Today Nintendo hosted a Nintendo Switch Nindies Showcase. The goal was to announce, reveal, and show off all the upcoming indie games coming for Nintendo Switch this year.
Indie games that appear on Nintendo consoles are often referred to as “nindies.” It’s okay to cringe a bit. But there’s a solid new lineup coming to Nintendo Switch thanks to a bevy of great looking indie titles.
“Our teams have been working closely with independent publishers and developers to secure a constant flow of innovative content that showcases the fun of playing games,” says Damon Baker, Sr. Manager of PR at Nintendo. “This is the magic of independent developers. Their efforts help us make Nintendo platforms something special.”
Here’s the skinny on all the upcoming indie games as presented in the Showcase.
SteamWorld Dig 2 is a sequel to SteamWorld Dig, originally released on Nintendo 3DS. The game’s Metroid-like gameplay features side-scrolling adventures in a subterranean environment full of traps and foes. Steamworld Dig 2 is coming this Summer.
Yooka-Lalyee is coming to Nintendo Switch. Yooka-Laylee was originally due to launch on Wii U, but switched gears due to Nintendo’s new console. The classic 3D platforming is meant to strongly evoke themes and gameplay of the Banjo-Kazooie series, right down to the title. The multi-million Kickstarter project funded in 2015 and is also launching on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
OverCooked is coming to Nintendo Switch in a Special Edition that includes all the DLC. It supports up to four players in local multiplayer.
The next three titles all come from publisher Raw Fury Games. Gonner stars Ick in a rogue-like platformer with a simplified but flashy art style. It features Rogue-like gameplay as you search for items to feed your giant whale friend. It releases first on Nintendo Switch as a timed exclusive.
Dandara is another 2D action-platformer coming in 2017 with exclusive HD Rumble support. This one looks more action-oriented. I’m getting some seriously nice Castlevania vibes.
Kingdom: Two Crowns features a new two player co-op mode. Like the original Kingdom, players must gather and spend coins to promote and defend their growing kingdom.
Runner 3 is coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch this Fall. The side-scrolling sequel to Runner 2 and Bit Trip Runner once again tasks players with non-stop sprinting through a level while avoiding the myriad of deadly obstacles.
A surprising sequel to the old 80s action game Blaster Master is getting a modernized sequel in Blaster Master Zero. The graphical style and gameplay look very close to what I remember of the original, with vehicular and on-foot run-and-gun gameplay. Blaster Master Zero launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS on March 9.
Flipping Death immediately caught my eye with its unique paper-like art style. The 2D gameplay lets you flip between the land of the living and the dead as your ghostly protagonist possesses people and objects. The puzzle-adventure game is coming to Nintendo Switch later this year.
Graceful Explosion Machine is designed to really show off the HD Rumble and Joy-Con controls. The side-scrolling shooter launches first on Nintendo Switch this April.
Mr. Shifty from TinyBuild features a teleporting protagonist where a single gunshot will end you. The top-down action relies on quick reflexes, and benefits from the Nintendo Switch’s HD Rumble. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch first this April.
Tumbleseed: A Rolling Roguelike features a unique control scheme as you balance your little seed on a beam. You can tilt your beam to rock your seed back and forth through procedurally generated levels. Tumbleseed arrives this Spring.
What if the developers of 8-bit love-letter Retro City Rampage built a game for the 16-bit era? You’d end up with a game that plays like Retro City Rampage but looks more like a Super Nintendo title. In a word, awesome. Shakedown Hawaii will be another timed exclusive when it arrives first on Nintendo Switch this April.
The last three titles come from beloved indie publisher Chucklefish Games. Pocket Rumble is a pixelated 2D fighter that offers many different control schemes courtesy of the Nintendo Switch. It’s launching exclusively on Nintendo Switch this March.
Wargroove is a newly announced turn-based strategy game. It looks like exactly what you’d get if an indie developer made a fantasy version of Advance Wars. I am completely on board with this, especially with local and online multiplayer. Wargroove launches later this year.
Nintendo saved the best for last. It’s my game of the year last year, Stardew Valley. The darling indie farming sim is coming to Stardew Valley this Summer with one big piece of news: it will be the first console to support the upcoming multiplayer addition.
