timing, I won't be surprised if it does. It came out on PS4 while the market was incredibly saturated, plus there wasn't a lot of buzz around it. Switch on the other hand the market is unsaturated and will most likely have a lot of buzz around it because every game is more fun when you can take it anywhere.
@HugoStiglitz_420 You look like that idiot I met a few years ago. All idiots look the same (not being racist to idiots).
Is this getting a physical release?
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