Welcome to the tenth instalment of our 'Games We Missed' series.
Twice a year we round up a bunch of stragglers, many of which we had on our list to review but just couldn't get to due to the sheer number of games launching every week, some of which totally slipped through the net.
As always, we asked Nintendo Life readers to send in suggestions for games they thought deserved platforming with a little love, and you've responded with 38 Switch releases old and new. While we can't vouch for them ourselves, there are plenty here that we've got wishlisted, and even a couple sitting in the backlog.
Thanks to everyone who sent recommendations - you'll find their names in their corresponding entries (sometimes multiple). You'll also find a trailer where available, and a poll at the end so you can have your say about the games below you've played. We begin with something short and sweet...
Haiku the Robot (Switch eShop)
This one, recommended by darkswabber, launched at a very busy time when our review doc was absolutely jam-packed, and sadly fell by the wayside.
I was surprised you guys never reviewed Haiku the Robot. It’s a Metroidvania taking heavy inspiration from Hollow Knight and it’s fairly short. Heavy emphasis on dodging and using your abilities. Gorgeous pixel art.
FUR Squadron (Switch eShop)
KoiTenchi is a fan of FUR Squadron, a game "unapologetically inspired by the original SNES Star Fox."
It’s not the deepest game and it’s incredibly short (only 30 minutes from start to finish) but I had a lot of fun. 2 more difficulties are unlockable which adds some replay but even then you can beat everything in around 2 hours. It may sound like it’s not worth much but considering it has been on sale for less than $3, it’s definitely worth that for Star Fox fans! Considering Star Fox games seem to come out only about once every 8 years now, this scratched that itch.
Chaos Code -New Sign Of Catastrophe- (Switch eShop)
2020's Chaos Code -New Sign Of Catastrophe- is a fighter close to Vyacheslav333's heart
It's a very good and underrated FG. It is the only one known FG that features otaku as the main protagonist, and an enjoyable one as well. It's accessible, and great as SNK's FGs of the NEO•GEO era.
I am an Air Traffic Controller AIRPORT HERO Centrair 20TH ANNIVERSARY (Switch eShop)
ozwally wants to flag a long-running air-traffic control series:
I've been enjoying a series on Switch for years now which probably has flown under many peoples radars called Airport Hero. Specifically their latest entry Airport Hero Centrair 20th Anniversary Edition has some great attention to detail, very nice graphics and offers up a great degree of (puzzle?) challenge. This series on Switch has just been improving year on year and I just feel now is the time I need to give this a big shout out!
Woodle Tree 2: Deluxe (Switch eShop)
Lauren Allbritain is advocating for Woodle Tree 2: Deluxe.
It's an open-world collectathon with a cute art style. In it, you need to find 24 Water Tears, 3 in each biome, which will revive the 8 Tree Sages. There are also Red Berries to upgrade weapons and buy equipment and costumes. Blue Berries are used to buy moves for Woodle. Occasionally, you'll stumble upon decor for Woodle's house.
Arcade Archives Burning Force (Switch eShop)
OwenOtter sent in recommendations for both this Arcade Archives release and Nova2001.
Arcade Archives: Burning Force is a member of the Arcade Archives series I'd personally been longing for since Namco games began appearing there! The game is originally from arcades in Japan in 1989, though a US release of the Sega Genesis port did exist. It's a fun take on the Space Harrier style of "super scaler" games, with the protagonist Hiromi using a hoverbike and fighter jet to pass a gruelling flight course to become a starship pilot! The music is fantastic, and the gameplay is traditional arcade tough!
Howl (Switch eShop)
Another one released in a manic period, Chris Ferguson is a fan of Howl.
Howl is a fantastic puzzle/strategy game. Short, focused & playable in short chunks. A perfect game for busy parents like myself trying to squeeze in game time when I can!
Muv-Luv Alternative Remastered (Switch eShop)
FX29 Luvs 'em some Muv:
The one game I'd like to highlight is a Visual Novel that isn't unknown in the West but has a cult following in Japan called: Muv-Luv Alternative. It's often considered to be one of the best Visual Novels of all time.
This is actually a sequel but I won't focus on the original for now. Without spoiling anything it's a Sci-Fi visual novel where the main plot is humanity is on the brink of extinction trying to fight against an alien race called the BETA. It has elements of alternate timelines and psychological horror. Despite the goofy name this is not a RomCom or dating sim and it can get very dark but has an interesting story to it.
I highly recommend it to anyone who likes visual novels as it has a great story, only thing that holds it back is you'll need to play the first game to truely appreciate the sequel.
Sanabi (Switch eShop)
Action-platformer Sanabi is a favourite of Abdalla Khalifa.
A 2D platformer made by a Korean team with great pixel art, super fluid combat and and an amazing engrossing story. The game really looks great in motion and just feels great to play. Would really be a speed runner's dream game.
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DNF Duel: Who's Next (Switch)
Another Arc System Works fighter, DNF Duel: Who's Next is the pick of leo, who seems to have frame rates on the brain.
my gem is dnf duel. it is, dragon ball fighterz aside, the only 2.5d fighting game at the time that has local wireless and no frame drops. stellar music! absolute gem in my local wireless, lag and fps drop free ultimate collection of nintendo switch 1 games! for example xenoverse 2, re 6 and frogwares sherlock holmes games got deleted because in my collection theres no framedrops. but look how amazing alan wake, grid autosport and dying light look with their stable 30 fps!
Iron Meat (Switch eShop)
OorWullie enjoys a slice of Iron Meat, giving it "a strong recommendation."
If you are a fan of run and gun games like Contra, you'll surely enjoy Iron Meat. It has fantastic pixel art , perhaps some of the best I've seen for this style of game, it sounds great and has lots of gore and explosions.
It controls just as you'd hope a Contra like game would control. It is challenging but not to the level of Contra and is very generous with lives. Stages are quite long, with some areas almost puzzle like in how you approach clearing the enemies.
Leo's Fortune (Switch eShop)
Mason is a big fan of platformer Leo's Fortune.
It’s so much fun, the graphics are beautiful and absolutely stunning for the hardware, and although a regrettably short experience (only 2-3 hours) you can get it for only $7, $3 when it’s on sale. Absolutely worth it. One of my favorite 2D platformers.
BZZZT (Switch eShop)
Pixel-platformer BZZZT is definitely worth a look, says Jeff2sayshi.
It's a precision platformer, though nowhere near as tough as Super Meat Boy. The controls are tight, the levels are just bite-sized enough that you're always saying ok, just one more level, and when you die, restarts are instant. There are also extra collectibles to extend gameplay length.
Comments 46
I really like this feature - thank you for doing it. And thanks to all the contributors, as well.
Can you also give out free money so I can try all these games?
I've been thinking about how it might be nice - cue shock and outrage - if Nintendo created a new subscription service or added to their current one (with a price increase, of course) the ability to just play anything for a monthly rate.
Something to correct about Annalynn.
It's only published by Summitsphere (and just the Switch version), not made by the developers of Anton Ball and Anton Blast.
However, because of this publishing deal, it exclusively features Anton as a bonus playable character!
Yay, KH made it
And my wishilst grew by a couple of titles yet again.
I’m really amused right now. When you put out the article asking for recommendations the other day, I put in my recommendation for A Tiny Sticker Tale. I ALMOST also put in a recommendation for Fur Squadron too since I saw it didn’t have a review or anything but held off on doing so as it has been a while since I played Fur Squadron and it was no longer super fresh in my head.
Cue my surprise reading this article and seeing myself recommending Fur Squadron! I guess I must have put that in quite a while ago back when the game was fresher in my mind!
Most of these are new to me. Thanks! 😊
super glad to see a year of springs get here, it's one of my favourite VNs eva
Of these recommendations I only have Annalynn. Definitely a game I can recommend to anyone that wants a mix of Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Mario Bros.
Crossniq+ now has my attention.
Nice , my recommendation made the cut.
I reckon Iron Meat is better than Blazing Chrome.
My username is missing its e. 😅
Iron Meat is love if you like classic Contra
Not on the list, but I urge you to play Gravity Circuit. It is a modern indie classic not enough people talk about.
Haiku was awesome! I couldn’t beat the final boss though
@OorWullie @RupeeClock Thanks, I've made edits in both cases.
@MatoFilipovic Gravity Circuit featured back in October '23 - I still need to catch up with it!
BZZZT was excellent, Sanabi is still waiting in the Backlog.
I've read somewhere in the comments (here, on NL) that Switch versions of Muv-Luv games had some technical issues, so it didn't make the cut to my wishlist...
That Pinball Quest game looks interesting.
I've been making my way through Haiku myself. Fantastic little Metroidvania.
Yeah the story of Muv Luv Alternative was top tier. It felt like the most emotionally exhausting rollercoaster of a story that I've played through so far. Who can forget memorable moments like the chomp scene.
My reaction:
OH MY GOD. THAT SCENE. THAT FREAKING SCENE. WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL. THAT WAS SO HORRIBLE. OH GOD. JUST..... WHY.
However, I'm not sure if I can recommend the Switch version. From my experience with the Japanese physical copy, the sound quality of the voice acting and the image quality of the background art was terrible. I don't know if this is just an issue on my end or not, but it ruined the experience.
Here's an example of what the game looked and sounded like:
video
Also Meiya is definitely best girl.
Yeah I love this feature too. It’s well needed. Plenty gems of games are at risk of being buried under shovelware.
@AussieMcBucket eShop subscription service is a fantastic idea actually.
I own and have played DNF duel and Chaos Code. Both solid 2D fighters that I'd like to add my voice to the recommendations. Gigabash is on my backlog. My youngest has played it and enjoyed it. Muv Luv and Silt on my wishlist.
I must confess I haven't heard of many of the other games and I like to think I have my finger to the pulse with regard to the Switch eShop.
This is a great feature.
Thank you to all the contributors as well
Ok, I guess my review of Tyrants Blessing got rejected? That hurts…
Y’know, thanks to the new games coverage at @NintendoLife, I’d purchased a chunk of these at release. Thanks for getting these kinds of games more exposure. The world needs more heroes like you guys that get the good word out about lesser known indies.
I wish they would have ported over
Bumby's Party
from the WiiU to the Switch!
We also need N.E.S. Remix 1 & 2!
And no! N.E.S. Championship does NOT count!
Still no Smurfs? Smurf haters!!!
Promise Mascot Agency was already on my wishlist, especially given it was made by the same devs as the excellent Paradise Killer. Adding Botworld Odyssey as well, it looks really fun.
Came here to advise that Spark the Electric Jester 3 hasn’t even released on the Switch yet and walked away with the newfound knowledge that Spark the Electric Jester 3 released for Switch last year 🤣
Thank god for these hidden gem lists. How did that game arrive with such a low key non-existent launch?
Why no love for Guns of Fury...? What did that game do to you?
I'm glad my suggestion made it through. Thankyou.
Twilight Monk really is gorgeous and plays so smoothly on Switch.
Sanabi is also brilliant.
I'll be grabbing Guns of Fury next.
Alpaca Ball: Allstars with close to 8 players can be full chaos fun
@ibookboyuk Yeah? Awesome! Let's do it then!
There's two that come to mind for me:
Bloodless
Gravity Circuit
I love these articles. I've found a lot of good games through them in the past. As well as the ones I submitted, it's really great to see Haiku the robot, Leo's Fortune and Bzzzt get some love; those are great games.
Of the ones here I haven't played, Tevi and Endling are already on my wishlist and Youropa is on my backlog. Woodle Tree I've wondered about before so it may go on my wishlist. Howl and Sanabi and Twilight monk all look neat and were not on my radar.
@Sonicka The only reason I found out about Spark 3's release is because I was already a big fan of the game and had subscribed to LakeFeperd's channel 😀
Haiku is SO GOOD!
@Princess_Lilly
How much of the mythology makes it into KH?
I still want a Guns of Fury review!
Added to my wishlist:
@Mariotag I would say a fair amount, but not too much. Most enemies are based on Youkai/Yuurei, so you have scythe wielding weasels (kamaitachi), little spirits (kodama), tengu, big ogres (oni), and so on.
The game doesn't have dialogues though, and the main plot seems to be its own thing, so it's not fully based on Japanese myths like Okami, which tells the tales of Susano'o, Issun Boushi, Amaterasu etc.
Are you interested in Japanese folklore?
@AussieMcBucket Yep! Let’s do it. 🥰
Annalynn. What a wonderful game.
I saw it here and know I love 2D platformers. And it combines Super Mario, PAC-MAN and Donkey Kong? Turns out that is an accurate description. Game plays GREAT. Well worth £4.29.
Definitely adding a few of these to the wishlist. Which Way Up: Galaxy Games, Chaos Code (which is currently on sale for $1.99 inthe US--80% off until 5/12)(It doesn't have online play, for the record), A Year of Springs, and CROSSNIQ+. I've had my eye on DNF Duel, but I kind of need it to get to a price where I could fiddle with it for a weekend and get my money's worth.
@ibookboyuk
@Princess_Lilly
I enjoy it a decent bit. I watched Inuyasha, greatly enjoying it. Then Touhou, and eventually became obsessed with kitsune.
Seeing there being a fox person playable, and a mention of folklore is almost enough to make me go get it on the spot. Alas, not enough funds for everything.
@AndrewWhiten Thank you so much for recommending Annalynn. I love it. Great game.
I’m glad this article reminded me Spark the Electric Jester came to Switch. I kept hearing about that series before it came to Switch and somehow this slipped past me. Onto the wishlist it goes!
A few of these I remember from Indie World presentations. So it's weird that they didn't make a splash after that.
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