With 2017 in the books, it’s easy to look to the future and what games are slated for release in 2018, but in the case of the Nintendo Switch, there are too many great games you may have missed. In this exclusive Old School Gamer list, we give you a hearty handful of awesome retro-inspired games in the system you may have missed in 2017.
Blossom Tales: With its Link to the Past-inspired visuals, coming of age story, female protagonist and wild puzzles, this port of a Steam Indie darling deserves a look. A late 2017 release meant it simply snuck under the radar.
Crawl: A wonderful multiplayer game, Crawl is what you get when you combine Final Fight, Super Smash TV and Tales From the Crypt. An awesome couch-co-op experience, it’s not for those who fear death.
Axiom Verge: A love letter to the original Metroid series, it’s another game not for those who order their games on the easy side.
Deer God: This endless runner has plenty of personality, in spite of its pixelated visuals. At times you’ll wonder what the point of the game is, only to get slapped in the ace with enough story to keep you satisfied for a while. While it’s a great game on the PS4 and Vita, the bigger screen on the Switch makes that version the one to own if you’re a handheld gamer.
Tiny Barbarian DX: This game is hard. Like you’re going to die a few hundred times throughout the course of the game. But with a ton of charm, wonderful control and odes to Golden Axe, it’s one of the Sleeper hits on the Switch.
Wulverblade: Braveheart meets Streets of Rage, this game is a beat-em-up with a ton of medieval style. Add plenty of awesome lighting and visual elements and it’s just as pretty as it is brutal.
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Patrick Hickey Jr. is the author of the upcoming book, “The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers,” from McFarland And Company. Featuring interviews with the creators of 36 popular video games–including Deus Ex, NHLPA 93, Night Trap, Mortal Kombat, Wasteland and NBA Jam–the book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the most influential and iconic (and sometimes forgotten) games of all time. Recounting endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega publishers and the uncertainties of public reception, the interviewees reveal the creative processes that produced some of gaming’s classic titles.
