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Discussion Underappreciated Switch Games

electricmastro

electricmastro

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Switch games you like that you feel don't get the appreciation and attention they deserve.

For me, I think one would be Chained Echoes. Such a great JRPG that has great visuals, music, gameplay, and characterization that come together so well.

Other recommendations:

Action-Adventure - Ittle Dew 2+, Reverie: Sweet As Edition

Action RPG - Garden Story, Kitaria Fables, Underhero

Adventure - Jenny LeClue: Detectivu, Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Tangle Tower, The Darkside Detective: A Fumble in the Dark, A Space for the Unbound, Beacon Pines, Hypnospace Outlaw, The Spirit and the Mouse, Thimbleweed Park, Button City, Dordogne, TOEM, Flipping Death, Lucy Dreaming, The Wild at Heart, I Am Dead, Haven Park

Business Sim - Let's Build a Zoo, Two Point Campus, Cook Serve Delicious! 2!!, Arcade Paradise

JRPG - Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, Cosmic Star Heroine, Jack Move, In Stars and Time

Life Sim - Wylde Flowers, Roots of Pacha

Metroidvania - Vernal Edge, Tevi, Phoenotopia: Awakening, Haiku the Robot, Owlboy, Iconoclasts, Islets, Timespinner, Blast Brigade vs. the Evil Legion of Dr. Cread

Pinball - Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes, Demon's Tilt, Yoku's Island Express

Platformer - Glyph, Tinykin, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, Lunistice, Cyber Shadow, Gunborg: Dark Matters, Astalon: Tears of the Earth, Save me Mr Tako: Definitive Edition, Pumpkin Jack, Demons of Asteborg, Get-A-Grip Chip, Lumo, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, Panzer Paladin

Puzzle - Wilmot's Warehouse, TENS!, Ironcast, She Remembered Caterpillars, A Monster's Expedition Through Puzzling Exhibitions, Toki Tori 2+, Mr. Driller: Drill Land, Evan's Remains, Piczle Lines DX

Racing - Hotshot Racing, Horizon Chase Turbo

Roguelike - Going Under, Tangledeep, Blazing Beaks, Crown Trick

Run and Gun - Huntdown, Blazing Chrome, Gunlord X

Strategy - Iris and the Giant, Wargroove, Swords & Soldiers II: Shawarmageddon, Shotgun King: The Final Checkmate

Twin Stick Shooter - Trigger Witch, NeuroVoider, Xeno Crisis
 
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Lunistice
A charming 32-bit 3D platformer with tight responsive controls and a banger score. And it costs $5.

Dusk
Arguably the pinnacle of the boomer shooter renaissance, and a near perfect Switch port, hitting a blazing 60fps at full 1080p/720p native.

Sniper Elite 4
Both a satisfying tactical shooter with top notch gyro implementation and one of the most impressive Switch ports ever, delivering an eerily PS4-esque presentation. If you've ever wanted to shoot Hitler in the testicles, here's your chance.
 
Not enough people played Curse Crackers, and that game rules. Super-fun 2d platformer with a very Gameboy Color aesthetic; tight controls, more content than I was expecting, and a banger soundtrack
 
Not originally a Switch game but every time I have a chance I must gush about La-Mulana

It's a Metroidvania that's more an homage towards games like Zelda 2, Castlevania 2, and various old PC games that use hints as major part of the gameplay. It's a beast with tons of puzzles written on various stones in the ruins you explore. The puzzles start easy ("Courageous man will prevail" written right above a spike pit with an unreachable chest) to requiring you to do some insane garbage, but that's what so cool about this game.

La-Mulana never feels like going through a Zelda dungeon or Portal puzzles, it feels like a challenge requiring you to listen, look, remember, write, check, and think. Full of badass music and some wonderfully oldschool gameplay it's a hard-as-nails game that isn't afraid to be a dick, but it's absolutely worth it. Granted, some puzzles get insane, but that's part of the charm. I look back to "Prove thy art a little man" with more good memories than almost any video game puzzle which usually tend to blend together after a bit.
 
BlackthornOrion said:
Not enough people played Curse Crackers, and that game rules. Super-fun 2d platformer with a very Gameboy Color aesthetic; tight controls, more content than I was expecting, and a banger soundtrack
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Some say 8-bit might be a little overdone right now, but I at the very least appreciate a GBC aesthetic as opposed to just an NES one.
 
electricmastro said:
For me, I think one would be Chained Echoes. Such a great JRPG that has great visuals, music, gameplay, and characterization that come together so well
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Is Chained Echoes really underappreciated? Don't get me wrong, I love the RPG, it's currently the frontrunner for "best game I played this year", but CE has tremendous word of mouth.

I suppose that's just the inherent nebulousness in terms such as a underappreciated/underrated.
 
meatbag said:
Is Chained Echoes really underappreciated? Don't get me wrong, I love the RPG, it's currently the frontrunner for "best game I played this year", but CE has tremendous word of mouth.

I suppose that's just the inherent nebulousness in terms such as a underappreciated/underrated.
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On the other hand, there are JRPGs on Switch like Dragon Quest XI and Octopath Traveler, which I think people would agree are a bit more appreciated. lol
 
  • Another Code: Recollection
  • Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
  • Pocky & Rocky Reshrined
  • Otogi Katsugeki Mameda no Bakeru
  • Blaster Master Zero 1-3
 
Rise of the Third Power is an rpg that blew my socks off. I went in expecting something to pass the time but I hadn’t been as invested in an adventuring party for a while
 
curl-6 said:
Lunistice
A charming 32-bit 3D platformer with tight responsive controls and a banger score. And it costs $5.
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Seconding this, just a really breezy and fun little platformer that doesn't overstay its welcome and was a blast to playthrough. And the retro aesthetics are really solid.
 
I wasn't sure about the Lunistice art style but after watching gameplay it looks fun. I'll give it a shot. Thanks fami.
 
Game Builder Garage should’ve been a viral explosion.

It ain’t exactly Mario Maker, but it’s more complex than people give it credit for, and it’s extremely accessible and easy to learn.
 
Irene said:
Game Builder Garage should’ve been a viral explosion.

It ain’t exactly Mario Maker, but it’s more complex than people give it credit for, and it’s extremely accessible and easy to learn.
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I was interested but I thought it looked too complex for my kids at the time. Do you think a bright 6 year old could use it?
 
neil said:
I was interested but I thought it looked too complex for my kids at the time. Do you think a bright 6 year old could use it?
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Hm, maybe not that young, it really depends on whether or not you can properly grasp the tutorials, which are a few hours long.

It’s really gratifying to put out stuff like objects and connect movement to them and watch them move, but stuff like properly setting up the character and the camera is a bit of a hurdle to get over,
 
Irene said:
Hm, maybe not that young, it really depends on whether or not you can properly grasp the tutorials, which are a few hours long.

It’s really gratifying to put out stuff like objects and connect movement to them and watch them move, but stuff like properly setting up the character and the camera is a bit of a hurdle to get over,
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Thanks, he can use Scratch in a limited way but that sounds like it would be too much
 
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The list has mostly newer games:

  • Bayonetta Origins
  • Another Code: Recollection
  • RainCode
  • FE Engage (I know its divisive)
  • Famicom Detective Club
 
Nintendo Labo was a great idea, which in my opinion would have deserved more success. Despite his problems, I also really loved A Hat in Time and I have the feeling that it would have deserved to be known by more people in the general audience, even if it is not a game only available on Switch.
 
Arcade Paradise. Turn your asshole daddy's laundromat into a gaming arcade. Some of the games you purchase within the game are legitimately addictive, too. Especially blockchain.
 
Ghost 1.0
A great sci-fi 2d metroidvania with a compelling skill tree. The upgrade system, which involves acquiring cubes/currency in order to purchase abilities and other goodies makes the title that much interesting. Plis, if you get easily lost by me, the map is great and very intuitive.

Rise of the Third Power
Honestly, it was on my top games of the year last year when I played it. A great classic j-rpg with a superb story (based in the period between the First and Second World War, but it is a medieval setting) and a compact experience (about 25-35 hours, not that much sidequests so it gets to the point).

Agent A
This is a short graphic/visual adventure game that I really enjoyed. The puzzles were great and I had a good time with the game.

Moonlighter
A roguelike. You enter a dungeon so you can have products for your store that you can sell. You then use the money for several types of upgrades. Really addicting game despite the basic combat system.

Bug Fables
It was my GOTY the year it came out for Switch. It is classic Paper Mario but with insects and a must play.
 
I'll nominate Hand of Fate 2. It's an action-RPG with deck builder mechanics insofar as you can choose what cards to use in each adventure/level, but you're only influencing a portion of the level. The rest of the game is a blend of Arkham Batman style combat and an assortment of minigames that determine the success or failure of the various encounters. It's very unique and IMO gives a great sense of playing a tabletop RPG with a challenging but fair DM. The campaign itself is sufficiently long and the Switch version includes DLC to make it even more replayable. There are a few minor technical hiccups on the Switch, but I still highly recommend it, and I'm upset that the developer apparently went under so there's no hope for a sequel.
 
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I think the Switch versions of Dragon Quest 1 and 2 are very underrated! They're arguably definitive assuming you don't like playing games on your cellphone. Even if you do, they offer an alternate graphics style that you may prefer.

Not really a Switch game, but Digimon World: Next Order is on Switch, and that game is delightful.

Finally, Arcade Archives Urban Champion is a switch exclusive and the online leader boards add yet another addicting layer to the game, with multiple competitive modes.
 
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ARMS is a top 10 Switch game and deserved so much better than what it got. Never understood the gameplay complaints as someone with over 200 hours in it outside of low-skill players playing other low skill players and not seeing the depth the game offered. The music is phenomenal, the character design is immaculate, and 7 years on and it’s still one of the best looking first party games in the system. Really deserves another shot imo.

Similar story with Paper Mario: The Origami King. That game gets shit on for what it isn’t, not for what it is. I think in like 10 years this game will be looked back on much more fondly than people see it now with the weight of not being TTYD2 off its shoulders. Played it again last year to see if the battle system complaints held wait, and nah, the battle system is still really fun, especially since I like puzzles. Just like ARMS it knocked it out of the pack in terms of visuals and especially in terms of music, to the point I think it’s the best score out of any Nintendo game in recent memory. Please give it a listen, even if you hate the game.

Finally there’s Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wing of Ruin, which really felt like it failed to catch an audience. Monster Hunter fans dismissed it because it was an RPG (and even got vitriol from MH fans because it was getting more post-launch content than Rise), and JRPG fans dismissed it for being Monster Hunter. It’s such a charming game.

Honorable mentions would be Super Mario Maker 2 and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Both good games that people talk like their failures, which is a shame.
 
Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee get a bad rap despite being the best Pokémon games on the system (well, of the more traditional variety). They are gorgeous and the catching mechanics were much more fun to me than endless battles.
 
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido

Seriously, this game is amazing. It’s a fantastic puzzle game with a fun gimmick and a TON of content, an off-the-walls story complete with fully animated and voiced cutscenes, over 100 Pokémon-like Sushi Sprites to “catch” and “evolve”, and it supports single system, local wireless, and online multiplayer! It’s an enormous shame that so few people bothered to give the game a chance because it truly is an incredible experience! Sadly we’ll likely never get a sequel, though…

Plus the sushi is technically all vegan by the game’s lore, which is something I appreciate more than you can imagine and I wish more games bothered to take a similar approach; it’s a step further than even fucking Animal Crossing is willing to go, after all.


Also, I gotta give a shout out to the two Famicom Detective Club remakes, which were some of the most gripping games I’ve ever played and I was constantly in awe over the fact that they’re essentially just Famicom games with a shiny new coat of paint. These games got me into the adventure game genre and I expected to like Ace Attorney even more since that series was newer…but no, I ended up being kinda disappointed because FDC, amazingly, ended up being the better experience all around for me. Really wish more people would buy these games despite them not going on sale or having a physical version, because they’re absolutely worth it and I wish we could get more installments in the series someday.


Oh yeah, and I can’t not mention Samba de Amigo: Party Central, too! That game seriously blew away my expectations, and it was one of the most fun game experiences I’ve had period. But rather than endlessly gush over this game again here, I’ll just link to the two other threads where I’ve already talked about the game at length.


…And then there’s Everybody 1-2-Switch! as well, which I’ve defended enough on here already, and I honestly don’t have the energy to repeat myself when I know most people are still gonna be ignorant about the game and believe it’s terrible despite having never played it themselves under ideal conditions to see how great it truly is. Just know that it is, in fact, an amazing party game that rivals (or surpasses, in my opinion) Jackbox and is better than the original 1-2-Switch in pretty much every way. Totally worth the budget price it launched at and then some, honestly.
 
This is a cool thread. Especially, since we possibly have to wait until 2025 for the successor.
 
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For anyone interested in building cute little zoos on Switch:

5ZMwLG6.jpeg
 
Joke answer but also kinda serious: Triangle Strategy.

Unicorn Overlord is getting a lot of positive attention for combining the gameplay of Ogre Battle and the story of Fire Emblem, but Triangle Strategy went the other way and combined the gameplay of Fire Emblem with the story of Tactics Ogre. You end up making hard decisions on the battlefield, and harder decisions off of it. It's basically the perfect tactics game, and much closer to being a successor to Yasumi Matsuno's vision of the Ogre series.

Actual answer: Tron Identity.

Did you know that the guy who made Thomas Was Alone got hired to make a Tron visual novel? And that it's a hardboiled detective novel set in a fork of the og Tron setting and does more with the idea of a truly virtual world and what living beings there would think about and how they'd organize their society?

Well now you do. It's REALLY good.
 
Dave the Diver was one of my more surprising discoveries. Quite a lot of variety and thought put into what's ostensibly a fish hunting/sushi restaurant game.
 
Dave the Diver gets plenty of appreciation. It was a nominee for best indie at the game awards while not even being an indie. It has a crossover with another popular title, Dredge.



For jrps I reckon Jack Move deserves more love.
 
Few more:

Prodeus
Takes everything great about old school Doom and cranks it up to 11. Even the chunky resolution just makes it feel more authentically retro.

Hotshot Racing
A silky smooth blast from the past that marries the charm of 90s arcade racers with modern QoL.

Strange Brigade
Another stunning port from Rebellion and an enjoyably cheesy romp for when you just wanna Switch (heh) your brain off and mow down some undead.
 
electricmastro said:
On the other hand, there are JRPGs on Switch like Dragon Quest XI and Octopath Traveler, which I think people would agree are a bit more appreciated. lol
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Chained Echoes has over 5,000 reviews on Steam, an amazing number, especially for an indie release.

Sure, Octopath Traveller has 11,000, but you're comparing a major AAA publisher to a game made by a single individual.
 
Wockio said:
ARMS
Pokkén DX
Fast RMX
Art of Balance
Gnosia


This
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I seriously was not expecting Gnosia to be this good ! I bought it because it was cheap and ended up 100%-ing that same week-end. Huge favorite of mine, fascinating plot and creepy atmosphere with a very addictive gameplay loop
 
Speaking of visual novels, there’s one called Tokyo Dark: Remembrance that I’m quite fond of. I’ve never seen it mentioned anywhere else, ever.

Oh, and of course there’s Harvestella. Some outlets didn’t even review it.
 
For me it is Wildfrost!
Such an addictive card roguelike game with an awesome artstyle & cool mechanics. When I don't know what to play, this is my go to game & play a round or more
 
(deep breath)

CREATURE IN THE WELL

It’s like if pinball and Hades had a baby... sort of?

You manually launch balls with your striker and charger — and you’ll find more variations on the way (frying pan gang rise up).

Beautiful and unique style, interesting gameplay, good music, environmental storytelling, and a 10/10 giant purple alligator butch blacksmith. You can stand on a frog’s mop and just get moved around. I haven’t known peace like that in years.


also Glyph

I’m sure I’ll think of more, I’ve got loads of ‘em
 
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Irene said:
Speaking of visual novels, there’s one called Tokyo Dark: Remembrance that I’m quite fond of. I’ve never seen it mentioned anywhere else, ever.

Oh, and of course there’s Harvestella. Some outlets didn’t even review it.
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Have you seen their next game from the Tokyo dark makers: exit veil? It looks so good🙏
 
Unavowed. A brilliant urban fantasy point and click adventure game with plenty of replay value (which is pretty damn unusual for the genre). Probably the closest thing to a Hellblazer game out there and the Switch version currently sits at a really nice 91/100 on Metacritic.

 
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How could I forget:

ISLETS

Everyone should give Islets a try. I was initially slightly put off by the incredibly smooth motion and somewhat silly initial enemy animations, but it’s a game that truly keeps getting better and better and better.

The environments are beautiful, the music is soothing, and the whole thing is brimming with personality!

I can now say it’s an easy favorite, and there’s nothing quite like it out there.

Please - go play Islets!
 
I’m gonna but Let’s Build A Zoo.

Grapple Dog is a lovely GBA-type platformer with tons of charms and lovely movement. It feels really nicely polished. I recommend it.
 
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also putting a shoutout here for something simple but charming: Later Alligator
 
curl-6 said:
Lunistice
A charming 32-bit 3D platformer with tight responsive controls and a banger score. And it costs $5.
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I bought and played through Lunistice because of this post. Thanks for the recommendation, I quite enjoyed it!
 
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