Nintendo Switch has an unusually broad library, spanning major physical releases, small digital projects and console exclusives. That variety also makes excellent games easy to miss, particularly when the digital storefront is crowded and new boxed games arrive constantly.
These ten titles each offer something distinctive, from rhythm-based Zelda combat and underwater exploration to chaotic co-op puzzles and high-speed racing. They are ideal discoveries for anyone working through the Switch library beyond its biggest names. For more gaming features, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
10. Part Time UFO
Released: October 2020
HAL Laboratory, the studio behind Kirby’s Dream Land and numerous later Kirby games, originally released Part Time UFO on mobile devices. The Switch version added features and modes, making it the most complete way to play the charming puzzle adventure.
You control a small UFO fitted with a claw, completing jobs such as loading cows into a farmer’s truck or assembling a dinosaur skeleton from museum bones. The straightforward tasks are made more involving by the physics, while local multiplayer and harder versions of completed jobs add longevity. The game is no longer available to buy on iOS or Android, giving the Switch release extra importance.
9. Astral Chain
Released: August 2019
PlatinumGames is renowned for stylish action in series such as Bayonetta and NieR: Automata, but Astral Chain built a world of its own. Its police special task force battles monsters in a futuristic city, delivering the precise, dramatic combat associated with the developer.
More than a million players found the game, helped by Nintendo publishing it, yet it remains overshadowed by the company’s biggest Mario and Zelda releases. With millions of Switch consoles in homes, plenty of owners still have not experienced this ambitious action game.
8. Demon Throttle
Released: July 2022
Doinksoft followed its 2019 debut, Gato Roboto, with Demon Throttle, a scrolling shooter released exclusively for Nintendo Switch. Its unusual distribution made it even easier to overlook: the publisher offered it only as a physical cartridge, and it never appeared on the Nintendo eShop either as an individual game or within The Doinksoft Collection.
That scarcity has made it a collector’s item, but the game itself is the main attraction. Its old-school presentation and shooting action recall Pocky & Rocky, with retro-inspired visuals and sound supporting a focused arcade-style experience.
7. Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer
Released: June 2019
Brace Yourself Games’ Cadence of Hyrule combines the rhythmic movement of Crypt of the NecroDancer with Nintendo’s Zelda universe. Its presentation and structure draw strongly from The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, while its central rule changes how players approach every encounter.
Rather than moving whenever you like, you act in time with the music. Direct control can feel unusual at first, but the rhythm quickly becomes a satisfying part of exploration and combat. This is an inventive crossover and a particularly strong Zelda spin-off for players willing to follow its beat.
6. Shinsekai: Into the Depths
Released: March 2020
Capcom first launched Shinsekai: Into the Depths through Apple Arcade before bringing it to Switch. The underwater adventure follows a diver exploring the complex ruins of lost civilisations while keeping a close eye on limited oxygen supplies.
A robot companion provides assistance, although it is not always especially useful. The game’s Metroidvania structure, striking environments and tense underwater movement make exploration rewarding. Some design choices reveal its mobile origins, but they do little to undermine an otherwise compelling adventure.
5. Good Job!
Released: March 2020
Good Job! came from Dutch developer Paladin Studios, which has since closed, and was published by Nintendo as a surprise release. Its office setting turns everyday workplace obstacles into physics-driven puzzles, with players encouraged to solve problems through inventive and frequently destructive methods.
There is plenty of replay value in finding different solutions, while multiplayer lets a second player add to the disorder. The colourful presentation and satire of nepotism give the game personality, but the puzzles can also provide a demanding challenge once the novelty of the office setting wears off.
If you enjoy games built around physical interaction, explore RETROCADE’s selection of arcade joysticks, buttons and parts for more hands-on gaming projects.
4. Vitamin Connection
Released: January 2020
WayForward, the team behind games including Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, created Vitamin Connection as a bright co-op adventure. Players guide Vita-Boy and Mina-Girl through six colourful worlds while fighting unpleasant pathogens.
Its asymmetric multiplayer makes especially creative use of the Joy-Con controllers. One player holds a controller vertically to move and shoot, while the other holds one sideways to rotate and aim. The cheerful art and music complement a design that demonstrates how effectively the Switch can support shared play.
3. The Stretchers
Released: November 2019
Tarsier Studios, better known for the darker Little Nightmares, took a much lighter approach with The Stretchers. Two players work together as paramedics, transporting dazed patients through a series of physics-based challenges.
The unusual premise supports entertaining co-op play, with pleasant visuals and unconventional tasks that are more enjoyable when shared. The campaign is brief, and its limited length may leave players wanting more, but the game makes excellent use of teamwork and physical comedy.
For a different kind of two-player setup, browse RETROCADE’s compact bartop arcade machines.
2. Fast RMX
Released: March 2017
The Fast series began on WiiWare, with Shin’en Multimedia developing a high-speed alternative to games such as F-Zero and Wipeout. Fast RMX was one of three independent games available around the Switch launch.
It includes the courses and downloadable content from Fast Racing Neo on Wii U, alongside new tracks created for Switch. The computer-controlled rivals are aggressive, and rubber-banding can occasionally diminish the satisfaction of a strong run. Even so, the speed and demanding track design remain compelling. The game performed well enough to lead to another Switch 2 entry, Fast Fusion, although Fast RMX still deserved a larger audience.
Fans of virtual driving can also compare the experience with RETROCADE’s racing simulators.
1. Golf Story
Released: September 2017
SideBar Games’ Golf Story was an early Switch success, but it is still easy to mistake it for a conventional golf game. The sport is central, yet the adventure also uses ideas drawn from 16-bit role-playing and action games.
You follow a golfer making one final attempt to achieve his ambitions, travelling between courses while meeting friends and rivals. It is not intended to be a realistic golf simulator. Instead, its mixture of golf, exploration, characters and RPG-style progression recalls the Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf, which clearly helped inspire it.
Why these Switch games are worth finding
These games show how much variety exists outside the Switch’s most heavily promoted releases. Some are difficult to locate because they were physical-only, while others were simply crowded out by larger franchises. Together they cover puzzle games, action, racing, rhythm, exploration, sport and co-op play.
For readers who enjoy bringing arcade-style experiences into the home, RETROCADE also offers an arcade machine buying guide to help compare cabinet formats and choose a suitable setup.
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