Blazing Chrome (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: the Contra series
For those longing for a time when side-scrolling shooters ruled the roost, Blazing Chrome is exactly what you're looking for. Perfect for short sessions, its slick gameplay and old-school art direction make for an astonishingly fun game full of explosions, epic set pieces, and spectacular boss battles. Its brutal difficulty may not be for everyone, but if you're up for the challenge, then get ready for one of the most accomplished 2D action titles in years. The immensely disappointing Contra: Rogue Corps proved just how wrong you can get a retro-style revival — Blazing Chrome gets it so, so right.
Wargroove (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Advance Wars
As far as strategy games are concerned on the Switch, Wargroove and its sequel are some 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 returned in Re-Booted form, of course, but Wargroove stands as a worthy successor to the cult classic franchise; Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp has some stiff opposition to contend with on Switch thanks to Chucklefish's efforts.
Don't forget about the sequel, either, which is no slouch.
Pocket Rumble (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: old Neo Geo Pocket Color brawlers from the Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown and King of Fighters series, among others
Pocket Rumble's arcade mode is slight, but it's a useful training tool. Multiplayer is where the game excels, though, thanks to a diverse (albeit small) lineup of characters. Fighting games can be complicated things, off-putting to newcomers with their wide array of moves and techniques, but Cardboard Robot Games has crafted a fun and easy-to-learn experience here, bundled up in a wonderfully nostalgic audio-visual imitation of the old Neo Geo Pocket Color brawlers. By employing just two attack buttons and simplifying the special moves, it may not offer as much depth as some fighting games, but there's still enough to keep even a genre veteran happy here. Working well with any controller, the game is good fun and perfectly suited for quick bursts of play, whether that be in online battles or playing tabletop against friends.
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Switch)
Inspired by: the Donkey Kong Country series
With games like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze keeping the series alive with new custodians at the helm (Retro Studios, in that case), Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair provides a glimpse at where the original developers from the Rareware days might have steered the DKC series. Mixing in some top-down adventuring into the platforming to change the pace up a bit, Playtonic's 2.5D sequel strikes a wonderful balance which offers the best of both worlds. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a fantastic platformer that pays tribute to Rare's past and we absolutely adore it.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
GALAK-Z: The Void: Deluxe Edition (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Macross (anime), '80s twin-stick arcade games
GALAK-Z isn’t a game for everyone: its rogue-lite nature, its high difficulty level, and its punishing policy on death (even in its easier Arcade mode) will infuriate some players who are just expecting a quick blast of non-stop action, or a standard twin-stick shooter, for that matter - it isn't. Treat it like the slower-paced exploration and survival game it’s supposed to be, though, and your patience will be rewarded with some genuinely satisfying space combat and a wide variety of customisable parts (not to mention its brilliant mech upgrade), all wrapped up in a fantastic ‘80s style aesthetic.
Undertale (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Earthbound, Super Mario RPG
Undertale is a brilliant and smartly designed game that understands well what makes a good RPG work; so much so that it can upend expectations and deliver something that’s almost a satire of the genre. It surprises you often and in many unique ways with excellently written characters, a genre-bending battle system, and a solid soundtrack that make this one an easy recommendation, especially to RPG lovers. Do yourself a favour and give this one a download.
Demon's Tilt (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Alien Crush, Devil's Crush
A spiritual successor to pinball classics Alien Crush and Devil's Crush, Demon's Tilt isn't going to be to everybody's tastes with its single table, often obtuse mechanics and sometimes brutal difficulty, but if you have even the slightest interest in pinball games then you really should check this out. While more tables would have been welcome and it's a shame that some of the visual effects have been toned down on Switch, what we have here is a game of stunning depth and complexity which rewards methodical players who aren't afraid to invest a lot of time learning all of the secrets and hidden tactics. The ability to play the game in portrait mode makes this Switch port even more appealing.
Fight'N Rage (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Final Fight, Streets of Rage, Double Dragon...
Who says the beat 'em up is dead? Fight’N Rage is one of the must-own action games on Nintendo’s console. Its surprisingly deep and satisfyingly weighty combat engine combined with three strong and varied player characters and a host of cleverly-designed enemies elevate it above the usual button-mashing experience perhaps expected of entries in this genre. It’s got an excellent arcade mode that branches off in various directions as you make your way to the final boss battle, as well as a ton of unlockable modes and extras to keep you coming back for more. Whether you’re a learned fan of old-school beat ’em ups or you just like pummelling the life out of mutant punk pussycats and monkeys dressed as Bruce Lee, you owe it to yourself to experience what Sebastian Garcia has created here; it’s easily one of the best beat ’em ups we’ve played.
Huntdown (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: 16-bit run 'n' gunners, '80s sci fi
Huntdown is a delightfully detailed and expertly crafted throwback to old-school run 'n' gun arcade shooters. The 16-bit graphical style is immaculately recreated whilst adding lots of modern bells and whistles to proceedings, including a fantastic soundtrack and audio design, optional CRT filter and an arsenal of heavy-duty weapons that chew scenery and enemies to pieces as your bounty hunter makes their way from boss fight to excellent boss fight. The flow of levels may be quite repetitive but the moment-to-moment gameplay, overall sense of fun that comes from the level of carnage you can dish out, surprising amount of hammy spoken dialogue and constant pop-culture references all combine to make this one an easy recommendation, and another excellent addition to the Switch's action catalogue.
Timespinner (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Mega Man X
Gorgeous to behold and equally delightful to play, Timespinner is yet another top-notch Metroidvania to add to the list 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.
Xeno Crisis (Switch)
Inspired by: Robotron: 2084, Smash TV
Xeno Crisis feels like a lost classic from a bygone era of gaming – a brilliant twin-stick arena shooter which wears its influences on its blood-drenched sleeve. The stern challenge may prove to be off-putting for casual players, but it rewards dedication with some of the most intense and addictive blasting action you can find in the genre. Convince a fellow player to join in and you've got the makings of a co-op classic.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (Switch)
Inspired by: the Wonder Boy series
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a tremendous accomplishment. It’s a gorgeous looking game with a fantastic soundtrack and does its spiritual predecessors proud by nailing the Wonder Boy mechanics while still offering something that will appeal to modern audiences. As long as you can appreciate that it’s still very much an old-school game at heart and you’re going to get some 8-bit era platforming trickiness as a result, you’re going to thoroughly enjoy playing through this adventure for the 12-15 hours it’ll take you to beat it. It may not be Wonder Boy by name, but it’s definitely wonderful by nature.
Special mention: Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap - Technically a remake/port of the Master System's Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, Dotemu's incredible work felt like so much more than a port-and-paintover job. It really is peerless in terms of bringing back a retro game with optional improvements and enhancements that make it feel as fresh as the day it was released. With totally reworked art and music that transforms the game without changing the underlying mechanics, it's really very good and we urge you to try it out.
Comments 135
I might give Yooka-Laylee a chance!
Shovel Knight is just pure joy!
MegaMan was inspired by Super Mario Bros
I adore having many of these games on the Switch, they are just perfect for the console
Solid list, I have many of these and can attest to their awesomeness. Still need to get BMZ2, but haven’t finished BMZ1 yet even lol. And Pocket Rumble I’m sure is under rated / under sold... such a fun fighter, especially if you were a fan of Neo Geo fighters from yesteryear. Reminds me of Match of the Millennium on NG Pocket.
Granted, when it first released, arcade was a bit unwieldy and super hard. Hopefully they’ve patched that / added diff lvls, since then. I’m not sure, haven’t checked in awhile.
I'll vouch for BMZ, Curse of the Moon and Shovel Knight; but Undertale/Deltrarune both seemed to be too enamored with their own idiosyncrasy to be enjoyable for me.
The Messenger has been on my "To Purchase" list, but that list just keeps growing lately.
Curse Of The Moon is much, much better than Ritual Of The Night! Highly recommended if you don't have it yet.
Sonic Mania, Megaman 11, and Shovel Knight are some of the finest 2D platformers money can buy
I haven't played a good few of these games yet, the most glaring of which being Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, I need to get around to that one
Monster Boy isn't a spiritual successor, it's a full-on sequel. They just combined the Japanese and American names for the series (Monster World and Wonder Boy, respectively) since Sega apparently owns the rights to them, but the original creator of the series worked on it and there are callbacks, such as with the soundtrack.
These games really deserve the spotlight, they're absolutely fantastic.
I like these lists; definitely helps me see what gems I might have missed amount the sea of eshop releases.
When I saw Horizon Chase Turbo and heard the Outrun comparisons, I was interested. When you said it plays like Top Gear though, instabuy.
This list is missing the best game of 2019, Valfaris. Sorry, can't take list seriously, just basically plopped down 20 games without much thought. Lost interest when I realize no thought was put into this.
No Doom? That’s as classic as you can get!
Great list and fun read. I own most of these titles so I guess I'm in that "specific audience." Well done Gavin
@DockEllisD I'm a bit salty the game has gotten little recognition of excellence when games like Dead Cells and Blasphemous are heralded. Valfaris is in-your-face, non-stop, heavy metal mayhem with colours to blow your mind and brutality to crush your dreams. I listen to the soundtrack walking back and forth to work and feel about a foot taller. Lol
Forget "best nostalgic games." These are fantastic games, period.
@cptspaulding Yikes, that escalated. Valfaris is great, though.
Shovel knight is definitely the best one here. Yooka Laylee is just a disappointment. Don’t pretend to be something you’re not just be yourself that’s what’s really cool.
Outside the subject of this list, but the online NES and SNES games are really great. I wish they would make improvements (instruction manuals, button mapping, ways to organize the games) along with adding GB, GBC, and GBA titles.
@Olliemar28 LOL my saltiness came through a bit strong. Still love this site and the comment section, even though they have no love for Valfaris.
This isn't nostalgia, though I appreciate the sentiment.
When I want nostalgia, I'll just fire up Namco Museum or the myriad titles that I have from Arcade Archives (like Time Pilot, Donkey Kong and Frogger). The only thing that's missing at that point is the arcade cabinets and atmosphere of that time.
@Tandy255 I really would love having the manuals for the NES/SNES apps. Some of the games are a mystery until you start futzing with things. (Thank God for save states and rewind.) xD
Fast RMX for the list? Inspired by WipEout
(Joking) I know it was inspired by the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 3D Special Stages
At nostalgia just isn't what it used to be...
Would love to see games inspired by Syndicate and Settlers. Bully felt inspired by Skooldaze and so was awesome.
I've been itching to play some Cannon Fodder recently, haven't seen a game like that in a long time.
I remember the SNES version being quite good.
How could you forget Alwa’s Awakening?!
I can certainly vouch for XenoCrisis. It's brill!
This was a nice list
For anyone interested. Strickly limited games are currently taking preorders for a physical release of xenocrisis on switch.
Stardew Valley and Wargroove are both awesome titles! I am closing on 300 hours in the former.
But generally speaking, I would much prefer re-releases of classic titles to "retro-inspired" new titles.
Does nostalgia mean rip off of something from 25 or 30 years ago? I thought that's what retro is. Switch online games are pure nostalgia... If I didn't play them for the past 30 years so that wipes all the old memories.
That's a nice list to have noted down. So many games I have to remember to play
I've added River City Girls and Octopath Traveler So many brilliant updates of classic genres.
The Messenger is the game I've been absolutely engrossed in the way many were with Shovel Knight, Undertale or Stardew Valley.
The flowing gameplay is top-notch, the humor pitch-perfect and not overdone, challenging but never unfair, one of my favorites of the decade.
As a non-Nintendo owner back in the day (I was firmly locked away in the Commodore Amiga camp), Horizon Chase Turbo actually more reminds me of the Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge series (the name of the game also seems to hint more to that, than to Top Gear), which was simply THE best arcade racer on any platform, consoles included. Top Gear 2 came later, also on the Amiga, but wasn't as good.
No Wild Guns Reloaded?
@Quarth You should definitely give Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair a shot. It’s great and way better than the first one.
@eaglesfly76 Thanks! Will look into it.
@DockEllisD I am glad you got a chance to try it out. It's a great joy whenever I fire it up. Its cousin, Slain: Back from Hell, is not bad either, but Valfaris much better (imo).
This list should include The Mummy Demastered.
I'm surprised the A Hat in Time is not on this list. It's great game inspired by early 3D collectathons.
Another great one is Oniken, a Ninja Gaiden clone that's better than the original. It's often bundled with Odallus, a great Castlevania clone.
Another list where the authors obviously haven't even played very far into some of the games. They created an article based on the general consensus and you all eat it up. Some of these games are trash, a whole lot of must inckudes are missing, and also genres aren't properly reoresented and explored. I feel like gaming articles are such a scam. They teach people about games In small increments doling out information, and are so incomplete. I respect ninte do life for their reviews, but these articles are click bait.
Added The Eternal Castle [Remastered]
Would not recommend 198X to anyone. Way too short to hand money over for it, sadly.
That is a mighty collection there and I am lucky enough to own the majority of them. Quality gaming there with some stiff challenge here and there in the list . Octopath is the personal favourite there
Whip! Whip! for kill ‘em up (single screen platformer) action. They don’t make enough of them anymore.
No Actraiser Renaissance?
@NintendoLife:
I'm kind of surprised there wasn't an honorable mention for Super Mario: Odyssey as it has classic gameplay segments.
It should be pointed out that Horizon Chase Turbo isn't merely "like" Top Gear, it also SOUNDS like Top Gear because it literally has the same music composer and several of Top Gear's music tracks in it.
If you've played all of these and want more try Super Hiking League DX!
Hotline Miami on Switch is bad port - too much zoom in. Also game is best played by mouse so it dont belong on this awesome list
Shovel Knight Sonic Mania and Yooka Laylee are great games for killing boredom. Mega man 11 I have on PC and that is another great boredom killer too.
Yooka Laylee: Impossible Lair is my penultimate favorite 2D platformer on the system, right behind Tropical Freeze. I'd put the original Shovel Knight just a hair behind it to round out the top 3.
If you're a fan of 90's DOS retro platformers I'd heavily recommend to play JUICED! . It's a hidden gem, fantastic game
My personal notes on the games on this list I've played:
Shovel Knight: I was on board with this from day one, and bought it on 3DS first, then sprung for a double-dip for Switch later. Amazing game, and now, a franchise, with the spinoff of Pocket Dungeon and the upcoming Dig.
198X: One fine July afternoon, around sunset, I played this game start to finish just before the sun went down for about 2 hours. I was riveted. The gameplay was mostly solid (except the Shadowplay auto-run ninja game, I wasn't a huge fan of that one), and it hit me like a Pink Floyd album you can play on a video game console. Full of not only wonderful 80s nostalgia, but the brooding melancholy of being a misunderstood youth in those days. It hit me on a personal as well as gameplay level and I loved it.
Bloodstained COTM: Hits all the right notes for a perfect recreation of Castlevania 3 plus more. Well worth collecting and playing!
Megaman 11: Excellent game in the franchise, even if I find the realistic Foley sound effects novel but also weak. The music is excellent and the rogue's gallery is spot-on for the classic franchise. I even appreciate the story ( which is never the point of a Megaman game, but still), in how it finally embellishes (retcons) the roots of the Light / Wily rift.
Sonic Mania: Excellent game, even though I usually never play past Studiopolis, because I'm just so bad at fighting the boss of Flying Battery afterwards. I know someday I'll beat it though!
Blaster Master Zero Series: I feel the whole series, front to back, is worth playing in order, to watch a charming and unlikely but surprisingly touching story unfold in this perfect love letter to a fantastic classic. The first game is one of the best remakes of any game, and the sequels expand into a surprisingly personal story I will not spoil here, but I genuinely cared about it's hero and heroine far more than I ever expected to!
Axiom Verge: Thrilling non-linear platforming adventure, well worth the comparison to the lauded Metroid franchise, but replacing the outer space setting with a bizarre Mesopotamia-inspired one. Story is wild, and the sequel is even wilder, and I need to do some more digging into that one.
Wargroove: Great game, lots of personality of it's own, even as it carries the spirit of the Advance Wars series with it everywhere it goes. Also, not content to have a simple level editor, it carries a very robust CAMPAIGN EDITOR, with which you can make your own side stories!
Undertale: I am a BIG fan, but not the kind of toxic "play this way or you'll ruin it" kind of fan. Well worth experiencing on any format you can!
Huntdown: Growing up as I did on Terminator, Big Trouble in Little China and Aliens, the movie references in this fun, darkly humorous action game are almost a minigame in how many you can spot as you blow away street scum Robocop-style!
part one of two
Octopath Traveler: I loved this game, every bit of it, and I love how the game looks like how it FELT the 16-bit games looked. The game's art style is perfect for recapturing not how the generation looked, but how it looked in our eyes at the time. It's also just plain excellent in it's story and subject matter, especially Alfyn and Primrose's stories (even if Prim's main antagonist disappointed me in the end).
Cyber Shadow: Reminds me not only of Ninja Gaiden, but also of hidden NES Gem Shatterhand, and I love that about the game. The more you play, the more abilities you get, and eventually the earlier levels and advanced challenges alike become not only firm-yet-fair, but when you land the hits and get in the sweet spot with the game's mechanics and gameplay, feels so GOOD when you rule the screen with those abilities!
Steel Assault: I'd argue that Steel Assault feels more like Gunstar Heroes for one player than any Castlevania, but no matter what, it's well worth getting. The main mechanic of casting wires everywhere to hang from and climb also gives off a certain air of Bionic Commando, as well. The game has so much going for it in it's brief runtime!
part two of two
Oniken: Unstoppable Edition should be included on this list.
Horizon Chase Turbo is one of my favorite switch games. So much fun to drop in for a few races.
I’m surprised that the Azure Striker Gunvolt series was not mentioned either, as a clear inspiration from the 16-bit Mega Man X games.
For me:
Mighty No. 9 got some pretty terrible reviews, but expectations were way higher than the game could bear, and when the dust settled we were left with a pretty decent action platformer, IMO.
Narita Boy is a time machine that oozes style and atmosphere.
Video Kid will make you remember the feel of your pocket full of quarters, bathed in the glow of the cabinet in the dank, dark din of the arcade.
Ditto Hyper Sentinel.
Cybarian is the NES game you'd never heard of, that your wealthy friend bought because she was bored, and that hooked you from the first stage.
Gato Roboto is kinda weirder and better than any Metroidvania you've ever played, and it's over before you know it.
And can we all go have an adventure in the SNES world of Iconoclasts? That'd be nice.
Great list, some amazing games, some I haven't played personally. For anyone who is into modern retro games, I'd highly recommend Carrion. It's like playing John Carpenter's The Thing, as the titular 'thing', in 2d kind of 'metroidvania' style, escaping being held captive in a lab. It has anything from impersonating dead people and turning on their friends, via sneaking through vents pulling in guards by the legs as a weak small thing, to eating and tearing apart rooms full of scientists and guards and robots as a screen filling monstrosity. A one of a kind game that is one perfect sequel away (which I hope for, as much as I hope for a sequel to The Thing the game) from perfection.
I've recently gotten to play some more of these. Mega Man 11 is a great time and a worthy entry in a fantastic series. Yooka-Laylee is a great take on the collect-a-thon that maybe sticks a little too much in the past at times, but is still a ton of fun for fans of the first two Banjo-Kazooie games.
On the other hand, I found Octopath Traveller a disappointment despite having a lot of fun with it for the first several hours. The presentation, aside from the voice acting, is tremendous, and the battle system fun. However, game mechanics outside battles are shallow and extremely limited, and the story is bad even by video game standards.
Some good games here but none have really got me that excited. Axiom Verge got close but it’s no Metroid. Golf Story is the retro inspired game that I connected with the most but it’s not here. Shame. A great lil game.
Great list, though I'd like to add a few more:
Umihara Kawase Fresh! - An amazing 2D platformer with intriguing grappling physics that, while takes time to get used to, create a uniquely-designed progression. It deserved far more than being discounted as "an average game".
Yooka-Laylee - It doesn't peak to the likes of Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie (and Donkey Kong 64 even), but while it isn't a "phenomenal" 3D platformer, it definitely gave me that "Banjo-Threeie" I longed for after Tooie.
The Legend of Dark Witch - The danmaku elements and modifiers are more than enough to make this game more than a "cheap Mega Man clone", and is by far the best version of the first game.
Kinda surprised neither Astalon: Tears of the Earth or Panzer Paladin are on this list.
Edit: Aggelos, as well.
Downwell (would've been one of the best ever Spectrum games if it was released back then, and awesome on the big screen if you can rotate your screen 90°) and Full Metal Furies (like a cross between Secret of Mana and Contra III, with added mindbending puzzles) are my favourite retro games on the Switch. Neither are the easiest of games but always seem fair.
A great list already anyhow, including new stuff for me to check out. And the games I mentioned were recommended by Nintendo Life on other lists.
I will always go in to bat on behalf of yooka laylee and the impossible lair. Say what you want about the first one (even though they did what they said they would do, which is probably the problem), but impossible lair is just a really fun platformer with some great music and a ludicrously hard final level that lives up to the name on the lid.
Oniken, Odallus, Panzer Dragoon, UnMetal, and many more could all be on this list, but that's just a testament to all the retro goodness to be had.
I'd throw in I Am Setsuna/Lost Sphear for those who miss the low-poly jrpg era, Blossom Tales and Kamiko if you want more 2D Zelda, The Way Remastered for a faithful homage to old adventure games, Golden Force and Slain for some authentic retro difficulty, Dadish and Goblin Sword for a generous helping of pixelated platforming at bargain bin prices, Jotun/Sundered if you're nostalgic for those weirdly dark animated movies your cousins had on VHS, and for the metroidvania fans, there's Iconoclasts, Cave Story, Blasphemous, Sundered again, and Xeodrifter. Plus Foregone and Golf Story, which I'm not sure have a direct comparison to any retro games, but they're pixel art and they're really cool.
Am glad Timespinner was included. Great metroidvania.
Shout out to Chasm (another metroidvania) and Shadows of Adam (RPG).
This is a great idea putting this list together.😁
A lot of charmers on this list. The Huntdown is just too good. I can’t believe it exists.
Dusk for certain!
Good choices. Surprised Streets of Rage 4, Snake Pass, Wolfenstein and Doom are not on there though.
It's a shame that Goblin Sword wasn't reviewed by this site. At it's £4.49 RRP / $4.99 MSRP, it might be one of the best bargain buys on the eShop.
Odallus is worth a look if you like this list.
Another great one to take a look at, if you're into Ed Wood style movies and sidescrolling airplane shooters: Squad 51 vs Flying Saucers.
Streets of rage 4 needs to be on this list final vendetta is excellent as well I just think it got released at the wrong time and got forgotten but it’s great especially with 2 players. When horizon chase first came out I really enjoyed it but after repeated plays it’s really started to grate on me it’s like a mobile game where you have no real control over the car just left and right
Astalon:Tears of the Earth so deserves to be on this list. It's really one of the best modern retro games I've ever played. It's probably the most addictive Metroidvania I've played outside of Metroid and Hollow Knight.
Horizon turbo is a brilliant game. Takes almost everything we loved about old arcade racers and makes everything better and gives it modern depth.
It’s how classic homages should be done.
A few in the list are basically just the same as the old games. For me that defeats the object.
Make that classic modern. Make me feel like im playing a beloved title but give it some modern depth.
Any fans of the 80s and OutRun, should add Slipstream to the list! It's the best moderm sprite scaling racer I've played, OutRunners style scaling graphics, with OutRun 2 drifting and a nice synth soundtrack.
Also, for grid based, first person Dungeon Crawler fans, Legends of Amberland is really worth checking out.
So glad to see Huntdown on this list, it is a truly excellent game.
Are we not doing Metroidvania's on this list? Because are lots of really good ones. I'll offer a couple: Alwa's Awakening and its sequel, and Astalon. Other modern retro games: Phenotopia, and Eliot's Quest, which are both kind of like Zelda 2 or Wonderboy. Cursed Castilla which is like Ghosts and Goblins. Ara Fell is an RPG that is pretty good, with really detailed graphics. It's about 20 hours long I'd say (maybe a bit less, I'm sort of a slow player). I'm certain that I'm forgetting some.
@cptspaulding Yeah Valfaris is metal af. I have yet to beat it, the uncompromising difficulty routinely gives me the beat down, haha.
Shout out to Cyber Shadow - that game was surprisingly tight and addictive. Plus a great soundtrack. More fun than The Messenger for me as a Ninja Gaiden throwback.
@Quarth Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is very underrated – great Donkey-Kong-Country-Returns-Like game!
I'm not sure many of you are old enough, or had a TurboGraphix16 - but Advanced Wars got everything, except it's cartoonish art style and story, from Military Madness. I've been playing all types of military turn based strategies for forever - I cannot think of a game MM directly took inspiration from.
I have zero doubt that Advanced Wars got all of it's inspiration from that game - which was very popular in Japan. I played the ever-loving Jesus out of that game - beat it in every way you could.
How does Panzer Paladin fare against some of these games? I like many on this list but this is one game I’ve meant to go back and try. It looked like a Megaman game but with the whole crafting of weapons and breaking them for a powerful attack when they’ve played their self out, it seems to have a lot of strategy involved.
Unless I missed it, Astalon isn’t on the list and def should be. Great game!
Shovel Knight is such a beacon of light in the modern gaming industry.
When so many developers went for loot boxes and other microtransactions, Yacht Club Games offered so much free DLC.
Great list, I would add Oniken and Odallus (especially Odallus). Also does Hyper Light Drifter belong here? It reminds me a lot of of old school Zelda, but with more of a sci-fi aesthetic and faster combat.
@OldManHermit Should try Archvale, Moonlighter, Rogue Heroes, and Tunic if you like Old school Zelda type games. All fun!
Wallachia Reign of Dracula has been taken off the eshop.
Just thought I'd point it out.
You missed the best one of all, Horace.
@BongoBongo I agree 100%. Cyber Shadow really deserves more praise than it received. Such a well crafted game!
Meanwhile, I've seen lots of praise for The Messenger, yet I found it quite meh.
@Freek I wonder why that got pulled? I picked it up on sale but haven’t played it yet. That’s 2 games I’ve noticed that I own that have dropped off the eshop. First was Forgotten Anne.
Guessing publishing rights switching or IP renewal or something for Forgotten, but no clue for Walachia
A list of "retro-throwback" games, yet no Bubsy? Total failure!
Interesting how this isn't really my "genre" but I have most of the ones you have listed. Enjoyed most! Axiom Verge the pick.
@Dm9982
Yeah, it must be something like that.
It was on sale too as I had it on my wishlist and was going to buy it but then realised it was gone.
Tried doing a search for it because I thought I was losing it but sadly it came back with no results.
Strange.
This list literally compiles some of my favourite games EVER and so many that I admire as a developer myself. I see that its and old list that gets semi regularly updated, and being that I have 4 games myself in development that would literally fit in this category, I'm posting this here as some kind of "law of attraction" thing stating that its my ambition to have at least one game be deemed worthy enough to make this list in the future! Fingers crossed.
Huntdown was AMAZING! Cyber Shadow too. Loved those two. Definitely gonna try some of the games on this list!
How the fun yet short Gato Roboto still isn't on this list is beyond me.
Checked list to see if Tiny Thor had been added. Happy. Cracking game, really enjoying it.
No Tunic? It's so inspired by the original Legend of Zelda, the manual is almost an exact copy (design wise) of Zelda's.
nouveau retro I call it,
because I'm pretentious.
Astalon: Tears of the Earth
Axiom Verge
Cyber Shadow
Shovel Knight
These are the gold standard in modern retro games, as far as I'm concerned.
@dartmonkey thanks for this guide. Throwing in my 2 cents in ... the long links' list at the end of the article would certainly gain in clarity with bullet points or maybe a frame/table.
Oh and ... Shredder's Revenge?
Horizon Chase Turbo is also inspired by "Chase HQ".
Nerd alert! Sorry.
Some great stuff here, and some that I want to play now. But where is A Hat In Time?
There should really be some love here for Famicom Detective Club.
Blazing Chrome was a real waste of time and money.
I would advise to play original Contra games one more time instead.
Actually Mechstermination Force would be a way better choice instead of Blazing Chrome.
@Gau Blazing Chrome was badly designed and balanced I thought alright. what was your complaint with it?
Cyber Shadow, although not exactly the same type of game is much much better.
@Glasso it was very boring.
We beat it one night with my brother.
Basically it has nothing new at all. Only the ideas any Contra game has.
Now interesting music, everything is very mediocre. And even the color scheme is not appealing - brownish as far as I remember.
It is way better to play CupHead instead. WAY better.
Btw, shame there are no ports of Contra 4. Really loved it on DS.
Fantastic list! But I gotta add my fav game ever since I started gaming in 1986. Hyper Light Drifter.
Absolute sin not to mention Crosscode (Which upon reading the game review of - I don't even believe was finished by the reviewer.
It's a nostalgic ARPG that references many old games of the genre, has a great and interesting plot, a great spin on the old silent protagonist trope, puzzles in everything from exploring to combat, a massive skill tree to utilize, equipment systems superior so much you can customize how you play the game, and the combat system can be shallow or as deep as you want to dive into it
So many people don't know about this game, please send it some love people!
@dartmonkey glad you added The Eternal Castle! Magical style and emotional experience.
@Bunz Hyper Light Drifter is amazing. I've lost count of how many times I've replayed it. Perfect combination of atmosphere, exploration and intense combat.
Great list! Plenty of legit slappers in here.
Ninja Warriors, but no Wild Arms?
Also I'm gonna beat these to death until Nlife acknowledges their existence:
Prison City and Curse Crackers, dangit!!!
@SpeedRunRocks Was just gonna mention Prison City! Feels like an authentic nes game.
I feel like Iconoclasts should be in here somewhere.
Once again Street Cleaner gets overlooked 😒
Nouveau Retro I call it.
Question for all day one switch owners.
Was Shovel Knight your complimentary (second) game purchase after BOTW like it was mine?
The perfect modern retro game.
I need to finish Gravity Circuit. Just don't want it to end...
@Smurfy0730 I enjoyed Cross Code a lot but the twin sticks gameplay isn't for everyone. I think I would have liked it more as a hack n slash style RPG like Secret of Mana. The story, however, was excellent. Anyone that has played and enjoyed MMORPGs should check it out.
This is what I've always wanted my games to be. The occasional AAA release is fun and all, but I'm an old school guy who always thought there were many ways to improve games without having to make everything out of high-fidelity visuals. Old school look and feel, modern gameplay features. These are my favorite kinds of games. Played a significant chunk of these already, but I need to get onto Chained Echoes and Sea of Stars.
One of my favorites that I didn't see listed here is Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness. The game is absolutely wild, with lots of retro references added to the mix.
Don't forget Super Hiking League DX, a real underrated gem.
Thanks for these. I think I'll give Alisa, Eternal Castle and Lunark a try tonight!
All awesome throwbacks, only one missing is Sword of the Vagrant which is a throwback to Princess Crown and Odin Sphere.
Don't leave me hanging, what was mega man 11 inspired by?
Guys?
. . .Guys. . ?
Guys where is Astebros or Lords of Exile on this list?! Astebros runs on original hardware and Lords of Exile is like Castlevania (although not nearly as polished but deserves mention!)
I'm still waiting for The Messenger and Sonic Mania to go on steep discount. 🤪
Tap here to load 135 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...