SongPop Party (Switch eShop)
Conversely, Eli likes to get the party started with music trivia:
SongPop Party has been the biggest small game for me, my family and friends this year! It's a music quiz that works as an incredible party game, especially for people that aren't into video games because of the easy controls and simple rules! We got it while it was on sale in the eShop for £1.79 so it was an absolute steal considering how many hours we have put into it. Would even consider getting it at full price because we have had so much fun with it (although the RRP [£17.99] is a little steep).
Scar of the Doll: A Psycho-Horror Story about the Mystery of an Older Sister (Switch eShop)
Themagusx1 recommends the remake of '90s visual novel Scar of the Doll:
I recommend A great visual novel called Scar of the Doll. It’s short a good four hours or so, but it tells a compelling story of a woman trying to find her sister who has vanished. The plot has a lot of twists and turns.
Horgihugh And Friends (Switch eShop)
16_bit_game_beast has cute shmup Horgihugh And Friends on their To Recommend list:
It’s a feelgood, cartoony Shoot ‘Em Up that’s moderately challenging, and incredibly fun.
It’s got really fun and bright graphic and level designs, great music, tight control physics that are very responsive, and great bosses.
There are 7 levels, each having a unique boss at the end with several attack patterns. As you go along blowing stuff up you collect gems to buy 1ups, character upgrades, etc, as well to spend at an item which allows for a good sense of progress, and isn’t something a lot of recent shmups have had.
Mr. Sun's Hatbox (Switch eShop)
Mr. Sun's Hatbox has been selected for the spotlight by Ooyah:
Mr Sun's Hatbox is my GOTY so far. When a delivery is stolen, the driver goes to ludicrous lengths to get it back, turning the basement of Mr Sun's shop into a fearsome base of operations. Build your base, recruit employees, kit them out, and send them on a variety of bizarre side-view missions. You can kill everyone, or try to be stealthy... but chaos will ensue. This is a crazy, zany, bizarre game which is massive fun, and insanely addictive. This game is what would happen if Solid Snake was the role model of the Mr. Men.
9th Dawn III (Switch eShop)
Dan reckons that 9th Dawn III is well worth your time:
9th Dawn III is a hidden gem in the Switch that I keep coming back to and have purchased on every console I own. It's basically a 2D top-down Elder Scrolls. It's an action RPG with a huge open world and tons of quests, loot, crafting, etc. You level up by using your skills and there is a good bit of build/playstyle variety. You can sink 100 hours into this one.
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Vernal Edge (Switch eShop)
LikelySatan has enjoyed their time with Vernal Edge, which came out in March this year:
It's like if Treasure made Skies of Arcadia. The overworld is like a PS1 take on SoA. Combat reminds me of Odin Sphere. It's sooooooo good.
Also I love this place so thank you for that.
Killer Chambers (Switch eShop)
pigcop recommends Killer Chambers, an "action-platformer/memory-game hybrid" from 2020:
Killer Chambers is a true hidden gem. A very challenging and unique precision puzzle platformer. It has a ton of levels and really amusing and funny dialogues.
Flipon (Switch eShop)
And finally, edgeforth 64 is back with a shoutout for Flipon.
I'm recommending Flipon, it's a Tetris Attack homage. It's a rocking good time, you are to match tiles on a rising board before they reach the top of the screen. Classic gaming at its finest.
Our thanks to everyone who responded. Let us know below if you've sampled any of the games above and if you agree with the recommendations. We're off to scour the Switch eShop and catch up with some of these.
If you've got a recommendation for us, you can send them to us by following the guidelines and instructions below:
Submission guidelines
- 100-word limit - Keep it brief! A history of the genre and deep-dive into every mechanic is unnecessary. Concentrate on what the game is about, what sets it apart from other games, and why you enjoyed it.
- One entry per game - Feel free to send your thoughts on multiple games, but there's no need to duplicate.
- Choose only games that we haven't reviewed on the site - To check if a Nintendo Life review exists, simply type the name of the game into the search box at the very top of the page (look for the magnifying glass icon in the top left corner) and click on the game page that appears. If there's no review, and it doesn't appear in a previous Reader Recommendations feature (which will also appear on the game page if it exists), you're good to go!
How to send a recommendation
- Head to Nintendo Life's Contact page and select the subject "Switch eShop Hidden Gems" from the drop-down menu (it's already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email, and beautifully crafted message into the appropriate box, hit send, and Bob's your uncle!
Comments 71
Only one I've played here is Loopers. Excellent little VN.
i would have recommended 4 or maybe 5 tops on this list
Oh man, almost every game here looks like one I'd really enjoy! GREAT picks everyone! I'd love full reviews of all of these please NLife staff!
Belle Boomerang looks like the closest to something I'd make myself (which is a big compliement from me as I only make things that are 100% to my taste and want to wish into existence!) I love the character and the aesthetics are right on point.
That Squad 51 absolutely nails the visual style of those old movies, its uncanny! Even during gameplay teh ships move like they are on strings, like an early Gerry Anderson show. Whatever shader they are adding to the gameplay really replicates the look of black and white 35mm film excellently.
I feel bad just singling out 2 though as all of these look really cool, unique, creative and fun. Exactly why I love the current indie scene!
Belle Boomerang is now on my Wish List!!! Not sure how I missed this one before
Has the Nintendo Life Mailbox been cancelled then?
The "You Suck At Parking" theme song is up there with Cruis'n World's one.
With a name like Pipe Push I kinda was expecting a game about escaping crack addiction 😂
Hidden In Plain Sight is so awesome even my wife - who hates playing video games - likes it.
Vernal Edge and 9th Dawn III both look pretty neat!
Too bad You Suck At Parking doesn't have local multiplayer; that would have been an easy purchase.
I recommended Raindrop sprinters but it didnt make the list. Maybe next time.
I don't know if I recommended it, but Metallic Child
One of the most memorable experiences I had with a game I bought on a whim because of the artstyle
Sidenote:
Flipon is based on a great game that was once in the Nintendo Membership (SNES or NES I think), that game messed me up badly. Looks like kids' game, plays like Dark Souls
Do any of these come with demos?
I love this feature, I hope to see it regularly. I've already played 4 of the games you showed in this article. Squad 51 vs...., Inbento, Banner of the Maid & Loopers. All good.
I'd love to try Bot Vice, Void Scrappers & Blade of Darkness which I admit I didn't know existed. And I like browsing reviews of games across the internet.
@Ironcore Because it was already reviewed by NL: https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/raindrop-sprinters
Seeing Belle Boomerang when I opened up Nintendo Life was such a treat! Thank you guys for including it!
@Ironcore I love Raindrop Sprinters! I really enjoyed chatting to the dev @room_909 in the comments on this site, and I've been playing it ever since 😻
@Narwhalnut As mentioned above, I LOVE the look of your game, its gone right to the top of my "must buy" indie list! 😍 Once I'm done with Sonic Superstars and Mario Wonder it will perfectly continue my spree of 2d retro platforming goodness! Really appreciate the hand drawn 2d cover art too! Fits the early 90s style perfectly.
Scar of the Doll and Loopers are highlights in this list for me.
Play Gravity Circuit.
My recommendation would be Emma: Lost in Memories. Nice relaxing puzzle platform game.
Surprisingly I never heard most of these games or played any of these games. (Or I just forgot about them.)
Banner Of The Maid was also in the second article in this series. Not sure if the duplicate was on purpose or accident.
Belle Boomerang Is the only game on this list I've played and it is definitely a cute little game.
Most of these I haven't heard of, but there are a few I'm going to research more and may check out.
Also, thank you NintendoLife for tagging this article on each of the 28 game overview/news sections so we can notice the mini-review when we're randomly browsing.
Glad to see my recommendation here
Thanks for this list. The Mamekujira visual novels look good (Scar of the Doll, etc.). And I've played Garlic for a bit before. It's a nice, frustrating, funny challenge.
I'd also recommend:
Eternum EX
Fingun
Q-Yo Blaster
Savage Halloween
@samuelvictor Thank you so much! I saw your comment above and it lit up my day Haha, I'll be playing Sonic Superstars and Mario Wonder right with you! I hope you enjoy Belle Boomerang!
Hidden in plain sight is one of the most fun accessible games on switch if you have two or more players
Forgot about Squad 51! Added to wishlist.
I love this because it shows some good-looking games that totally passed me by. I plan to check out Squad 51 vs. the Flying Saucers looks very unique and appears to take some inspiration from Sine Mora, another great shooter now on Switch. Blade of Darkness also looks like it would be something I might enjoy as someone who was too busy with college and work in the early 2000s to check out games like that when they were new.
Excellent finds, Nintendo Life fans and writers!
Thank you Nintendo Life for acknowledging my review and for helping me gain exposure to Banner of the Maid. I enjoyed it so much and I want it to get into the hands of fellow SRPG fiends like myself. Appreciate it.
If i were to cast a vote i would have go with Ultimate chicken horse, i was playing yesterday with my kids, the game its the most fun we have had since mario kart. Anyone who lives in a place with many people that game or do have gaming friends over regularly should give it a shot
@FishyS I wasn't aware of it being mentioned in the 2nd article of the series. All apologies...
I hadn't seen an official review when I did a cursory glance, I think I was just too excited to give an underrated gem some love.
@Narwhalnut I just downloaded the demo for PC and played it through, its EXCELLENT. I love everything about the presentation, the variety of locations and the world building even in just that little snippet of the demo is perfect!
I 100% definitely will buy it to play after I've finished Sonic & Mario, I'm very impressed, and looking forward to seeing more 😊
I haven't played a single one of these (although I have played the original Oregon Trail a long time ago).
@BodkinDQ No harm, I was just surprised to see Banner of the Maid again after remembering it from a previous 'Games We Missed' article. I have no idea if NintendoLife staff purposefully added it a second time or just didn't notice. 😝 I suspect they get repeat suggestions a lot.
Hidden in Plain Sight is one of the best multiplayer games on Switch, even though the graphics unimpressive.
I'm really interested in checking out Blade of Darkness.
Gravity Circuit, guys.
I have Vernal Edge physical on preorder from Red Art Games.
Can't wait.
Oh man, Gravity Circuit looks pretty tight. Just too bad that like many games in this list it's pixel art.
Was worth the look in any ways.
How is Faerie Afterlight coming out on Switch ?
@Jack_Goetz Ah it had to be a game not reviewed already? I missed that part my bad.
Inbento is on sale for $1.99 until 10/22/23
I decided to get it mainly because it looked cute~ 🤷♀️🤣💕
Happy Gaming! (^_^)
@PikaPhantom No problem.
@Freek Is it sold out? I'm thinking of getting the Play Asia physical copy. It's an incredible game.
@LikelySatan
No it isn't yet.
Grab it while you can.
Looking forward to it.
Glad it is excellent.
@Freek I look forward to hearing impressions when you pick it up.
I gotta pick up Robodunk. I miss dumb arcade sports games like that.
@Yalloo It's some of the nicest pixel art I've seen in a game, at least consider getting it on a sale if you're that biased against it
@LikelySatan Y'know, it's funny seeing you constantly compare Gravity Circuit to Mischief Makers when I asked the lead developer of the game if it was an inspiration or not and was told "nah, Bangai-O was the Treasure game we pulled inspiration from, I'm aware of Mischief Makers but it wasn't really something that influenced the game"
@PikaPhantom Neat! I don't really see it, but that's rad. I love Bangaio. Mischief Makers is the comparison I go to because of the way the game plays... It's close up combat, and a lot of grappling and throwing enemies at eachother. That's super cool you got to talk to the developers. Interesting especially since anyone who has played it would see it immediately.
@LikelySatan Haha, it was just through an open Q&A channel in the game's Discord. Definitely hope Mischief Makers comes to NSO eventually so I can give it a proper whirl
I still can’t believe NLife never reviewed Little Witch Nobeta, Chronos: Before the Ashes, or Remnant: From the Ashes. All really good games.
I had no idea Squad 51 had released
I'm surprised a game as unique looking as this hasn't been reviewed by NL yet. 9/10 on Steam.
It's weird that robodunk is on here, it literally just came out.
@locky-mavo I guess Remnant must be great in MP. I tried SP, and got pretty tired of the enemies hitting me through giant, thick walls.
@BodkinDQ @FishyS Nope, that's my fault, I missed that we'd covered it previously!
In order not to duplicate, I've moved Bodkin's recommendation to the BotM entry in the other article and subbed in another recommendation here that arrived late on Friday eve after I'd scheduled this.
@Uncle_Franklin Nope, it'll be back next weekend.
Okay, this is the THIRD time, my entry for Super Crate Box has been ignored. Kinda taking it personally now. Hard not to really.
@The_Pixel_King When did you send it? It may have gotten lost — if you can resend, I'll mark it down for the next one.
Edit. Scratch that, I've just found it in the inbox from last September! I must have forgotten to tag after reading, but it's in the right folder now and will be in Part 8.
So many great picks here, thanks everyone for the recommendations!
Out of all of these, I heard only about Gravity Circuit. Played it, loved it.
Every game here looks great.
Gravity Circuit
"89" on MetaCritic for PC
"Overwhelmingly Positive" user rating on Steam, the highest possible recommendation.
They're all great picks, but Circuit Superstars looks especially interesting to arcade racing fans like me. Seems like a perfect fit for Switch.
Currently playing Hazelnut Hex, witch (pun intended) is absolutely phenomenal!
@Narwhalnut Congratulations on the spotlight. I’m really hoping that the game gets reviewed more in the future to help gather publicity for your wonderful title. Looking forward to whatever is next (and I’m still down to buy a t-shirt if you make merch). Sometimes a retro title is special and yours is one of them.
@jamesRainbowBoy @samuelvictor Don’t sleep on Belle Boomerang. For the price, there’s few games better than it. If there’s a hidden gem on Switch, I might say that this game is the most absolute definition of it.
@dartmonkey My friend, thank you for picking my recommendations. I also feel incredibly honored that my 3 picks were selected for the article’s icon image. Thank you all for putting up the good fight in getting indie games noticed. You guys make a huge difference in helping great games get exposure.
@PikaPhantom thanks for that. If they make a demo I'll give it a shot. I have played pixel arts games, I just know I'm not a fan.
Fantastic article as usual. Added several of these to my wishlist. Thanks to all who contributed. ❤️
I had seen Belle Boomerang before but for some reason underwhelmed me until today; color me interested. Gravity Circuit is on my wish list already. I didn't even know there was an Oregon Trail, and I loved that game back in the past, so I'm putting that on my wishlist too. I always was on the fence for NEScape but I wasn't sure if I'd be interested enough in an escape game, but it reminds me so much of Univited, Deja Vu, and the like on NES that I can't help but be interested. Further, 8-Bit Legit has quietly put out a few NES faithful/Mega Man-alikes that are probably nothing to write home about, but as a Mega Man fan I would still consider it. Examples are Battle Kid and Trophy. Full Quiet I have wishlisted and am awaiting a sale.
@somnambulance Yeah I downloaded the demo for PC and really loved it. I'm looking forward to playing it through properly 😀
@samuelvictor You’re in for a treat. Few games stick the landing for how NES/GB third party mascot platformers feel, but this one feels so right. You’ll have a lot of fun, especially as you start seeing the Easter Eggs.
Hidden in Plain Sight is excellent, it began life on the Ouya though, not Xbox
@dartmonkey You’re a gentleman. Thanks, Gavin!
ah nice, I'm in the article (squad 51(, must have been ages ago I recommended it
@somnambulance Yes I could tell that right from the start of the demo, when I first entered an area with two of the hedghog enemies, tried to attack them, and instead found out they were sat at a tabel havign diner together, and instead I just hear their conversation. Very neat. The world building just in that first section is brilliant.
Super Mombo Quest is lovely. It gets my seal of approval.
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