Welcome back to our ‘Games We Missed’ series, where Nintendo Life readers send in their picks of great games we weren’t able to cover with a review.
We’re up to Part 12 of this twice-yearly round up, and once again you’ve come up with some great-looking recommendations that have us scurrying to the eShop. This time we’ve got a couple of Switch 2 games, as well.
With so many games launching every week, it’s just not possible for us to cover everything – in an ideal world we’d have reviews for all of these and more. Fortunately, you lovely people are here round up some winners we couldn’t catch, and there are some particularly tasty-looking morsels in the net this time.
Thanks to everyone who sent their recommendations – there’s a poll at the bottom, so let us know if you’ve enjoyed any of these, too. In alphabetical order, let’s begin!
We begin with a recommendation from not just an NL reader but also an NL contributor, Nile Bowie, who’s a fan of A Dark Room:
With its minimalist black-and-white style that recalls old ASCII interfaces, A Dark Room has always stuck with me because it feels so sparsely haunting. It starts off as a post-apocalyptic clicker game that gradually introduces resource-management, settlement-building, exploration and light RPG systems. You begin tending a fire and gathering wood, and just when you think you understand what kind of game it is, it becomes something else. It leaves everything to your imagination, but the sound design and UI really lend to the atmosphere. It’s continually mysterious and absorbing once you get going.
Next up, Polvasti wants to highlight Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers:
Just like the first game, this one’s a visual novel set in an alternate universe where arcades are still the main place to play video games in, with the main characters being a diverse bunch of competitive arcade gamers. The story involves them taking part in an arcade tournament, and while there’s a heavy emphasis on a romance sideplot (you can skip this part if it’s not your thing), all in all it’s a surprisingly deep plot dealing with issues like depression and self-worth. Like its predecessor, it’s a well-rounded combination of serious drama, smart humour and romcom hijinks.
You don’t need to have played the first game to understand this sequel, as you get to create a new custom character, and all the other main characters are new as well. There are some cute little references to the previous game for returning players to enjoy, though. For example, if you have a save file of the original Arcade Spirits on your Switch, you get a cameo appearance of the previous player character, looking just like you customised them for the previous game, which is nice.
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Both TheWokesterGamer and busy_killer flagged Trincket Studios’ Battle Suit Aces as one to go back to:
BSA is a lighthearted story driven card battler by the same devs as Battle Chef Brigade. The art style is cute, and it has wonderful LGBT rep.
It’s an indie card battler with an amazing production value. Fully voice acted, endearing characters and gameplay that keeps evolving in engaging ways up to the big finale.
Next up, the amusingly monikered Shat has big love for Big Hops:
3D exploration platformer that isn’t quite as refined as a Mario game, but is incredibly innovative and seriously impressive for a smaller indie game.
Nile Bowie‘s back with a shoutout for Brotato (also on Switch 1):
This twin-stick, auto-fire shooter roguelite is like a stripped-down Vampire Survivors where you control a heavily armed potato as you blast through successive enemy waves. It’s brainless in the best way possible. Runs are short and punchy, and between them, you’ll spend your loot on weapons, stats, and items to build out synergies in completely different ways each time. The actual gameplay is very straightforward, all you do is run around and avoid enemies; the challenge lies in shaping your stats and making smart choices between rounds. Its loop epitomises “just one more try” gameplay that I find myself consistently returning to.
shonenjump86 is flying the flag for Sunsoft’s City Hunter from 1990, which got a re-release on Switch 1 and 2 back in February:
I would like to recommend City Hunter for a hidden gem. It is actually a port of the Turbo Grafx game based off the classic manga/anime. Released outside of Japan for the first time and fully translated in English.
Deadzone: Rogue is a recent Switch 2 release we haven’t managed to catch up on, but it’s tickling the fancy of both Alex (not that one) and SintasSays:
I almost passed on this gem until I read a random comment on NL praising it. I decided to check it out and I’ve spent A LOT of time with it. While it’s nothing like Halo, it gives me Halo vibes. Awesome gunplay, excellent teamwork with seamless voice chat, loads of weapons and perks, and a sci-fi setting with interesting and varied enemies.
It’s basically a rogue-like that you can do solo or with friends or random people online. I pray in the future the devs will update with a mode that allows pvp team deathmatch, which would make this essential. As is, though, don’t let this one pass you by if you like first-person shooters, rogue-likes, or online multiplayers. This game needs attention!
It’s a fantastic roguelike FPS! It’s got slick visuals, satisfying gun play, an ominous sci-fi atmosphere, fantastic variety and enemy design, and an intriguing story! The masses must know of its greatness!
Another recent release that just slipped off our review schedule, Stockpot is screaming for Death Howl:
Death Howl has flown under the radar since its release earlier this year. It is a “soulslike” deck builder where you take a mother on a journey to rescue her son from the underworld. The lo-fi artstyle looks lovely in handheld mode on the Switch, and the core gameplay loop of building and upgrading your decks across the different “worlds” is very satisfying. The game is difficult, and some grinding is required to level up your decks, but it’s a very rewarding game with a powerful message about grief and loss at its core.
Brett Price stumbled across 2020’s Depth of Extinction this past year:
It is a shooter, turn-based, tactical RPG. What sets this game apart is the different rogue like elements you can assign to your squad members. The strategy involved in this was very well thought out. My only fault with the game is the graphical design leaves a little to be desired. Branching scenarios makes it very fun though!
Corvostudio’s Easy Red 2 from 2022 is Jorge‘s pick, although with a caveat:
Runs poorly on Switch, but on Switch 2 is a different story. Best WW2 shooter I’ve ever played, considering it’s a one man job. The game is so cheap that it could be wrongly suspected of shovelware status. But it ain’t.
Glasso is a Filmechanism fan, and we remember this one catching our eye back in 2021. Unfortunately, its mid-December launch left it a casualty of manic end-of-year prep:
My personal entry would be Filmechanism – a puzzle game that deserves more love. The central conceit of “recording” a picture state to go back to allows for almost infinite mind-bending puzzle setups. Good hint system also.
Next up, page two takes us from F to G…
