Quality is more important than quantity in most walks of life, but the sheer quantity of games available for Switch is still a source of wonder for veteran Nintendo fans who remember the slim libraries of consoles past. Back in the Wii days Nintendo Life committed to reviewing every WiiWare game released, but keeping up with every single Switch release was a task that quickly overwhelmed us, despite our best intentions.
It's certainly a fantastic problem to have, although it inevitably means great games slip through the net, and Switch has a trove of hidden gems that--for once--actually warrant that label.
A little while ago we asked you to suggest some games that we'd missed, and as a result we took a look at Wandersong, Anodyne, Songbird Symphony and Never Stop Sneakin'. However, there are still plenty of games available on the Switch eShop that will likely remain hidden unless we stumble on them in an eShop sale - and those can be overwhelming in their own right!
With that in mind, we're asking Nintendo Life readers to send us their thoughts on Switch games they've enjoyed which flew under the radar. We'll read them all and reproduce our favourites in a feature (or perhaps a series of features, depending on your response) showcasing games that we haven't been able to review, but that the Nintendo Life community feels warrant some love and attention.
There's no prize for having your entry selected, beyond seeing your words highlighted in an article of Switch games, of course. Here are some submission instructions and guidelines if you'd like your recommendation to be considered:
Submission guidelines
- 100-word limit - Keep it brief! A history of the genre and deep-dive into every mechanic is unnecessary. Concentrate on what the game is about, what sets it apart from other games and why you enjoyed it.
- One entry per game - Feel free to send your thoughts on multiple games, but there's no need to duplicate.
- Choose only games that we haven't reviewed on the site - To check if a Nintendo Life review exists, simply type the name of the game into the search box at the very top of the page (look for the magnifying glass icon in the top left corner) and click on the game page that appears. If there's no review, you're good to go!
How to send a recommendation
- Head to Nintendo Life's Contact page and select the subject "Switch eShop Hidden Gems" from the drop down menu (it's already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email and beautifully-crafted message into the appropriate box, hit send and Bob's your uncle!
Hopefully, with your help, we'll be able to highlight some quality games on the Switch eShop that passed us by for whatever reason. If you've got any questions on the format, feel free to drop them in the comments section below. If you don't feel comfortable writing a recommendation, why not nominate games you'd like to see highlighted below?
We look forward to seeing what games you recommend.
Comments 84
Ho wow, can't wait to see the hidden gems people are playing
Black paradox.
I don't really know any....unless I can count Thumper as one. I dunno how popular it really is, it's on every console as well as mobile, so...o.o
@Joeynator3000 thumper was reviewed though
Mini Metro might be the highest rated game on Switch I feel nobody talks about.
Great idea, I'm looking forward to seeing what people come up with. I regularly end up googling games in the sales that haven't been reviewed on the site
I sent in a suggestion for Odallus: The Dark Call, such an underappreciated game. Needs more media attention.
battle chef brigade! quite unique
Rush rally. Great game
Animal Crossing xxx
@Grauz I think NL reviewed it, but I LOVED Battle Chef Brigade, too.
Underhero is largely appreciated and didn't get reviewed. Unfortunately I haven't played it yet.
@Magician Love love love Mini Metro
I've been wanting Underhero for a while but haven't seen a review for it.
I recently played SOULSLAYER when I was away and had no internet. It's about a young girl who is murdered on the eve of her wedding, but a mysterious entity gives her another chance if she can solve the mystery of her death.
Great Visual Novel game with an ancient Chinese Oriental feel. Maybe a bit short, but multiple endings and interesting clues to find and discover make it great to return to in order to get the true ending. Visuals are beautiful and music and voice acting seems spot on (in my opinion).
Pocket mini golf is great! It’s a fun mechanic and a simple game. It’s pretty captivating for the first few days you have it, even though it eventually wares out. I think you should review it, it’s really fun!
Ultimate Chicken Horse.
One of the best multiplayer platformers out there. Last time I checked NL hadn't reviewed it.
Grimvalor was a quite fun Metroidvania-like that I didn't see get reviewed. Decently challenging combat, nice controls, no major technical issues.
In other words, you want us to do YOUR JOB!
Are jokes about Vroom in the Night Sky being a hidden gem still funny, or did I miss the boat on that one?
Nice. Time to practice my english skills in a text about some game. I miss my days as a reviewer in my native language.
OXENFREE - amazing game.
Spice and Wolf VR is a hidden gem,its very short but it feels like being inside an anime.
Sent one for Strange Telephone.
That's a really neat idea, there are so many games on the eshop, it's really hard to keep track of great games.
Assult android Cactus
Many characters to choose from with different abilities and personalities, a bunch of unlockables ranging from cheats, modifiers and a gallery. It's all combined with a fun and challenging score chasing twin stick shooter.
Q-Yo Blaster. Get it.
Just released: Colt Canyon. It's a wild west take on nuclear throne, but far more forgiving, and imo: fun. Great aesthetic too.
@sandman89 yeeee rush rally 3 is an awesome game even if it was developed for mobile.
although, they did an article on it as it was coming out so maybe not so hidden on this website
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore. Its mere existence is as a hidden gem because nobody talks about it. But it's a great RPG.
Minecraft dungeons, I'm so happy to see Minecraft gaining its popularity once again
To everyone talking about Underhero, it really is good and worth the price. Plays like a Mario RPG/Paper Mario in combat with timed parrying/dodging. And the rest of the game is platforming/exploring and comedic story. Really fun, an easy 8/10.
Down well and Feudal Alloy
Nobody ever talks about Pizza Titan Ultra, a game where you play as a giant robot stomping around a city delivering pizza and fighting off aliens and the military.
The whole thing is presented like a 1980's cartoon and it's amazingly chaotic.
A game that really surprised me was Headlander, I don't think it's released on Switch though. I also liked Yoku's Island Express and Battle Chef Brigade. They all feel innovative and a bit different from other games.
The Way Remastered was a great little game. Cost almost nothing but was a fun and occasionally challenging platform puzzler. It plays like you remember Flashback being in the 90s (yes I'm that old) despite Flashback being an absolute clunker in reality. Also it's quite melancholic, which I like.
Book of demons. I don’t think it’s been reviewed on here but it’s a really fun looter/dungeon crawler.
Would Fast RMX count? It's an anti-grav racing game in the vein of F-Zero and Wipeout, and only $20.
I found these ten hidden gems to be quite enjoyable to me:
1. Finding Teddy II (Metroidvania-Style Platformer)
2. Kemono Heroes (Action Platformer, reminds me of Legend of the Mystical Ninja a.k.a. Ganbare Goemon but with animal heroes instead)
3. Operation Pig (Action Defending Shooter, You're Stan Smith defending a pig what's not to love)
4. Toki (Not to be confused with Toki Tori, Side-Scrolling Platformer, reminds me of the old Chuck Rock games)
5. Overlanders (Not to be confused with Overland, Futuristic Hover Racer similar to WipEout and Redout)
6. Debris Infinity (Vector Shooter similar to Asteroids and Geometry Wars)
7. Feudal Alloy (Action Platformer, gives me that Earthworm Jim vibes)
8. Gun Crazy (Contra-Style Side-scolling Shooter)
9. Path of Giants (Action Puzzler, think Golden Sun but without all the battlings)
10. Gleaner Heights (Farming/Dating Simulator similar to Story of Seasons and Stardew Valley)
Have Nintendolife ever review Model Debut Nicola ?
@retro_player_77 I'm glad somebody else knows about Finding Teddy 2. I think it's a fantastic game, and while I understand that some quality will slip through the cracks simply be of how large the Switch library is, I still can't believe that a game like it was as ignored as it was when it was released for the wasteland that was the Wii U. Wii U owners were so starved for content for so long that I can think of no reason why they wouldn't jump at the chance when something worthwhile came their way. Perhaps they'd given up on the system entirely and anything would have been sent out to die.
Marble It Up! is absolutely my favorite overlooked game on the Switch. Amazingly well designed game.
I'll have to look thru my switch collection and get back to everyone.
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark. SRPG greatness that any fan of Fire Emblem or FFT will love!
@Magician I've been looking at that for a while but never pulled the trigger.
I have a soft spot for OMG Zombies! It's a game about trying to kill of an entire screen of zombies with limited ammo in your rifle. Each zombie has the potential to set off a chain reaction, taking down more zombies. Been playing it since PS3 and keep coming back to it if I just want to kill some time.
What about 3ds? It's not quite dead yet. 2020 released "new" 3ds game "Silver Falls 3 down stars" is absolutely a hidden gem. The version 1.3 fixed the problems that it suffered during launch and I've been having lots of fun with it. It's indie game but is over shoulder resident evil style survival horror about ufos, mutated animals and a town frozen in time. It deserves much better than the treatment it's gotten
Maybe not officially hidden gems, but probably not that well known, I enjoyed and recommend 3000th Duel (challenging) and Chasm, a couple of Metroidvanias. I also agree with @Chimaj that Yoku's Island Express was a lot of fun. Pinball-vania? Who'd a thunk it.
@Andgiles I think that's harsh, the whole point is to unearth games that don't get fancy press releases, review codes sent out etc. The community is a great resource, why not use it? NL still then need to play these games, write reviews etc.
Last week in the UK there were over 1000 games just in the 'current offers' section, that's insane and fundamentally a massive problem that Nintendo really haven't done enough to address. There are still no adequate tools for filtering/searching and not even a vague suggestion of how good a game might be (user ratings etc).
@JimmySpades maybe no one bought it because if its name?
@Dragonslacker1 Animal Crossing? Never heard of it.
@sketchturner Does that play like Marble Madness, by any chance?
@Guitario I fail to see how the name could matter, especially since for the Wii U it was released under a different name. There was no indication that it was a sequel, so there would have been no disincentive to buying it, if that's what you're suggesting.
Raging loop is pretty good if you like the zero escape series.
Dungeon Warfare. So addictive!
@JimmySpades The average person looking at a list of switch games would skip over a game like Finding Teddy 2. It sounds more like shovelware or a childrens game.
If only the eshop had a rating/review section
I recommend Don't Die, Mr. Robot!
@JimmySpades I just got the physical Wii U version of Finding Teddy II from PixelHeart. I look forward to trying it out!
I've yet to see The Legend of Dark Witch on Switch reviewed, which is the definitive version for its Capacity Gauge alone (introduced in Dark Witch 2).
Then again, The Legend of Dark Witch 3 on 3DS hasn't been reviewed either (even though the game was trash to me)...
I really don't think #RaceDieRun has been given the attention it deserves. Even though loads of people have gotten it for free from that Christmas promotion, I don't think people have actually played it.
The best way I can describe it is a combination of an F-Zero time trial and Super Meat Boy. It has 60 tracks, and the goal is to reach the finish line while navigating an increasingly ridiculous set of obstacles that will kill you in one hit. It gets difficult to the point of hilarity, and it has a pretty cool aesthetic.
Shadows of Adam, chasm, and time spinner. Shadows of Adam is one of the only turn based dogs I've ever finished. It's only about 15 hours long but the art style and story are great.
I get my game suggestions from Nintendolife so it is quite unlikely that they haven't reviewed any of the games I bought.
I can think of a few that I'm quite fond of that have no reviews here but they're the type of thing that typically don't do great here so I'm reluctant to recommend them, haha.
has anyone here heard of Celeste
this is a good idea, im way to picky to participate, but its cool nevertheless
Chasm is one of my favorite Switch games.
Atomicrops is awesome.
I’m really enjoying the just released Evan’s remains
@Tim2020 if it's currently one of the top selling games, a hidden gem it is not.
Aegis Defenders
Not reviewed yet? I feel like there are a lot of games that despite being reviewed (and getting high scores) that they're still lost in the void cough cough Slay the Spire cough cough Mark of the ninja cough cough
Quad Fighter K deserves a review, it's basically the Mighty Gunvolt Burst/Bloodstained Curse of the Moon of shmups.
@amanatee oh I’m not sure I seen it on YouTube. Switched on I think the channel was.
Huntdown reviewed very well here and in other places, but I never even saw it on the digital only top 30 best sellers list on the Eshop. It's really fun, currently 2nd for my GotY so far behind Streets of Rage 4 (unless Xenoblade Chronicles DE is eligible, that would be #1.) So yeah I'd consider Huntdown an overlooked gem because it seems that it hasn't sold as well as it should.
Edit: Oops, I should have read the article before commenting, my bad. But still, play Huntdown if you haven't already
Squidlit is fantastic. Dogurai is excellent and also deserves a review.
@Nephstinus SteamWorld Quest isn't really like Slay the Spire even a little. They both have cards. That's about it. Even the implementation of them is fairly different. They're not even the same genre, really.
@Nephstinus If you aren't claiming they're at all similar, what basis is there that they'd like it?
Two come in my mind immediately:
Mousecraft and Mushroom Heroes
Uh - wait:
Tonight we Riot is the third one.
@RhiannonRune you are very right. That would be me misreading this article. My apologies
You guys do a great job at finding and reviewing every game. I've played so many games just because they've been featured on this site. Keep up the good work!
The Touryst - 10/10 game for me.
Otherwise, Celeste, hidden gem
£8 super soccer blast - just got it and it’s ace! Proper arcade action. Retro graphics. Great fun.
Highly recommend it for a change from legacy football!!!
Tactical Mind 1 and 2 are superb board games, but they require a good level of abstract thought and the visual design is pretty off-putting. Still, the game is pretty good.
@Nephstinus This is what I said: "If you aren't claiming they're at all similar, what basis is there that they'd like it?"
Nowhere in there did I put words in your mouth. I literally made an assumption that you were saying that originally, you said you weren't, so then I asked quite plainly and politely if that's not what you were saying, what do you think they'd like about it.
Then you went on a complete nerdrage fest of belittling, trying to demean me by calling me a child (which is generally an insult only children attempt to hurl, because adults aren't afraid of being "found out" that they're kids) and perhaps best of all, after making a wildly anger-filled post about how you never said they're similar....
You proceeded to spend the rest of it saying how they're similar. Kind of ironic.
Tap here to load 84 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...