Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (Switch eShop)

It's clear that the team at Lizardcube are massive fans of the original Wonder Boy III, and that affection translates into what is without a shadow of a doubt the definitive version of a game. The updated visuals are sumptuous and the soundtrack, which uses traditional instrumentation rather than computer-generated audio, proves just how catchy the original tunes were. Despite the passing of the years Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap remains a perfectly-pitched non-linear action adventure — a Metroidvania before the term coagulated into existence — which must surely rank as one of the best of the 8-bit era. It can be completed in the space of an evening, but that evening will be one of the most enjoyable you can possibly spend with your Switch.

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Owlboy (Switch eShop)

Owlboy is a three-pronged attack of success: the gameplay is tight, satisfying, and remains fresh throughout; the game’s world is visually stunning thanks to some truly masterful pixel art and you’ll find yourself really caring about the cast of characters and the world surrounding them thanks to a compelling storyline and background lore. This is a game that is absolutely worth your time; if anything we’ve mentioned above has you even remotely intrigued by this game, we urge you to consider giving it a go.

Gato Roboto (Switch eShop)

This cat knows where it's at. With tight controls, retro-styled minimal art style and a superb sense of progression, Gato Roboto is the perfect Metroidvania (or Meowtroidvania) to play whilst you’re waiting for an actual Metroid or appropriate Castlevania game. Only its difficulty leaves a bit to be desired at times - anybody with a lick of experience will likely breeze through it in no time, and we wish it lasted a little longer. Nevertheless, some people may well see its brevity as a plus point and the game is chock full of meaningful upgrades, secrets and spectacular boss battles to keep you busy, if only for a few hours.

Timespinner (Switch eShop)

Gorgeous to behold and equally delightful to play, Timespinner is yet another top-notch Metroidvania on Switch. A lack of tough exploration challenges and an under-utilised time-freeze gimmick aside, it succeeds in using the popular genre as a vehicle for a genuinely intriguing science-fantasy tale that will motivate players to explore every inch of its fantastic pixel-art world.

Blasphemous (Switch eShop)

Blasphemous is a beautifully crafted Soulslike/Metroidvania action game set in a delightfully unhinged, deliriously gory world filled with well-designed enemies, satisfyingly meaty combat and some truly memorable and grotesque boss battles. Platforming sections are uniformly well-crafted and the whole thing comes together to create one of the most visually arresting and solidly enjoyable action titles currently available on Switch. Spanish developers The Game Kitchen have created a nightmare world in Cvstodia, one that will truly test your combat and platforming skills and leave you begging for more come that final bloody battle.

Ori And The Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (Switch eShop)

What we have here is a flawless port of a game which nobody expected to see on Switch, and it absolutely deserves all of the praise it has received. From start to finish, Ori and the Blind Forest is a real joy to play. Challenging yet never feeling unfair or discouraging, and almost relaxing to control, the mesmerising art style and musical score are the icing on the cake that makes the player actually care about the protagonist and want to keep playing to the game’s conclusion. It is a surprise to see this game make its way to the Nintendo Switch, but we’re very glad that it has - it's an unmissable experience.

La-mulana 2 (Switch eShop)

The original La-Mulana was a masterpiece in its own right, but we’d contend that it’s been edged out by the sequel. What we have here is an expertly-paced, crushingly difficult, and utterly mystifying adventure that constantly beckons you to explore deeper and acquaint yourself with its unique charms. La-Mulana 2 definitely isn’t for everybody – if you consider yourself an impatient or clumsy player, steer clear – but those who put in the time and effort to crack this nut will be deeply satisfied that they did so. We’d give La-Mulana 2 a high recommendation for anybody looking for a deep and challenging new Metroidvania for their Switch; it’s an acquired taste, but one you will come to savour.

Carrion (Switch eShop)

Carrion is a special thing in many ways — a game which puts you in the shoes (or slithering eldritchtentacles) of the game's 'boss' — but its actual meat and potatoes structure is as formulaic as the genre gets. Thankfully, its core gameplay of tearing room after room of people into wet chunks of corpse never, ever gets old, and sustains the experience throughout. It looks superb, sounds great and is plenty of fun to play, despite some minor issues which just hold Carrion back from the absolute upper echelons of the Switch library. Still, if you're after a Metroidvania with a twist, this one is disgustingly intriguing.

Shantae and the Seven Sirens (Switch eShop)

Shantae and the Seven Sirens is the culmination of everything WayForward has learned since that initial release a little less than two decades back. It pulls some of the best elements from the titles that came before it – such as the dungeons and fast transformations – while adding in several cool new ones too, like the collectable cards and lovable new characters. A short-but-sweet runtime, well-drawn visuals, a catchy soundtrack and a well-designed map make this one an easy recommendation to anybody looking for the next must-have Metroidvania for their Switch.

Minoria (Switch eShop)

Minoria is a great Metroidvania that we’d hate to see slip under the radar amongst the more well-known titles like Bloodstained and Hollow Knight. It’s not quite as feature-rich as some of the other titles in the genre and will only last roughly five hours or so, but the combat is so impressive that we’d urge you to check it out.

Alwa's Legacy (Switch eShop)

Alwa’s Legacy is an excellent example of how to do a proper sequel; it takes everything that Alwa's Awakening did well and builds on it, adds in a few new ideas of its own, and corrects the issues that were previously present. It may be a little on the short side, but Alwa’s Legacy is the special sort of game that only comes around once in a great while, reminding you of the kind of quality that’s possible when a dedicated crew puts in the time to make a polished and tightly designed final product.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth (Switch eShop)

With a great variety of environments, strong, simple gameplay that has you playing as one of three interchangable heroes, a great overarching story, and a strong line-up of enemies, Astalon: Tears of the Earth will likely only last a handful of hours, but there’s a lot here to love, and it's a relative no-brainer if you’re a fan of high fantasy Metroidvanias.

Narita Boy (Switch eShop)

Narita Boy joins a plethora of entertainment franchises that pay homage to ‘80s culture. But where others have failed, Narita Boy transcends its inspiration with exceptional world building, a complex yet thoughtful narrative, and stunning combat gameplay. It occasionally feels a little too vague and abstract in its structure, and ultimately this holds it back from being a true masterpiece, but if you’re longing for a great Metroidvania title, then Narita Boy is absolutely what you’ve been waiting for.