Steredenn: Binary Stars Switch eShop

Price: $12.99 / $3.89

Steredenn: Binary Stars is a fantastic game that does a great job of providing an experience that feels simultaneously classic and modern. Its high difficulty, rewarding gameplay, endless variety, and beautiful presentation make this an essential buy for any fans of the genre, and a high recommendation for those who aren’t.

If you’re looking for a tightly made arcade game that can be played both in short bursts and for hours on end, here's yet another one for your list.

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection Switch

Price: $29.99 / $9.99

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.

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Streets of Rage 4 Switch eShop

Price: $24.99 / $6.24

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.

Tales from the Borderlands Switch eShop

Price: $24.99 / $14.99

Tales from the Borderlands is arguably Telltale Games' finest hour and easily one of the very best choice-driven narrative adventures available on any system. This is 10 glorious hours' worth of top-notch entertainment with a world-class cast, consistently excellent writing that manages to perfectly balance comedy and drama, non-stop twisted action and a cast of kooky characters that are a joy to spend time with.

This really is the best the Borderlands universe has ever been, and a game that everyone should experience at least once.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge Switch eShop

Price: $24.99 / $9.99

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 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.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Switch

Price: $39.99 / $15.99

TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection is indisputably one of the best things Konami released in the Switch generation, meeting all expectations and then some. Bar absent difficulty settings for the arcade games, it’s an anthology that finally gets it totally right.

Digital Eclipse and Konami have done the fans justice, offering a comprehensive library that doesn’t hide content behind a paywall, while going above and beyond in terms of features and bonuses. With online functionality and rollback netcode being the icing on the cake, this is the gold standard for retro collections.

Tetris Effect: Connected Switch eShop

Price: $39.99 / $19.99

Tetris Effect: Connected is perhaps the best iteration of the classic puzzler yet.

While this Switch port doesn't offer a great deal over existing versions in terms of features, it delivers the one key ingredient that its rivals cannot: portability. Sure, some will argue that Tetris Effect: Connected's unique brand of synesthesia only really comes alive when played on PSVR or an Oculus Quest headset, but we'd argue passionately that this game benefits far more from the ability to pick it up and play whenever, wherever.

Just as the Game Boy and Tetris combined to create an irresistible, world-conquering fusion back in 1989, Tetris Effect: Connected found the hardware that allowed it to truly shine, making this an utterly essential purchase for all Nintendo Switch owners. Don't forget those headphones.

The Alliance Alive HD Remastered Switch

Price: $49.99 / $12.49

Nearly two years on from its initial 3DS release, The Alliance Alive HD Remastered proved to be a perfectly competent port of an already fantastic handheld game. A well-written story, a smartly interwoven and complex system of gameplay mechanics, and a distinctive visual style make this a no-brainer for anybody looking for a consistently high-quality RPG experience on their Switch.

It may feel a little simple, given its origins on the 3DS, but don’t make the mistake of passing up on The Alliance Alive HD Remastered, it’s well worth your time.

The Drifter - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Switch 2

Price: $19.99 / $17.99

The Drifter might hark back to 20th-century point-and-clicks with its pixel visuals, but its smart controls, streamlined interface and smooth scrolling place it firmly in the modern world. Its adult-oriented graphics and language combine with an undercurrent of humour to bring the schlocky plot to life, and joyful backgrounds and animations keep it fresh from beginning to end.

Powerhoof has provided yet more evidence that we’re living through the graphic adventure’s Golden Age.

The Messenger Switch eShop

Price: $19.99 / $3.99

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

Price: $29.99 / $2.99

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.

The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season Switch eShop

Price: $14.99 / $5.24

Whether you played this back in 2012 or are completely new to the series, Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season One is a masterpiece of video game storytelling.

It features some of the best voice-over performances you’ll find on any gaming platform and sets the stage for a grand, multi-season odyssey of tragic proportions. However, this is also a satisfying and poignant collection even if you never play the subsequent episodes.

Even if you lost patience with Rick Grimes and TV series adaptation of the comic books, this remains an incredible interactive adaptation of Robert Kirkman's world of walkers.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Switch

Price: $39.99 /$15.99

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 on Nintendo Switch is a rock-solid port of a pair of genuinely fantastic remakes.

These really are two of the very best arcade sports titles of all time, revamped, reworked and re-imagined for modern audiences with all the graphical bells and whistles, collectibles and game modes we've come to expect in this day and age.

With flawless performance in both docked and handheld modes and visuals that still look the part after a few necessary concessions here and there, this is one collection we highly recommend you kickflip right into.

Unicorn Overlord Switch

Price: $59.99 / $17.99

Even amidst a huge strategy-RPG boom, Unicorn Overlord stands out. It’s a smorgasbord of visual delights, intricate systems, and addictive gameplay loops that all come together to create a delightfully thrilling and deep tactical RPG. It’s so easy to get absorbed into everything the game offers, and we lapped it all up.

Vanillaware has long been known for creating beautiful-looking games with unique twists on genres, but with 13 Sentinels and now Unicorn Overlord, this developer should be on absolutely everyone’s radar.

Unpacking Switch eShop

Price: $19.99 / $7.99

Unpacking manages to do several things very well, all at the same time. It’s a touching story told through interaction, it provides the creative play space of a great dollhouse game, and it deftly applies established game design ideas from completely different genres.

Its only real shortcoming is the repetition that is a necessary byproduct of landing its message. Effort has gone into making the controls satisfying on Switch, and the visual and sound design are delightful throughout, making Unpacking, like any sane person’s cutlery, absolutely top-drawer.

UNSIGHTED Switch eShop

Price: $19.99 / $7.99

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

Price: $16.99 / $6.79

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.

Wandersong Switch eShop

Price: $19.99 / $4.99

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.

Windjammers 2 Switch eShop

Price: $19.99 / $4.99

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

Price: $14.99 / $7.49

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 in the World of Goo, it's absolutely a must-play.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Switch

Price: $39.99 / $19.99

With fun, fast-paced combat, likeable characters, and an enjoyable story that takes full advantage of its beautiful shipwrecked setting, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a top-shelf action RPG.

Exploring the Isle of Seiren is as rewarding as mastering the character-swapping and hack-and-slash battle system, and both fit into an addictive feedback loop of adventuring that keeps everything moving at a quick clip.

The inconsistent image quality in handheld mode is a small blemish on an otherwise polished production, but this is a fantastic way to play Ys VIII, one of the very best action RPGs on the Switch and a true gem.

Will you be grabbing any of the above games on sale? Did we miss any NL 9/10s or higher? Let us know in the comments.