Nintendo Direct showcases the newest releases and updates in the world of Nintendo, live streamed straight to your screens and building up our lofty expectations for franchise resurrections. As of late, the indie scene has exploded with the Switch eShop boasting some of the systems best games to date: no wonder they’ve been affectionately dubbed Nindies. And rightly so, as many of them evince the quality and creativity Nintendo is renowned for. Kicking off the Gamescon event, Indie World showcased, not first-party Switch titles but indie titles, most with release dates (I eagerly anticipate Creature in the Well in September!), some of which were released on the day.
There’s pixel-perfectionist platformers, finger flickers from Freedom Finger to One Finger Death Punch 2 – and even the doggo-centric, if highly disturbing, Phogs! featuring a double-ended dog. Whatever genre you’re into, Indie World most likely had you covered, so here’s but a few personal highlights to add to your extensive eLibrary.
Superhot
Published & Developed by: Superhot Team
Release: Out Now!
With each level lasting around 5 to 10 real-life seconds, in Superhot you’ll be shooting, punching, and slashing your way through Redguys (like Redshirts), in a strange digitised world in which time only moves when you do! There’s also the ability to slow time down if you want to feel like Neo, just don’t expect to bend any spoons… Each room should be treated more like a puzzle than a typical FPS, so be observant, make use of your surroundings, and enjoy the surprisingly sharp visuals which creatively use a simplistic, super stylised art style. It’s a super hot experience that has been available on other platforms before and transitions well onto Nintendo’s hybrid console, made better by the fact that it stealth dropped shortly after the Indie World presentation!
Eastward
Developed by: pixpil
Published by: Chucklefish
Release: 2020
In Eastward, strange creatures have invaded and reduced the human population to an all-time low. Meanwhile in a small, unsuspecting town, a digger finds a mysterious young girl in a secret underground facility, setting in motion events to uncover her past. Sound familiar, Stranger Things fans? And you just know that secret underground facilities and strange young girls means creepy backstory and Omen powers… Right?
While the eShop can occasionally feel overrun with pixel art games, Eastward looks unique and engaging, making use of its bright and colourful pixel adventure style that has somewhat of an Earthbound aesthetic charm. It’s also highly expressive thanks to its detailed sprite animation, setting it apart from other pixel offerings! Let’s hope it’s as good as it looks when we travel Eastward next year!
Röki
Developed by: Polygon Treehouse
Published by: United Label
Release: 2019
The beautiful fairytale landscape of Röki sets players in a rich Scandinavian backdrop, presented in a vivid, yet simplistic art style that makes use of simple, complimentary colour pallets. You’re journey will take you through dark forests, distressed mansions, and snowy mountains, as you explore Röki’s captivating world, featuring exploration and puzzle based gameplay. While I’m personally looking forward to seeing how the developers have integrated Scandinavian folklore and mythical creatures into the game, really the most pressing concern is what role the adorable wolf pups will play in the adventure!
The Touryst
Published & Developed by: Shin’en Multimedia
Release: November 14th 2019
This quirky cuboid adventure looks as though the creators took the popular bit-graphics approach and the creative wonder that is Lego to craft a 3D Lego-bit aesthetic style, with puzzle and exploration elements. Taking the Magnum PI approach to facial hair and recreating his iconic ‘80s look in blocky glory – Hawaiian shirts and all – The Touryst puts players in control of… well, a tourist, at the Monument Islands. With opportunities to explore grotty amusement arcades, go deep sea diving (just watch out for sharks and nefarious deep sea tentacle creatures), explore ancient ruins, or tragically dad-dance at a beach party, The Touryst offers an accurate simulation of how it is to visit Hawaii during a post-‘80s midlife crisis, in a rich, colourful world with creative and charming design elements to explore what has already nabbed the attention of Switch Nindie gamers, even before its release!
Blasphemous
Developed by: The Game Kitchen
Published by: Team17
Release: September 10th 2019
A punishing action-adventure platformer with a macabre Castlevania look brings hack-n-slash gameplay with a deep narrative to the Switch eShop! As the jaunty Penitent One, you are the sole survivor of the massacre of the ‘Silent Sorrow’ in a nightmarish world of subverted religious themes and iconography, with a side of grotesque and gruesome monsters and giant bosses.
Wielding the power of the Mea Culpa, The Penitent One channels guilt into power to bring merry slaughter and joyous dismemberment to the hordes. Devastating combos and artefacts may strike a dissonant chord with followers of the Belmont’s adventures, presented in pixel art style some may find to be reminiscent of Symphony of the Night (PS1, 1997), or even its fellow eShop compatriot, Slain: Back From Hell.
Skellboy
Developed by: Umaiki Games
Published by: Fabraz
Release: December 3rd 2019
If the theme tune that plays over the trailer doesn’t immediately tell you this will be a must play, then frankly there’s nothing more to say. Utilising a pixelated Paper Mario style, Skellboy has players rise from the grave to save the day, crushing enemies, rending their limbs and guts, and augmenting themselves (or rather, Skippy the Skeleton…) with their dismembered body parts and weapons. Surprisingly this is a charming… family friendly title.
While fighting endless hordes of undead, Skellboy utilises a unique cardboard popup book presentation, like a cross between Paper Mario and Octopath Traveler, boasting action, adventure, bold colours, charm, and limbitless possibilities!
Hypercharge: Unboxed
Published & Developed by: Digital Cybercherries Ltd.
Release: TBC
Ever wondered what would happen if Small Soldiers met Call of Duty? To be honest it’s surprising this hasn’t been a thing already, and now you’re probably wondering: why hasn’t it? Why was PlayStation’s 1998 Small Soldiers a third-person action game? Thankfully this has been remedied somewhat by Hypercharge: Unboxed, an FPS title that takes your mint in box Action Men and buckets of 2” Army Men figures and throws them into the familiar world of discarded and soon to be lost plastic accessories, broken RC cars, and backyard battlefields. It also features a Tower Defence system, adding an additional layer of strategy, while earning XP allows you to customise figures and unlock new weapons. Whether you hate the smell of polyurethane, like Chip Hazard, or simply curious to see what Andy’s Green Army Men get up to, Hypercharge: Unboxed fills a gap left by the lack of FPS titles in the Switches lineup.
Ori and the Blind Forest
Developed by: Moon Studios
Published by: Microsoft Studios
Release: September 27th 219
The game Nindie players have been clamouring for since Xbox got chummy with Nintendo, Ori and the Blind Forest is a great fit for the Switch and will no doubt find success on the eShop. Such is the nature of the Metroidvania!
There’s no denying the visuals alone will be enough to grab the attention of eShop screen-browsers, but if you happen to “accidentally” download it onto your Switch you’ll find an expertly crafted Metroidvania set in a dying forest, where an orphaned hero must journey to find courage in the face of a dark adversary to save his home. Supposedly taking influences from The Lion King, The Iron Giant, as well as Rayman and Metroid, a curiously eclectic, if nostalgically charming selection, Ori and the Blind Forest’s deeply emotional story, with its hand-painted artwork, detailed animation, and a fully orchestrated soundtrack, will undoubtedly be regarded as a must have title for Switch owners and Xbox players alike! Sorry, PlayStation fans… Maybe one day.
