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198X (Switch eShop)
A passionate love letter to a bygone age, 198X celebrates 2D, arcade-based gaming brilliantly and wraps it up in some of the best hand-drawn art we’ve seen in years. The soundtrack is also exceptional, and, in terms of pure presentation, it’s really hard to fault what’s on offer here.
You can finish it in around an hour, but the experience will remain with you for long after the credits have rolled. While we’re sure many people will consider the game’s shortness a cardinal sin, we… don’t. If you’re a fan of ’80s and ’90s gaming, appreciate lush 2D artwork, and desire an experience which firmly lodges itself in your consciousness, this is it.
A Short Hike (Switch eShop)
A Short Hike is a fat-free experience from top to bottom – or should we say bottom to top? It’s the kind of game that makes us sigh with happiness when we recall our time with it, and even having played it through to its ostensible conclusion multiple times, we know for a fact there are still things to see and do on that mountain.
It’s something of an apotheosis – a milestone in indie games akin to Cave Story or Spelunky. The very best bits of multiple game genres, stripped of all padding and bloat, mixed perfectly into a delicious video game stew that only gets richer the more you play.
An exploration in every sense of the word, A Short Hike is cute without being twee, challenging without being obnoxious, and emotional without being cloying. A landmark game for all ages. Don’t miss this one.
Abzu (Switch eShop)
Abzû is certainly a standout release on the eShop, offering up an experience that breaks from the norm of goal-based gaming in favour of something that’s more focused on simply existing in a world and enjoying all its little intricacies.
Those of you who appreciate casual adventures like taking a walk in a forest will be sure to enjoy what Giant Squid has to offer, as the dreamlike visuals, entrancing orchestral score, and deliberately sedate pace do a fantastic job of drawing the player into this alien world. Abzû isn’t a game about winning, but about the journey you take getting there.
Ape Out (Switch eShop)
The Nintendo eShop would be a considerably more exciting and interesting place if it were packed full of games like Ape Out. It’s a refreshingly original experience that more than deserves a place in any Switch owner’s library.
Difficult, frenetic gameplay, strong art direction, and an even stronger jazz drum soundtrack make this the sort of memorable game that you’ll likely keep coming back to over and over for another few runs in arcade mode. Ape Out gets a strong recommendation to anyone looking for a distinct and unforgettable game for their Switch collection; it’s a bit of an acquired taste, but well worth your time.
Before I Forget (Switch eShop)
Before I Forget is a short, beautiful experience that nevertheless approaches a challenging and rather sombre subject. It takes creative bravery to share a game that represents the impact of dementia, and to do so sensitively and as accurately as possible; it achieves this goal.
We not only suffer the disease with Sunita, but engage with the successes and joys of her life. Before I Forget finds a careful balance that is to be commended.
Botany Manor (Switch eShop)
It looks like The Witness and it plays a bit like StreetPass Garden, but Botany Manor blooms into something that’s not only entirely its own, but also something quite special. Don’t let its cosy aesthetics fool you — Botany Manor is packed with nicely challenging, well-designed puzzles, and isn’t afraid to tackle heavy subjects, too.
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda (Switch eShop)
This one might be a little too much for a single session depending on how quickly you pick up the beat-based mechanic, but unless you’re a speedrunner, you won’t find a faster Zelda game.
Brace Yourself Games crafted a unique entry which fits in perfectly with the rest of the family. A transfusion from Crypt of the NecroDancer gives the old top-down template a fresh spin, but it still manages to feel like Zelda, like a celebration – specifically of the franchise’s music, a part of the series destined to take a back seat as the majesty of Hyrule is increasingly conveyed through the scale of its world rather than melodies from the days when the ‘kingdom’ was a walled garden.
Cadence of Hyrule is not just a brilliant game; it’s a brilliant Zelda game.
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despelote (Switch eShop)
With its distinctive presentation and light-touch mechanics, Despelote builds a mesmerising feeling of a community brought together by a fleeting football obsession. The historic moment of Ecuador’s journey towards World Cup qualification grounds the story in time and place, perfectly capturing the author’s salad days. Whether you play, watch, or avoid football, this is a beautifully-told story you can enjoy.
Donut County (Switch eShop)
Donut County is perfect if you’re looking for a short, relaxing, funny puzzle game. It’s an enjoyable experience that has just enough charm to justify its existence, and although some might find the relatively high price tag a tough pill to swallow for three hours max of content, it’s a tasty little treat that you can devour in a single sitting. Short and sweet, indeed.
Downwell (Switch eShop)
Another one where your skill will really dictate how short it is, this is an excellent port of a game that feels like it’s found a natural home on Switch, thanks to a plethora of control options and the console’s natural facility with vertical orientation. Short of popping your 4K TV on its side, Switch offers the very best way to play Downwell. Its roguelike structure and twitch platforming might not be for everyone, but you should really give it a chance.
For our money, it’s a modern classic that should be in everyone’s collection.
Firewatch (Switch eShop)
Firewatch is just as engrossing and enchanting on Switch as it was the first time around. From the warm glow of its forests in the morning summer light to the subtle tension of exploring a rocky gorge in the isolating silence of night, Shoshone National Forest is a character in its own right.
With a story that’s both funny and heartbreaking – and enhanced by some brilliant performances by its two central actors – this is an essential purchase, irrespective of whether you’re playing it for the first time on Switch or simply using it as an excuse to revisit an old favourite.
Florence (Switch eShop)
Florence is an evocation of the beauty, sadness and hope that comes from any human connection we make in our lives, whether with art, nature or another person.
It’s a succinct and incredibly successful exploration of moments you’ll recognise from your own life, and the way it mirrors thoughts and feelings through small gameplay mechanics makes it one of the most affecting experiences we’ve enjoyed on Switch, or any other platform.
Gato Roboto (Switch eShop)
With tight controls, retro-styled minimal art style and a superb sense of progression, Gato Roboto is the perfect Metroidvania 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 its quality is such that you may end up wishing it lasted a little longer.
Nevertheless, it’s chock full of meaningful upgrades, secrets, and spectacular boss battles to keep you joyously busy for a few hours.
Gone Home (Switch eShop)
Years on from its 2013 release, there’s no denying the cultural and developmental impact Fullbright’s Gone Home has had on the game industry. Both as a near-perfect exercise in interactive storytelling and an example of how to handle complex and very real ideas in a game, only Life is Strange has ever come close to matching its significance.
While there still isn’t much ‘game’ to be found in this 2018 Switch port, the story you unravel through exploring an empty home will stay with you long after you’ve put down your console. Essential.
Gorogoa (Switch eShop)
The Switch’s eShop is saturated with bucketloads of high-quality content. This is great in one way, of course, but stumbling across hidden gems within it will get tougher as time goes on. Gorogoa is one such gem; a puzzle game quite unlike any other that deserves your attention.
It is a little on the short side, but the creativity that has been put into its design, and the effect it will have on you during your time exploring its gorgeous world, is something that you’ll want to experience. If you’re looking for something new to try, this would be an excellent choice.
