Blazing Chrome (Switch eShop)
Blazing Chrome doesn’t just play like classic Contra titles — it fully looks the part too. It really nails the apocalyptic theme that’s so synonymous with '80s movies and games; backgrounds are made up of deep red skies and burning skyscrapers, and character designs take direct inspiration from franchises like Terminator and Aliens.
Its overall look and feel has a distinctly serious tone, but hints of playfulness are scattered throughout to keep things from feeling a bit too bleak, such as NPCs flying past in ships yelling “hey bro” at your character.
Flinthook (Switch eShop)
From the insane intro that's worthy of having its own spin-off animation series to the swashbuckling sea shanty soundtrack that's more catchy than scurvy, Flinthook's presentation is splendid, filled with wacky characters and bosses, smooth, fast animations, witty banter and a wealth of particle effects more accomplished than most other pixel art games.
Narita Boy (Switch eShop)
Narita Boy is a great game. It’s an action-oriented Metroidvania that absolutely leans into a heavy ‘80s, Tron-like aesthetic, but never lets it overshadow the world or its characters.
The pixelated visuals feel retro and yet distinctly modern at the same time, with beautiful animations, bold environment design, and an optional CRT filter that enhances the overall tone of the game (though can occasionally feel a bit too much). If you’re a fan of Metroidvanias or, god help you, the ongoing ‘80s fad, then you owe it to yourself to play this game.
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Iconoclasts (Switch eShop)
Iconoclasts is the result of one man’s dream project for an action platformer, borne out over a lengthy eight-year period of development. Fortunately, the final product reflects the time invested into it, as it expertly mixes an engaging and surprisingly heavy story with Metroidvania elements and a peerlessly gorgeous 16-bit visual style that favours immaculate detail and eye-popping colour palettes.
This is pixel art at its absolute best; it’s immediately clear that Sandberg devoted a significant amount of development time to getting the looks of the game just right. Each environment you enter has a vibrant and bright veneer to it, and the atmosphere is perfectly captured in the little details, all adding up to make for quite a visual treat.
UNSIGHTED (Switch eShop)
One title that really springs to mind playing UNSIGHTED is Square’s 1993 SNES classic Secret of Mana. It’s partly because of the chosen-one JRPG story trope and partly because of the beautiful top-down pixel graphics, which occasionally mix side-on elements into the scenery for dramatic vistas.
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.
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined (Switch)
Pocky & Rocky, a Super Nintendo top-down run-and-gun, was developer Natsume’s gold standard, fondly remembered for its taut arcade action, adventurous stage design, and beautiful visuals.
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is a re-envisioning so markedly different from the original that it’s essentially an entirely new game. Completely redrawn from the ground up, it’s nothing short of magical from the flute note ditty that dials-in the opening title screen to the first stretch of road and beyond. Fallen leaves are displaced as you skid across them, floating back down to settle on the cobbles; weather effects desaturate the world with sepia flashes; the special effects, particularly surrounding boss entrances, are dazzling.
Jamestown+ (Switch eShop)
Jamestown+ is a beautiful, hand-crafted tribute to Cave classics that welcomes newcomers to the genre with a pleasingly gentle learning curve whilst at the same time providing the absolutely fiendish levels of difficulty and replayability aficionados of the genre demand. It also happens to feature gloriously evocative and detailed pixel art alongside a fully orchestrated – and award-winning – soundtrack.
Half Past Fate (Switch eShop)
Following the lives of six characters as they chase their very own ‘quest for love’, Half Past Fate is an endearing look into how it might actually feel to be face-to-face with the potential love of your life. It may feel a bit overly idyllic at times, but it often nails the dialogue and quite frankly looks absolutely gorgeous to boot.
It’s a perfect blend of 2D sprites and 3D environments, and everything from the character models to the tiny cups of coffee burst with personality - it’s one of the most beautiful pixel art games we’ve seen in a good while. Similarly, the music is wonderfully upbeat, and the combination of this along with the colourful visuals make for an incredibly pleasant gaming experience.
A Space for the Unbound (Switch eShop)
We began our time with Mojiken Studio’s A Space For The Unbound curled up on our sofa, cup of steaming tea close by, with winter rain softly rapping against the window. Much like reading a good book, it felt right to play this slice-of-life adventure game this way; this game taxes neither reaction time or critical thinking skills to solve its dozens of puzzles and situations.
Instead, it pulls you in with its gorgeous pixel art depicting 1990s Indonesia (that looks remarkably vivid on a Switch OLED) and entrances you with its narrative of anxiety, depression, and a hefty dose of magic realism.
Pixels! Yeah!! Did we miss one of your favourites? Tell us in the comments.
This article is one of our Switch Essentials guides which cover a wide variety of genres, including the Best Switch FPS Games, the Best Switch RPGs, the Best Switch Games For Kids, the Best Switch Couch Co-Op Games and the Best Switch Fitness and Exercise Games. We can also help out hunting down the Best Switch Horror Games, the Best Switch Racing Games, the Best Switch Action-RPGs, the Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites and Run-Based Games, the Best Free Switch Games, the Best Remakes And Remasters, the Best Switch Music And Rhythm Games, Best Feel-Good Switch Games, Best Switch Open-World Games, Best Switch Soulslike Games, Best LGBTQ+ Switch Games, and even Games to Play After You've Finished Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Whatever your favourite genre, we've got you covered: Strategy Games, Metroidvanias, Puzzle Games, Party Games, Online Multiplayer Games, Local Wireless Multiplayer Games, Shmups, Twin-Stick Shooters, Visual Novels, Kart Racers, Fighting Games, Football Games, Funny Games, Golf Games, 'Walking Sims' And Narrative Games, Switch Games For Lovers And Lonely Hearts, Detective Games, Hidden Gems, 2D Platformers, 3D Platformers, Puzzle Platformers, Tabletop Mode Games, Run and Gun Games, LEGO Games, Sports Games, Survival Games, Beat 'Em Ups, Camera Games, Chill Games, Family Games, Retro-Inspired Games, Short Games, Card Games and Deck-Builders, and Life Sims And Farming Games.
Still hungry for more? Elsewhere we look at Wholesome Games, TATE Mode Games, Flight Sim and Space Combat, Point and Click Adventure Games, and the Best Switch Exclusives, as well as Every Arcade Archives Game, Every ACA Neo Geo Game, Every SEGA AGES Game On Switch, plus the Best Switch Ports, Best Wii U-To-Switch Ports, Best Switch Collections And Compilations, Best Cheap Switch Games, Best Switch Demos, Games That Are Better On Switch OLED, Switch Games Under $10, $20, $50, and Switch games with the Best Soundtracks and the Best Graphics. Phew!
If you're looking for the best Switch games regardless of genre, our reader-voted selection of the Best Nintendo Switch Games should help you out, and you can also find the Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. And finally, if you're interested in other Nintendo consoles and retro games, check out the Best Game Boy Games, Best GBC Games, Best GBA Games, Best Nintendo DS Games, Best Nintendo 3DS Games, Best NES Games, Best SNES Games, Best N64 Games, Best GameCube Games, and Best Wii Games, and Best Wii U Games, as well as Every Available Nintendo Switch Online Retro Game, and ranked lists of Every Nintendo Switch Online NES, SNES, N64 and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Game.
Comments 65
Kate, why are your lists always so controversial. I mean you haven't even included Shovel Knight! 🥲 I mean it's fine... I'm getting used to your style. And it's nice that lesser known games get the spotlight.
I would also add Souldiers and Deaths Gambit to that list.
Great list! Probably the biggest stand out for story and such is To the Moon, but only by a hair. Lotta good games on this list.
I’ll toss some more to the list of quality pixels!
Graveyard Keeper
Fishing Paradiso
Dropsy
Thimbleweed
Darkside Detective 1&2
And of course the well known ones like Stardew and Shovel Knight. There’s also a few really good Metroidvania ones like Tou Hou and Haiku.
Lastly, after the Sierra article the other day, sweet baby Jesus I wish someone would bring the original Kings Quest and Leisure Suit Larry games to the switch. Freddy Farkas would be awesome too, as well as Space Quest (I think it was…)…. Sierra was the KING of pixels back in the day.
@Freek I concur, though Souldiers has some issues on switch and ps4/5. Still playable, just be warned the Fire Temple can have issues still. And don’t bother with it on ps4/5 as the save corruption still exists from what I can tell. PC, Switch and maybe Xbox are the best bets for that game.
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth deserves some notice, and a fun SotN-style Metroidvania, to boot.
It's a crime Sonic Mania isn't on this list. One of the best looking pixelated games.
I have had many a time where I see a game with awesome pixel art and buy it on a whim only for me to end up not enjoying the way it plays. I fall for great pixel art Every. Single. Time. I need to be extremely wary any time I see a new game with an awesome artstyle now, and I hate it.
No Undertale & Deltarune? Both would fit really well on this list, especially Deltarune. And let’s not forget that a large chunk of Undertale is a homage to Earthbound.
I’m missing Axiom Verge…… great list even without that game.
Triangle Strategy, Undertale, Deltarune?
Played all of them except for the sim games, shmups and other VN junk.
Pixels just have so much more life than 4k ultra realism.
@ChaoticKirby @JokerCK I think you overlooked the word "art" in the title. Undertale is ugly and you can't deny that.
Love pixel art. SR did a great job with it
Dang no love for Dead Cells, or Katana Zero.. eastward while gorgeous was a huge disappointment, probably more than owlboy and to the moon was a letdown too with its simple gameplay cheap graphics and lame story, but you got some greats on there with hyper light zero and shredders revenge
Honestly there are just a ton of beautiful pixel art games on Switch. I like a lot in this article, but I could easily list 10+ great ones not listed here. I'm surprised dead cells and celeste aren't on this list. They bleed pixels is a less popular one I like a lot personally. There are so many good ones.
Cadence of Hyrule has the best 2D Zelda art since Minish Cap! I want to play a true Zelda game with the art of Cadence of Hyrule!
Does Xenoblade Chronicles 2 in handheld mode count as pixel art?
No Signalis?? Such a unique art style in that game, great use of pixels
Seems like Pathway is one that flew under everyone's radar but if you like turn-based strategy and Indiana Jones, I can't recommend that one hard enough.
Octopath 2 obviously the most incredible-looking.
I put off buying Stardew Valley for so long because the pixel art graphics suck however after buying it I sunk over 100 hours into that game even though I still hate the graphics.
These all sound good, but I wish there were enough hand-drawn games to make a similar list. If more games looked like Hollow Knight, the cost-of-production for these games wouldn't rise much AFAICT and it'd also make them more appealing to those who aren't fond of pixel art.
Seems like a bit of recency bias with this list, but o can’t even be mad when it’s practically a list tailor made to advertise Hyper Light Drifter and Owlboy. Surprised to see NLife favorite Horace didn’t make the cut here.
That reminds me, I still need to buy Owlboy and Live A Live.
Btw, Hyper Light Drifter is great.
You left my boy Horace off your list 😢
ONE WORD: OCTOPATH
Don't forget:
- Super Hiking League DX -
Really beautiful game. ʕ´•ᴥ•`ʔ
I knew both Eastward and Owlboy would on here. Both of them are directly responsible for causing me to be much, much more careful about vetting a game I'm interested in buying because I hated them both intensely. Excellent graphics, terrible gameplay. Eastward never stops dragging it's by the numbers narrative like sandpaper over gravel and Owlboy feels half finished right down to it's dreadful steal levels. Meanwhile, the incredible La Mulana and it's equally brilliant sequel, both full of the purest gameplay a video game is capable of, are again ignored because they dared to challenge you. It's criminal how this medium gradually began embracing style over substance and aesthetics over actual gameplay. What a shame.
I was really interested in Potion Permit when it was released, but I was scared off by the reported bugs. Anyone know if they’ve been patched?
Octopath, Blasphemous, Moonlighter, and Iconoclasts are all fantastic recommendations, for their gameplay as much as their visuals. Since it's relevant, I'm gonna copy over a comment I made on the more general pretty games list a good while ago.
"And just to keep my last comment from being even more bloated, I'll dump some of my top picks for pixel art visuals here: Kamiko, CrossCode, Phoentopia, World for Two, Foregone, Batbarian, ScourgeBringer, Star Renegades, Narita Boy, Touhou Luna Nights, Astalon, Timespinner, Evoland, Eldest Souls, and Death's Gambit."
I'd also add in The Way Remastered, Shovel Knight, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, and Sparklite. I started to dig through my wishlist for more, but quickly realized I'd never finish writing them all out.
@CountDrakeulah I agree with your assessment of Owlboy. I played the whole game: I liked the art, but the game play and overall game design left me wanting a lot more.
Would Horizon Chase Turbo count as a pixel art racing game?
Cheating a bit but I'd count Sea of Stars too (releases later this year)
@sunny63 There are a ton of games with great hand-drawn style visuals on Switch. Besides the big names like Hollow Knight and Cuphead, there's Tangle Tower, GRIS, Ponpu, Hoa, Wulverblade, anything from Thunder Lotus, Sumire, Creepy Tale, Flood of Light, Liar Princess, Giga Wrecker, the SteamWorld games, the more recent Shantae games, Pankapu, and Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, just to name ones I've played. I could probably dig up twice as many from my wishlist if you want. If you're looking exclusively for games where every frame of every animation is drawn from scratch, then that is going to cut the list down a good bit, but that's because animating that way is much more work-intensive, and makes it harder to change character designs or anything else with a lot of animation mid-development.
"To the Moon" is one of the games that I think about a lot to this day, even though playing it wasn't that fun. The story made me cry though.
It's quite amusing browsing through this list. I distinctly remember in the early days of Switch bemoaning how many pixel-based games there were, and yet I own the majority on this list.
And yes, Dead Cells should definitely be included here.
Aren't all games technically pixel art games...?
I would add Speed Limit to this list, because it takes players through a variety of pixelated gameplay styles from games of the past, but in one game, and it's pretty fantastic.
It's not super long, but it has a speedrun mechanic to it if you like to attempt speedruns after you finish it.
Why is this board so upset with the picks mentioned??
I thought Rogue Heroes wasn't to shabby as well. Plus a bunch of fun to boot.
I believe Triangle Strategy, Death's Gambit and Souldiers should also be in the list. Beautiful pixel games!
Perhaps my favourite is Blasphemous though, the graphics are really something, the bosses and enemies remind me of the best Castlevania games, but more creepy.
Upvote for Hyper Light Drifter, The Messenger, and Blasphemous. Not just beautiful games, but great games, period.
Narita Boy is hypnotically engrossing in its style, but lacks balance in gameplay progression, making it not as satisfying to play.
Is it cheating to say BlazBlue Central Fiction and Under Night In-Birth Exe?
Both of these games are a master class in pixel art animation. The sprite work is gorgeous on its own, but the fast-paced fluidity of the action in both these games (Central Fiction especially) is a sight to behold.
Nice picks. I especially enjoyed Pocky & Rocky Reshrined's art style, it's easily one of the most beautiful games I've seen.
@KateGray Tried Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery? Beautiful pixel art, great soundtrack, interesting mechanics, deceptively simple puzzles that make you go OOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!! 💡💡💡
It’s also available on the app stores (originally for iOS), but the devs made a good/simple adaptation for the Switch. I wish more people knew about this game.
@theModestMouse Undertale is ugly? Okay.I will not take your comments seriously from now on.
@Dm9982 what was the Sierra article you mentioned? Missed that one but would like to read!
Owlboy is one big snoozefest I regret buying, the same goes for Iconoclasts which someone mentioned. Lots of much better pixel art games out there. Huntdown is good as is the excellent Horace.
@Robokku it was on TimeExtension, let me check for the link….
https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/01/sierra-and-nintendo-almost-joined-forces-to-create-an-online-network-in-the-80s
There ya go!
@ParadoxFawkes What did you not like about Eastward? I thought it was a masterpiece. One of the best games I played last year.
@JokerCK I've got to agree with him. Undertale has a lot of things going for it, but the art style isn't one of them. I am not exaggerating when I say the color palette literally hurts my eyes.
@Dm9982 thank you!
Death's Gambit!
@bozz recently got it on a deep sale, but I still need to start playing it.
As for the art style in general, it is a very dangerous balance. On one hand, I love everything that reminds me of how I look back on the GBA and older Game Boys, but it is rarely done... "right". Eastward, Inmost, Wargroove, those are indeed fantastic examples of the visual style done right in my eyes. I love Minit as well for its art style, and many more, either on the list or not. But often it just feels like what it would be like if I painted in the style of Picasso without understanding why someone likes his work, only understanding that it sells in todays market and doesn't require much personality to just... plagiarise badly, instead of honour, I suppose.
Whenever I hear those words like "pixel art", "metroidvania", "rogue lite", "souls like",... I almost instantly feel a dislike for the game.
Eastward is beautiful, but tedious tho
@Doctor-Moo the constant talking of characters with no ability to skip made it a slog and i quit playing...i really wanted to like it but i hated the characters and hearing every little thought they had to say
Curse of the Moon is stunning!
@Anachronism Thank you! I will definitely try those out; I had no idea about most of them!
Pocket Rumble is one I haven't heard mentioned yet but had some decent pixel art.
@Robokku Np! Was a good read! Makes me want to boot up the laptop and get some old Sierra games on GoG, but I’d much prefer if some how they got ported to Switch as a collection. Would be just amazing.
The new LSL games on Switch aren’t bad, def worth a buy on sale if you’re an old Sierra fan. Soooo much better than the 360 LSL games which were garbage. And I love that they’ve got nods to the old pc games, as well as the original voice for Larry from LSL6 onward.
Cyber-Shadow is another fantastic game that doesn't get enough love. The whole futuristic/Ninja Gaiden vibes are fantastic and it's addictive as hell. Not to mention, it was published by the amazing Yacht Club Games, aka the Shovel Knight developers.
Where's Aegis Defenders??? Also, I kind of hate the term "pixel art" because 3D games also use pixels. But yes, I get it, and I regret that I joined Team Semantics.
You missed This Game and This Game! I'm SO MAAAAD!
@Olliemar28 I guess no matter how long you make the list, you're always going to miss someone's favorite. Would you guys consider doing a "Games We Missed" style reader-generated response list for each of these professionally done ones? I don't know how much work curating that kind of thing is, but if nothing else, it would give people a more constructive outlet for their opinions than just leaving angry comments. More selfishly, I just think opportunities to make small contributions like that are a lot of fun. Plus, they make for a more interesting read than the review score rankings format.
I enjoyed many of the games on this list, and more than a few of those nominated in the comments.
If I were to add anything, it would be Hollow Knight (is that pixelated enough?) and Celeste. Both of those had some vistas that made me pause the game to take a screenshot. Also I admire all the intricate details that went into the characters and scenery in River City Girls 2.
I love pixel art. It's like a love letter to my childhood gaming experience. There are so many Switch games to add to this list. But Sony and MS have their exclusives too.
@Teksetter
Hollow Knight has excellent graphic but it's not pixel art. Celeste and River City Girls do have it.
Fun list! I'm about 6 hours in on A Space for the Unbound and am hooked ❤️😺. Pretty sure I'm gonna be balling my eyes out at some point tho lol 🙄😊. I also made sure to give my cats some extra treats today!
Where is Scott pilgrim??
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