Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (Switch eShop)

$14.99 (-50%)

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero has never been better than on Switch; the enhanced versatility of the console lends the game a new sort of appeal and convenience that wasn’t there before. This is a charming, colourful, and sometimes challenging Metroidvania that will no doubt prove to be a memorable addition to your collection.

While it could be a little longer, we would give this one a strong recommendation to anyone who hasn’t yet picked it up for any other platform. For those of you who have, know that you’re essentially just paying for the ability to play this on the go, but that’s still arguably worth the asking price. Either way, this is one of the most polished Shantae games.

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Shovel Knight Dig (Switch eShop)

$14.99 (-40%)

Shovel Knight Dig is another triumphant and enjoyable entry in the popular indie knight’s growing legacy, offering up thrilling, challenging gameplay that will appeal to fans both old and new. Though it may be a little on the short side, every minute of Shovel Knight Dig positively oozes quality, whether that be the snappy action platforming or the fresh 16-bit art style and animation.

We’d give this one a high recommendation to anyone who enjoyed the original platformers or to anyone looking for a tough (but not offputtingly tough) new roguelite. Shovel Knight Dig has got it where it counts and can stand tall beside its noble predecessors.

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon (Switch eShop)

$11.99 (-40%)

Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a smartly designed and truly delightful revitalization of the falling block puzzle genre. High intensity, combat-driven gameplay, oodles of replayability, a cute art style, and a surprising amount of depth make this one a ridiculously easy recommendation.

If you’re at all a fan of Shovel Knight or falling block puzzlers, you owe it to yourself to give this a shot; even if you don’t fall neatly into either of those camps, we’d still very much suggest you give this one a look.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Switch eShop)

$21.99 (-45%)

Shovel Knight was excellent in vanilla form, but Treasure Trove includes absolutely everything that developer Yacht Club has created for the game since its Kickstarter success back in 2013.

That includes the extra campaigns Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, and the more recent King of Cards, plus multiplayer brawler Showdown which further increases the attractiveness of an already incredibly compelling package.

These games are fantastic odes to the glory days of 8-bit(+) platforming, and having the complete Shovel Knight experience in one spot makes this a must-have for Switch owners - especially those who have so far failed to dig into this game and its add-ons. Strike the earth!

Signalis (Switch eShop)

$13.99 (-30%)

Signalis came out of nowhere to provide survival horror fans a near-perfect love letter to the long-running genre.

It is at its best when you're darting between enemies, using stealth and patience rather than brute force. While some of the combat encounters felt a little forced, the puzzles are just the right mix of challenging and approachable. The surreal imagery and unique storytelling structure add to the overall polish of a game that is the perfect length for what it is.

There have been an awful lot of homages to classic survival horror, but Signalis stands as one of the best.

Slay the Spire (Switch eShop)

$8.49 (-66%)

Slay the Spire is an endlessly addictive roguelike card-battler that’s a perfect fit for Switch; a beautifully balanced game that arrived on Nintendo's system with all the benefits of an extended period of Early Access on PC. Its combination of ferocious battles, entertaining chance encounters, and selection of three impressively different player characters make every run to the top a nerve-wracking and totally absorbing affair.

Massively inventive sets of cards combine majestically into hugely destructive combos and attack and defence options fuse perfectly together, enabling you to use the information provided by the brilliantly transparent Intent system to strategise endlessly against hordes of foul monstrosities.

Sure, you’ll eventually see every enemy and chance encounter, and yes, there are a few frame rate niggles here and there, but overall this is one dungeon crawler that will live long in our system memories.

STALKER: Call of Prypiat (Switch eShop)

$15.99 (-20%)

Call of Prypiat is the most refined experience of the STALKER trilogy. Everything from the HUD to the survival mechanics has been optimised to give the best experience for would-be Stalkers. Visible status icons and an on-screen quickslot view mean going into menus less frequently.

The shooting is still fantastic, with minor refinements of Chornobyl and Clear Sky's system making this the smoothest bullet thrower of the bunch. It’s worth noting that the generous assist options present on these versions mitigate the series' notorious fiddly aiming, too.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster (Switch eShop)

$19.49 (-35%)

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster brings back this 1995 'Doom clone' in style — another resounding success for Nightdive Studios (who also handled the excellent Quake and Quake II remasters, among others). It returns LucasArts' curious, nostalgia-laced FPS with loads of new bells and whistles, including enhanced gameplay, revamped visuals, and a wealth of accessibility options.

This is easily the best way to experience Dark Forces and revisit an oft-forgotten era of Star Wars before the prequel trilogy - and before the sequel trilogy booted the Expanded Universe out the 'Legends' airlock.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (Switch)

$9.99 (-67%)

While some of the games included in this compendium are rendered somewhat superfluous by the fact that far superior sequels and updates exist alongside them, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection remains an utterly essential purchase for any self-respecting fighting game fan. This is like a history lesson in how the one-on-one fighter has evolved over time. The experience really benefits from using the right controller; while the Joy-Con are perfectly acceptable when you're hosting impromptu local multiplayer challenges and the Pro Controller's D-Pad is passable, we found the 8bitdo SN30 and SN30 Pro pads to be much better options, and if you have an arcade stick that's compatible with Switch, now is the ideal time to dig it out – this is fighting game nirvana, pure and simple.

Streets of Rage 4 (Switch eShop)

$9.99 (-60%)

Streets of Rage 4 is the very best the series has ever been. Its hand-drawn graphics breathe new life into Wood Oak City and its inhabitants, the soundtrack is outstanding, and the combat feels better than ever.

Lizardcube, Guard Crush Games, and Dotemu managed to completely modernise the look and feel of Streets of Rage, expanding on the experience without losing sight of what made the original games so popular to begin with – and the handful of additions made to the action here serve only to enhance the classic core gameplay, resulting in one of the best side-scrolling beat 'em ups we've played in a long time.

And the Mr X Nightmare DLC is pretty tasty, too. A truly fantastic brawler.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Switch eShop)

$16.24 (-35%)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is the best Turtles beat 'em up ever made. It looks delicious, sounds superb, and rekindles childhood memories beyond all expectations, time-warping you back to 1987.

Its combat system is so much fun to mine that you feel compelled to keep coming back to try new strategies, and with its awesome co-op multiplayer, the experience evolves again and again. Like many a beat 'em up, it does get repetitive as you enter the last third, but that’s more a fault of the concept than the game. Shredder’s Revenge really is an unprecedented, ahem, shell-ebration.

The Dimension Shellshock DLC (also on sale for $5.59) adds new fighters and a Survival mode, too, and if you can't get enough of your Turtle-filled co-op brawlers, there's also Digital Eclipse's TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection, which features a boatload of Konami classics to keep you busy for hours.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood (Switch eShop)

$10.79 (-40%)

The Tarot deckbuilding aspect is present and correct here, but the wide variety of Witches and the way their stories intertwine is where The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood really shines. Every being that you encounter has a purpose in this story, and all the threads twist together to make a truly beautiful tapestry. Being locked down narrative paths without the ability to return might not be for everyone, but it's a moot point when the story is this good — every playthrough will feel like a brand-new experience.

The Messenger (Switch eShop)

$3.99 (-80%)

2D side-scrolling action games like The Messenger may be a dime a dozen these days, but you’d be missing out on something special by passing this one up.

Featuring a surprisingly long campaign, an incredible soundtrack, and tight, challenging level designs, The Messenger stands as a shining example of great game design and the very definition of a modern classic.

The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition (Switch eShop)

$4.49 (-85%)

Croteam, the creator of The Talos Principle, was previously known primarily for their silly (but fun) Serious Sam titles. The Talos Principle shows a remarkable maturity and depth of scope that's perhaps surprising, but in a very good way. It poses interesting questions, allows the player to progress at their own pace — mostly in a non-linear fashion — and is a hugely satisfying piece of game design. Utterly entrancing and highly recommended.

UNSIGHTED (Switch eShop)

$7.99 (-60%)

Unsighted combines some very familiar ideas: it’s a top-down, roguelite, sci-fi Metroidvania with a strong 16-bit aesthetic. Its time-is-ticking, post-apocalyptic scenario is brought to life by the enchanting palettes of its pixel art, making a world you want to explore, full of characters you want to know.

Far from punishing, it leans more on the 'lite' than the 'rogue', letting fun prevail – as it will, thanks to the addictive rhythm of the controls, backed by punchy sounds. The cooperative multiplayer is icing on top of an already well-iced cake.

Combining flavours of Super Nintendo classics with modern playability, Unsighted is the game 1995 desperately wanted to make but just didn’t know how.

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider (Switch eShop)

$11.04 (-35%)

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is an absolute triumph in 'neo-retro' game design. It boasts fluid combat with plenty of variety in environmental and enemy design and an art style that looks like it beamed straight over from the early '90s. While its overall short length might be a bit of a sticking point for some, those looking for an action title that is not only a fantastic experience but also feels like an authentically retro one will find this to be an absolute no-brainer.

Volgarr the Viking II (Switch eShop)

$14.99 (-25%)

Volgarr the Viking II is, quite simply, one of the best 2D action platformers on Switch, or any other platform for that matter. It improves upon the original in just about every conceivable way, introducing neat ways to ease newcomers into its relentless brutality, vastly improving the visuals, and adding a soundtrack that is destined to go down as one of the all-time greats. Minor quibbles with the UI aside, Volgarr the Viking II is an absolute must-play if you can stomach the intense Ghosts 'n Goblins-style difficulty.

Wandersong (Switch eShop)

$4.99 (-75%)

If you’re after a unique experience, Wandersong completely has you covered. The singing mechanic employed works perfectly, and while it may feel a bit too easy at times, the combination of the visuals, writing, and various gameplay objectives across a generous seven-act structure make for an incredibly compelling platforming experience that you’d do well to check out.

Wargroove (Switch eShop)

$5.99 (-70%)

As far as strategy games are concerned on the Switch, Wargroove is one of the best titles you can find on the eShop. Extremely deep and diverse strategy gameplay, ridiculous amounts of replayability, and charming presentation all combine to make this one an easy recommendation to anybody looking for a deep and cerebral experience for their Switch. Advance Wars did finally return, but Chucklefish's Wargroove and its sequel stand as worthy successors to that franchise.

Wargroove 2 (Switch eShop)

$13.99 (-30%)

It isn’t often that war is a cosy affair, but Wargroove 2 manages to pull it off. We loved the game’s colourful, vibrant art and playful writing, and there is enough depth and variety in the main campaign to satisfy most tactics fans while the Conquest mode will offer an even greater challenge for those seeking it.

It doesn’t change much from the previous game; it just tightens up some of the existing mechanics and adds a couple of extra wrinkles to an already great formula. It's a brilliant sequel, and yet another worthy successor to Advance Wars.

What The Golf? (Switch eShop)

$9.99 (-50%)

What the Golf? is a sterling effort for Switch that has clearly had enormous amounts of love poured into it. Its aesthetic is a little bit indie-by-numbers but there's so much to see and do here that'll have you (and a friend) laughing out loud. It may not be the most difficult game in the world, but it's damn good fun, even if you don't like golf.

Especially if you don't like golf, in fact.

Windjammers 2 (Switch eShop)

$8.99 (-55%)

With Windjammers 2, Dotemu has taken the fiendishly addictive core formula of the Neo Geo classic and improved upon it in every way. The core gameplay here remains as immediately endearing as ever whilst being enhanced and given a real strategic kick by a bevvy of new moves and skills that add to the fun without detracting from or overcomplicating proceedings. Yes, there's not much in the way of modes, but this is another banger from Dotemu — an all-time classic improved upon, an arcade classic refined for a new generation.

World of Goo (Switch eShop)

$7.49 (-50%)

World of Goo is a true classic, and it's revered for good reason. 2D Boy's game is instantly accessible but with plenty of depth; it's paced out perfectly, with a steady stream of new tricks and techniques to learn; and its puzzles can be solved with forward-thinking, quick reflexes or a mixture of both. Wrapped up in a unique, pleasantly apocalyptic presentation, with co-op support and a harder 'OCD' mode for added replay value, this is a complete puzzle package.

If you've played it previously, the Switch incarnation might be worth a second go for its portable pointer controls and on-the-go co-op, but if it's your first time into the World of Goo, it's absolutely a must-play.


Of course, there are many (many) wonderful 8/10s also on sale that we haven't listed above, but you'll have to sniff them out for yourself — we'd be here all day otherwise!

Let us know if you picked up any discounted delights in the 'Supercharge Sale' and give us a shout if you find any 9/10s that we have missed.