Hindsight is 20/20 (plus 15)
It feels like only yesterday I was booting up the Wii Shop Channel and seeing five, maybe even six games released that week. It wasn't though. That was all the way back in 2009, which is essentially a lifetime ago by game industry standards. That said, it was only last week that I picked up 2009's Bit.Trip RUNNER on the Switch, a re-release that was wedged between 40-plus other games that were recently launched on the console. The shop is so crowded that it would take a regular modern-day, online Hercules to lift up all the worthwhile games released on the storefront this year for others to see. Playing them all alone would take thousands of hours, and that's time most just don't have.
With that in mind, here's my attempt to lift at least some of that load. Presented for your approval is this unranked list of fun Switch games I got this year, none of which were given a formal review from Destructoid in that time frame. That means many of my favorites of 2020 like Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2, Panzer Paladin, No More Heroes 1 & 2, Super Punch Patrol, Cat Girl Without Salad: Amuse Bouche, Treachery in Beatdown City, Moon, Carrion, and La-Mulana 1 & 2 won't be found below, but I just told you about them now, so you should be good. Also missing are games that other writers on the site have highlighted, like Wide Ocean Big Jacket. Like I said, the Switch saw a lot of games released this year! I would be very surprised if you'd heard of all the games on this whopper of a collection.
Without further adieu, here's the list, categorized for you under all-new genres that you're sure to forget within seconds.
There are games that, in their own ways, follow the old "danger and mayhem obstacle course" philosophy towards game design, empowering players just enough to give them the confidence to run headfirst into certain death again and again. Games have been doing this from the beginning, but that doesn't mean there aren't fresh new ways to get them done. Here's just a few!
Easily one of my favorite games of the year. The devs of Minit teamed up with their friends to make a game that's just as densely packed with easy-to-digest, engaging ideas, but this time, you die a lot more often than every 60 seconds. The good news is, sometimes death is good! You actually gain abilities from getting murdered now and again. An endlessly replayable treat.
I didn't love this one quite as much as the original, but it's got better art, more enemy and stage variety, and four-player co-op. A fantastic randomly generated run-and-gun shooter where death is everywhere (literally, they are the first character you meet!) and the tension is nail-biting.
One of the first big "spikes and death everywhere" indies of the last decade is finally on a Nintendo console. Big, roomy stages for platforming mixed with tight, combo-heavy melee combat. Super Meat Boy meets Darkstalkers. Highly recommended.
Angry Videogame Nerd Adventures 1&2 Deluxe
The best version of these two games, now with an added third campaign. All-new difficulty settings offer up new level design philosophies. Yes, philosophies! Not a word many associate with The Angry Videogame Nerd, but the shoe fits, and it feels fantastic.
A wholly unique story blended with traditional platforming, and perhaps the most British game I've played all year. A polite robot works at an office and is tasked to traverse grueling obstacle courses as his coworkers look on in mild amusement. If you've ever been treated like shit at work, you'll find a lot to empathize with here.
An extremely smart fusion of point-and-click problem-solving and 2D action-platforming. It's one of those games that, on paper, should have been one of the biggest hits of the year. I am glad I don't make games because you can do amazing work, market the hell out of it, and be a generally good person and still end up struggling. What a world!
This one was first put together back during the "bacon craze" of five or so years ago. I'm not sure if that bacon branding helps it as much today, but it's a big, violent romp with multiple playable characters. Big Earthworm Jim vibes but without all the baggage.
Sometimes you just want to see a cute thing in a weird world. These games, first and foremost, are about exploring the developers' imaginations after being given a charming avatar to embody as you take a virtual vacation to their subconsciousness. A lot of these are nice places to visit, but you might not want to live there unless you are already dead. Wait, is it possible to live somewhere after you've died? Let's find out!
Spinch isn't about spinach, but it does come ahead of what may be a new trend towards indie platformers that remind me of health food where you leap through worlds that look like Sesame Street cartoons from the late 1970s (I'm looking at you, Garlic). If so, maybe 2021 will be a better year after all.
At first glance, I was sure that this was a new game by the devs of Strange Telephone, one of the best Yume Nikki-likes (Yume Nikkilikes?) of 2019. In fact, it almost looked like a sequel. Low and behold, Unreal Life is from a totally different team, and it's more refined and comprehensible than the telephone game to boot. Take a dip if you want a serene pixel-scape to wander through.
This one is less relaxing, as there is a murder to be solved and a killer to find, but the writing and character design are both top-notch, exploding with feeling from start to finish. Like a surreal, queer Ace Attorney but without the courtroom bits.
Some of you like good pizza. Me on the other hand? I prefer great pizza. In this game, you can make all that and more. Sometimes I even make really crappy pizza just to see what happens! It's a little like Bob's Burgers but with fewer jokes and more pizza, but given how much I miss just waltzing into a mom-and-pop food joint without the fear of contracting a plague, that's more than enough.
Most people know WayForward for either its long-running Shantae series or its contract work on established brands like Ducktales, Adventure Time, and Batman, but the studio also put out a fair amount of quirky, wholly original stuff like Vitamin Connection. It's a shame that this one got largely overlooked, as it's got an amazing PaRappa-style soundtrack and some of the most fun dual Joy-Con mechanics on the Switch.
Gratuitous Explosion Machine was one of the first big indie hits on the Switch, and the devs appeared to put a fair amount of the profits from that title into Super Crush K.O., their second title on the system. In yet another year with Bayonetta 3 nowhere in sight, this 2D character action game makes for a nice substitute. Like Platinum's beloved mascot franchise, it combines melee combos with fast-paced gun fighting, albeit with most of the gratuitous sexual explosions swapped out for spunky, family-friendly female empowerment.
Like most men of a certain age, I am haunted by CatDog, a cartoon about a dog whose ass is a cat, or vice versa. Much to my relief, the general concept of that much-feared animated series has been made good in this wholesome 3D adventure filled with non-textured objects and clumsy trotting through safe spaces. It's like if Noby Noby Boy was a dog and he had more to chew on than just stretching for stretching's sake.
Nostalgia for old fashioned video arcades is starting to surge, and 198X takes the concept farther than most others have dared. Play several good-to-great in-game arcade games while learning about the troubled life of the main character. The concept is a little better than the execution, but don't let that push you too far away if you're curious and have an afternoon to spare.
Another game about arcade culture, but this time, we're in an alternate future where they never died out. A dating sim where everyone loves video games and you can look however you want. I wish that you got to play more of the games in the arcade, but I can't deny the appeal of a world where no one is a bigot and everyone loves Pac-Man.
The initial announcement of this day-glo rhythm action beat 'em up made quite a splash, but then sticker shock set in (the game isn't cheap!), and people sort of kept away from it after that. I enjoyed it, though. I could see people saying it's all style no substance, but here, the style is the substance. You may want to wait for a sale, but don't take it off your radar.
Maybe excitement for this cat-riding happy-life sim will pick up in 2021, as it hasn't been on Switch for too long, but if people aren't already charmed with the idea of designing your own character then fucking around in a weirdly textured world with a manager of fuzzy animals, I'm not sure why they would be in the coming year. Unless of course, 2021 ends up being even more nightmarish than its predecessor, and the world ends up even more hungry for anything to take the pain away than it already is. If that ends up happening, I may end up announcing that...
Becoming a ghost and reuniting with the spirit of your dead dog probably wasn't on your list of New Year's Resolutions, but if it were, you could do a lot worse. Sure, staying alive is great, but once that battle has been lost, you can finally let your hair down and just wander around and solve some puzzles. There are stakes (your island home may be destroyed if you can't save it in time), but for the most part, the joy of I Am Dead comes from just being there and appreciating the details, something that's a lot easier to do when you're not distracted by all that "survival instinct" anxiety and whatnot.
Horror is one of the oldest genres in gaming. Maybe that's because it's easy to make players afraid. All you have to do is give them the will to survive and an unstoppable threat to deal with. Just look at the old Halloween game on the Atari 2600. It may look like nothing by today's standards, but playing it as a kid left me shaking like a leaf. The games below had a similar effect. They never made me feel like I was in actual danger, but their commitment to the macabre is delightfully uncomfortable all the same.
The good news is, this one isn't about playing football? It's more of a Lynchian mess where you wander around high school and wonder if reality is coming apart at the seems around you. The perfect low-budget creepy curiosity.
This spiritual sequel to the Alien/Devil's/Jaki Crush trilogy of monstrous video pinball classics isn't quite as humble as some of the others in this section, but carries with it the same loyalty to creepy aesthetics married to arcade excitement that the Turbografx-16 originals kicked things off with. Hit a nun in the face with a shiny ball until her eyes bleed as purple maggots fill the screen and your high score shoots through the roof. Video games are wild.
The original release of Home hit right around the time that I first discovered Lone Survivor, another fantastic 2D horror title. I really only had space in my brain for one of them at that time, but now that Home is on Switch, I gave it a shot and was impressed. More a creepy mystery than a survival horror proper, each run gives you something new to chew on, and the director's commentary mode should be assigned to students in game design classes everywhere.
Yuppie Psycho: Executive Edition
Like a few games on this list, the concept is a little better than the execution on this one. The idea of starting a regular job then discovering it's a hellscape where no one can be trusted is, if nothing else, relatable content. Once you get used to some of its quirks, it's also an intriguing adventure.
I didn't initially intend to put this one in my creepshow section, but on further thought, it fits. What starts off as sort of Bit.Trip SPORTS rhythm-based ping pong suddenly pops into a bad trip of floating animal heads hinting at some unspoken trauma from your past. It's not scary exactly, but it's unsettling in a charming, compelling way.
These games either give old dogs new tricks or are just tricked-out old dogs. Sometimes, both! Nostalgia may be required to truly appreciate some of them (sorry Space Invaders!), but for the most part, these are timeless treats that can be enjoyed by anyone who can put their love of gaming history before their appreciation of silky-smooth frame rates and high-res textures, at least for a few hours.
The Neo Geo Pocket Color Selection
Forgive me dear reader, as this entry is a bit of a five-in-one cheat, but I think it's worth it. Though all these fighters look and play relatively similarly, they all have strengths worth crowing about. Samurai Showdown! 2 has the best unique single-player campaign, SNK Gals' Fighters has the most eclectic roster (featuring a fighter that's only ever been playable here), The Last Blade: Beyond the Destiny has the most compelling unlockables (including a fishing mini-game!), King of Fighters R-2 has the largest roster, and Fatal Fury First Contact is the easiest to jump into for fans of traditional fighters. Let's just hope SNK Vs Capcom: The Match of the Millennium comes next.
Originally released on the GameCube almost two decades ago, this digging adventure is largely considered to be the best in the long-running series. Mixing puzzle-logic with addictive "just one more dig..." semi-randomized levels makes for a low-effort, constantly driving romp to the planet's core. This version has a ton of modes and options, making it broad in ways that make up for its perhaps ironic lack of "depth."
A retro beat 'em up that borrows less from school of Double Dragon and more from the feel Pit Fighter, mixed with the look of the original Killer Instinct games. The beat 'em up genre in general is pretty bloated these days, but with an appearance from The Baz (from Two Best Friends Plays fame) and an unmistakable layer of arcade grime coating it throughout, this one found a way to stand out.
Like I mentioned in the opener, it's been over ten years since these games first debuted on WiiWare, and I actually appreciate them even more now than I did then. The new Switch-specific controls on BEAT and FLUX (the most Pong-like titles in the series) take some getting used to, and god help you if you end up getting Joy-Con drift while playing VOID (the Ikaruga-influenced anti-shmup about eating and avoiding dots), but CORE (basically DDR for your thumbs), RUNNER (the non-endless, auto-running platformer), and FATE (the 2D on-rails shooter) all play perfectly here, regardless of your level of comfort with motion controls or how jacked up your left analog stick may be.
Space Invaders Forever Collection
Another multi-part entry, the Space Invaders Forever collection includes a legitimately great game (Space Invaders Extreme), a special treat that was previously an arcade exclusive (the four-player Space Invaders Gigamax 4S E), and an interesting oddity (the touch-control-only Arkanoid Vs. Space Invaders). For whatever reason, the limited-edition physical release of the collection includes eight more games than that, but I think for the most part, the three available on the eShop are the best of the bunch. Warning: For Space Invaders fans only.
This sequel to the NES-inspired Alwa's Awakening doesn't do a lot to telegraph what makes it better than the original, which has caused many an indie sequel to dry up and die on the vine. Hopefully that didn't happen here, as Alwa's Legacy is more of a 16-bit "Super" version of the original than a straight-up sequel.
This one could have been called "Netscape: The Game" if only they could get the rights. This intensely loyal love letter to the internet of the 1990s will suck you in with nostalgia for a day and age before memes, Google algorithms, and online hate mobs even existed, but you'll stay for the amazing writing and clever puzzles.
The indie scene in Brazil can be characterized in a lot of ways, but for me, it's the knowingly underdog style of most games born from that subculture that hits me the hardest. Skaremasta Tcheco is emblematic of that. The main character's high-pitched voice and cute-ugly face remind me of bootleg Pizza mascot games for the NES that never existed. Throw in cameos from some of Brazil's most successful indies of the past few years (Blazing Chrome, Super Hiking League) and you have yourself a very crusty delight.
One of the best action games of the year, I have to imagine that with a different name (Rock and Roll Crazy Nights maybe?) this one could have gotten a lot more attention. Sure, the people who already know and love Touhou probably jumped right on this new 2D action game, but for the rest of us, the title and plot synopsis might feel a little an inside joke that we're decidedly outside of. If that's how you're feeling, I encourage you to jump in regardless. The massive amount of attacks, inspired bestiary, and bouncy, well-timed animations will leave you impressed from start to finish.
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back
I went into Bubble Bobble 4 Friends with pretty low expectations, and I came out pleasantly surprised with how it turned the relatively chaotic brand of action in the original into a well-thought-out series of puzzle-based stages. The simple fact that you now have to choose to pop a bubble that you hop on makes a huge difference in how much control you have over what happens and when. While the game was a pleasant surprise when it was released back in 2019, the launch of a new 100-level campaign as free DLC in 2020 really took the cake. It's like a free sequel, complete with the return of Baron von Blubba, one of the cutest angels of death gaming has ever seen.
Another surprisingly strong sequel to Taito classic, Double Dragon Neon was first released nearly a decade ago, shortly before its director went indie and co-created the Shovel Knight franchise. The tone is similar here, with lead characters who are charmingly oblivious to their own ridiculousness. Copious upgrades and an amped-up soundtrack by auditory genius Jake "Virt" Kaufman make for a raucous return to form for the franchise.
A fusion of Luftrausers and Star Fox, Jet Lancer is a dizzying delight that surely would have made millions back in the days when all you needed to be an indie sensation was a high level of polish and a killer core concept. Sadly, that's often not enough to cut the mustard these days, which is a shame, because I can't imagine a shmup fan having a bad time with this one, should their backlog ever thin enough that they give it a chance.
Managing people can be stressful, but there are few things in the world more satisfying than leading a team of friends that you care about towards succeeding in a task that you all find meaningful. It's even better when everyone on your team is cute, weird, and interesting. The Switch eShop saw a load of games released this year that allow you to live out this fantasy. One of them even lets you be a dog!
For various reasons, Hogwarts isn't a magic school that many want to associate with these days. Thankfully, Ikenfell Academy is here to take its place, should you choose to boot it up. With an amazing, diverse cast of characters, extremely deep turn-based combat, and maybe most importantly, a genuine warmth, Ikenfell had me actually wanting to go back to class.
We here at Destructoid love the games of Terry Cavanagh, and Dicey Dungeons is no exception. In fact, one could make a case for this one not being a hidden enough gem to fit the criteria for this list. I stuck it on anyway though, as we haven't reviewed the game since last year, and since 2020 felt like a decade onto itself, it felt right to remind people to check it out. We gave it a 10! It's very good.
While Ikenfell takes place in a literal magic school, Wintermoor Tactics Club brings you to a real-life school where the kids wish they were in a Final Fantasy game. That carries over in the gameplay, story, and character design as well, which is a little more than reminiscent of the early parts of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. From there though, it becomes its own thing, fusing the love of tabletop RPGs with a story of real human compassion.
A game that feels like a passion project that wasn't done with a ton of hope of making any real headway with mainstream audiences. In fact, the whole premise of the game (three magical girls refuse to kowtow to crappy working conditions and attempt to form their own mini-union) has rebellion against the status quo hard-baked into its DNA. Its stripped-down approach to turn-based strategy combat (no HP for your characters; instead each member of your group must use their special skills to defeat enemies in a certain amount of turns to win points) makes for a low-pressure environment, and its defiance of conventional standards makes for frequent surprises.
This one is just amazing. The art alone makes it a must buy. I really don't know why more people aren't talking about it. A beautiful sci-fi strategy RPG with randomized campaigns and a host of unlockable characters and dimensions to explore. Really though, you play this one for the graphics if you play it at all. A true 2D animated tour de force.
A roguelike top-down shooter that needs to be played like a strategy game if you're ever going to stay alive. The goopy, fleshy art direction comes from Toby Dixon, artist on Nidhogg 2, and it fits a lot better here – in a game about mutated plants trying to murder you – than it did with the sequel for a minimalist sword-fighting simulator. A uniquely adorable-and-yucky world with tons of unlockable weapons, upgrades, and spouses (!) to collect.
A simple, local multiplayer 2D golf game where you play as dogs. The developers, Vagabond Dog, are best known for the Sometimes Always Monsters series; a pair of heady RPGs that are fueled by choice and a realistic narrative. It's interesting then that they decided to test the waters on Switch with this fun little sports game that's totally divorced from any semblance of reality, but hey, trying to score a "Howl in One" off your kids as they scream at you for cheating may be real enough for me.
A few of these could have qualified as retro revivals, but for the most part, these are all games that intentionally went with chunky 3D character models for reasons beyond just nostalgia. And of course, going with less detailed character models makes for lower development costs, allowing for great creative risks.
Alcoholism is not funny, but in this mischievous game about violent idiocy, it's used to drive home an important point: it's bad to drink and fight. Drinking also makes you bad at fighting, adding a layer of Octodad-like clumsy silliness to the already edgy-but-goofy premise. You can also pee. In fact, you probably better before you either pass out or are knocked out cold. Otherwise you're going to wake up with stained underwear and diaper rash in the morning.
Macbat 64: Journey of a Nice Chap
A little indie that basically did what people wanted Yooka-Laylee's low-poly mode to do. It's a mascot platformer in the N64 style, warts and all. Nostalgic for adults, just good old fashioned fun for kids, I have to imagine that the transparent nature of the developers' intentions combined with the relatively non-descript character design led this one to struggle to get planted in the collective mindshare. If only they have gotten the rights to Laylee and made this an official part of the Playtonic-verse.
A flat-out incredible action dungeon crawler that probably was a little too "inside baseball" for its own good in terms of premise, but the execution is near-universally relatable. It's a game made by a startup company about exploring the offices of failed startup companies like they were ancient ruins, fighting corporate bosses like they were actual bosses, albeit in the form of Lich Kings who wear baseball caps and whatnot. Though it came before Hades, it almost feels like a pre-emptive tribute/parody to that award-winning hit. Maybe playing it with that perspective will make it even more fun.
A bike simulator that's as peaceful or exciting as you want it to be. Giving players this much freedom and so few concrete objectives is risky, as without a lot of carrots to chase, some rabbit-like players will be content to just sit in their cages. If, on the other hand, you feel like getting out and getting some virtual exercise for your body – and some mental exercise for your brain – there's plenty to (literally) stumble upon here.
Not to be confused with Skelly, yet another skeleton protagonist game on Switch from 2020, Skellboy is a top-down adventure game that looks back to a time where AAA games regularly tried to marry 2D sprites with low-poly 3D worlds. In a world where Minecraft has proven to have one of the most engaging, timeless art styles that gaming has ever seen, the idea seems reasonable enough. Swap out body parts for new abilities in this playful romp around the world of Cubold.
This fits just fine here, under the low-poly category, but it also would have made in the next one, which highlights hand-drawn games. Play as Froshmin, a new student at Art Sqool, an abstract, pastel campus, who's tasked to draw pictures in an attempt to get good grades. It's a lot cheaper than getting a real Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and you might learn just as much.
There's something about seeing a drawing, that you know was created with a human hand just like your own, that makes you feel connected to the artist in question. The trick is to also instill some suspension of disbelief in the player at the same time, to get them to feel like the drawings are really alive. Here's a few of the games that succeeded in that pursuit this year.
Kuukiyomi 2: Consider It More - New Era
The Kuukiyomi series is about as close as the Switch has to a WarioWare title at the moment, and while it's not quite as funny, it makes up for it in raw tension. Each of the mini-games here tasks the player to be a polite person, but the rules of engagement combine Japanese concepts of etiquette with some good old fashioned videogame logic. That means that most Westerners will struggle to know what to do, and worse still, you're barely given any details on what you do right or wrong. You're supposed to just know better. It's a lot like being on social media in that way, except unlike Bean Dad, you probably won't have your theme song to a popular podcast thrown in the trash if you fuck this one up.
This is probably the most pleasant surprise on this list. A sorting puzzle game wrapped up in the premise of a rhythm title, Cruel Band's Career is all about jealousy among musicians, which already makes it more realistic than a lot of music games out there. Move members of your band to different positions on stage so they engage with either friendly or hostile members of the crowd, but don't send too many sexy people to one particular bandmate or the others may explode with envy. There's also giant monster bosses and rogue-like elements (try not to look too surprised).
A visual novel that many named their favorite game of 2020, it feels like a playable adaptation of an artist's journal as they document their struggles with acceptance and intimacy, except you can erase some of their text and rewrite it the way you wish it had happened. Like a lot of modern games about regular life in a small town, there is a looming apocalypse on the horizon and a lot of puffy coats, but I suppose that's not too far off from what a lot of us are looking at right now.
Another visual novel, this time you are a ghost who's looking for love. Taking its cues from Beetlejuice, the specters to romance are a bit beyond their former human forms, looking more like mutant freaks or post-accident roadkill much of the time. Their stories can be funny, sad, scary, or a mix of both. Empathize with the essence of all sorts of weirdos and maybe find love after death.
A Bomberman-like with amazing art direction, I was sure this one was made out of top-notch, silky smooth polygons running at 60FPS, but according to the publishers, the whole thing was hand-drawn. The gameplay is nice too, with big boss battles and other standard fare that for whatever reason is sometimes absent from Bomberman games proper, but like a lot of games that suit my tastes, it's the 2D art that really makes this one hum.
A picross game about superheroes named after different kinds of puzzles who might fall in love. Tons of jokes written by nerdy 20-somethings who really didn't want to annoy you, but couldn't help but throw in a reference to Junji Ito's classic "This is my hole" comic here and there, even if it risked coming off as corny. Most importantly to me, the picross puzzles are well done, and there's a ton of them. Not to be overlooked by lovers, picross players, and lovers of picross players.
I know, I know, wasn't a list of 55 games enough? Well, I guess not. There was one game that was announced for the Switch eShop this year that didn't quite make it out on time, and because it's also one of the best PC games of 2021, I couldn't help but want to make mention of it here. It's a game about looking into a bleak future, and as such, writing about in the future tense as we stand on the precipice of a whole new (and hopefully less bleak!) year feels all the more appropriate.
Umurangi Generation
Umurangi Generation is one of the smartest, most confident, well-crafted, and authentic games of 2020, and it's coming to Switch any second now. A relatively peaceful game about photography, it's both fun and challenging from a mechanical perspective, and warmly heartbreaking from a scenario and story standpoint. Bear witness to a world that's slowly dipping into dystopia, with your only recourse being to snap pics of what you can, hoping that somehow things will work out, regardless of how powerless you may remain. At the very least, hopefully your documentation of these doomed days will live on after you are gone, to be discovered by whoever comes next.
Did I ever tell you that's my favorite thing about writing for Destructoid?
I may be dead in 40 years or so, but as trite as it may seem, this video game blog will likely outlive me by who knows how many centuries. So if you're reading this, aliens of the future who are exploring the wreckage of human existence, just know that I'm sorry, and that we didn't mean to be like this. Things just sort of turned out this way, then we died.
Send my love to the cockroaches. They actually weren't so bad.