Wild Guns Reloaded sets the new benchmark on how to bring back old Super Nintendo titles to the current generation of gamers. It not only manages to remain faithful to everything that made up the original such a stellar effort, but actually offers some worthwhile new content. With the continued absence of the Virtual Console service on Switch (and the rising costs of a complete-in-the-box original Super Nintendo versions of the game), we offer little refrain in welcoming one of Natsume's finest games home. Solid, memorable and fun arcade shooting action that will keep you coming back for more, even if only to see Bullet hovering about while grappled by his lethal drone.
Danmaku Unlimited 3 is a brilliantly executed ‘best of' bullet hell shmup ideas wrapped up into a phenomenal package. It is the very best shmup money can buy in the whole Switch game library (plus it will cost you about half what it should!). Even if you don't particularity like shmups - or if Japanese bullet hells are not your particular favourite flavour within the genre - exposure to the insane lightshows provided by this game might just turn you into a die-hard fan. We can only fault the new king of Switch shmups with one particular ‘glitch': Every other shmup on the system now feels slow and dull in comparison.
Membrane is a polished, tight and smartly designed single-room physics puzzle platformer wrapped around a unique audio/visual retro bubble.
Tengai is part of a distinguished niche shmup pantheon we like to refer to as the 'flying-person shooter'. It sits comfortably on top of other great examples of the genre such as Forgotten Worlds, Space Harrier, Lords of Thunder, Cho Aniki and Gynoug (aka Wings of Wor). It's not only one of the finest shmups developed by Psikyo during its active years, but an absurd luxury to have it at this very sensible price. It offers an arcade perfect, single- or two-player horizontal scrolling shmup that still manages to not only pack a punch and a challenge but make current age efforts looks dull by comparison.
Rogue Aces is a stellar, fresh experience - even more so if you never played spiritual forerunner Wings of Fury - that has landed on the Switch eShop seemingly out of nowhere. It not only delivers an audio-visual treat but also an overwhelmingly entertaining stimulation of the senses thanks to the frenetic aerial ballets you will take part in. Easy to pickup but devilishly hard to walk away from, Rogue Aces demands just the right amount of arcade shmup skills and strategic planing with the odd lucky break when something just works out. All of this is complimented by some excellent humour in the form of audio quips from your Captain, the enemy Baron aces and the one-liners from ally pilots. Kick the tires and light the fires, fellow Switch pilots; this war won't be winning itself with you sitting pretty on that carrier deck.
You may be able to clear the whole game loop in under 30 minutes, but we very much doubt you will play it once and never touch it again. It's quite simply brilliant, addictive and another must-have shmup you need to add to your growing digital arcade Switch collection.
BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is an utterly accomplished 2D fighting game. Bursting with content and featuring the visual spectacle of combat that uses up every single trick in the book while doing so with the possibility of calling up a second character into the fray on demand sets Arc System Works title as the de facto current generation game fighting game to own on the Nintendo Switch. While we certainly appreciate the likes of Capcom and SNK (via HAMSTER) safely releasing previously proven hits of the genre, we were beginning to wonder when companies would notice that Switch is more than able to accommodate current generation titles as well. A few strange decisions aside it is very hard for us not to recommend you make this title a priority among your future acquisitions if you're a fighting game fan. Even if you never heard or are a fan of any of the franchises represented in this game because by the time you are done with this game (something we wonder is it is even possible with a strong online community) you will most certainly be.
Ikaruga is not so highly revered by chance, despite its near accidental creation. It is the result of a combination between an incredibly talented team making the most of excellent hardware, bringing in the unique double polarity gimmick that stealthy introduces puzzle solving mechanics into a bullet hell shmup. So it's no great surprise it not only remains an incredibly compelling experience but it lands smoothly on top of the currently available shmup list on Nintendo's hybrid console library.
There is very little to complain about with SD Gundam G Generation Cross Rays because what it does, it does very well indeed, with no other game on the system to compare it against, other than its previous non-English entry.
The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED] is a neo-retro masterpiece. Even if you play the game from start to finish just once in a single sitting and never come back to it, this minimalist post-apocalyptic epic will stay with you for years to come. If you already have Another World and Flashback in your Switch collection and are looking for the next true evolution of the genre, look no further. They just don't make them like this any more… and we found ourselves wondering 'why not?'.
We look forward to seeing what the future of this particular spin off holds, because as it stands right now Federation Force is an impressive and solid foundation; it's more than able to satisfy hardcore Metroid fans until the inevitable return of Samus Aran.
The Final Station is a unique journey among the current Switch library you will not want to skip on, especially if you managed to stay away from the original PC release up to this point. World building and plot is brilliantly delivered by numerous little details of which we have rarely seen developers explore with such efficiency to deliver so much tension and sense of urgency from the player. Despite linearity, when you do reach the end game you can immediately jump into the ‘The Only Traitor' DLC included in the Switch version, which will enable you to experience the same events under a new character. Make sure you don't miss out this train ride.
Clustertruck stands as a metaphor for life itself. Where do these trucks come from? Where are these trucks going? None of that matters now that you can play this game anytime, anywhere free from the tyranny of non-portable entertainment centres. An exquisite balance of arcade first-person action and physics puzzle that leaves little but one single course of action when faced with a glimpse of its pure brilliant absurdity: Keep on (cluster)truckin', baby!
GRIDD: Retroenhanced is a nostalgic trip for anyone who was around when the game's visuals were state of the art. As a game, it does very little wrong once you get used to your ship's momentum, while the inclusion of ‘Glove of Power' mode makes the Switch version the definitive one to play. If you have exhausted the joys of Thumper and are looking for something new to challenge your reflexes, you have just found your next hurdle.
Over the years, Windjammers has slowly achieved cult status due to its simple pick-up-and-play controls that hide complex mechanics that only become apparent the more you play against human opponents. Data East's extreme sports versus title has now arrived on the ultimate multiplayer-friendly console, once again brandishing the same fast and addictive gameplay that had us hooked in 1994. Despite the passing of the decades the core gameplay still manages to entertain, and the 2D visuals have likewise stood the test of time rather well. The bone of contention remains the single-player side of things; if you're playing alone, you'll get bored relatively quickly. However, with online play and easy-to-configure local multiplayer, there's plenty of scope to embrace the game's true USP: two-player action.
Raiden V: Director’s Cut quietly lands on the Switch with little fanfare, and yet feels right at home along with all the numerous other bullet hell shmups currently available on the system.
Charming, challenging yet never frustrating to the levels of the designed to do so Super Meat Boy, this little triangle that could might just turn you into a geometry fan for life. Recommended from every angle.
Neonwall is a fresh new take on the old physics puzzler genre, immensely enjoyable thanks to the Joy-Cons IR tracking control mode. A beautiful package of endless neon glows and electronic music filled with some stiff concentration and reflex challenges makes it very easy for us to recommend this unusual yet deeply satisfying addition to Nintendo Switch's digital library.
Gotcha Racing 2nd is an incredible slice of generous retro racing content with hidden depths; one you can play for two minutes or two hours and always have incredible fun while at it.
Manticore: Galaxy on Fire is an outstanding example of mobile-to-Switch done right. A gorgeous looking, content-heavy slice of space shooting action with a deep plot, set in a lore filled universe that has taken years to mature during a decade since the Galaxy on Fire series premiered in the mobile market. True that just like the games of old within this genre, this remains niche and will possibly only tickle the fancy of a very specific target audience with the whole Switch owner population. If you happen to be one of these individuals, jump right in and be prepared for some great space antics ahead, hunting down alien criminals we are very sure were named by the developer's cats running wild in their keyboards. Plus on top of it all: It is an exceptional tease and proof-of-concept for the up and coming conversion of EverSpace to the Switch. See you, space cowboys.