Guide: Best Pixel Art Nintendo Switch Games
By Refreshed this guide with the stellar Until Then and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound!
Across the kaleidoscope of video-game aesthetics, no look clings tighter to the hearts of makers and audiences than the modest square. From ultra-precise contemporary takes on what tiny tiles can achieve to loving tributes to 8- and 16-bit eras, pixel-based imagery appears in every genre, graces every system—regardless of raw horsepower—and has persisted across decades.
A few folks may scoff at blocky visuals as a dated relic [Post me their names and addresses for my personal file — Ed.], yet the titles that follow prove that, on Switch, this style can rival the platform’s loveliest spectacles. A visible grid need not preclude sheer beauty.
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Let’s salute the finest pixel artistry on Nintendo’s hybrid console!
The Best Pixel Art Games On Switch
Eastward (Switch eShop)
It’s probable Eastward first snagged you with its jaw-dropping sprite work, and yes — it lives up to that promise. The frame is stuffed with tiny flourishes that demand attention: warped handbills plastered across a wall, chipped paint on an upturned fishing boat pressed into service as shelter, the jittery neon of a rundown diner sign. Together they cement a world that feels lived-in, and the devs deserve every accolade for it. Craving more? Grab the Eastward: Octopia expansion.
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Kingdom Two Crowns (Switch eShop)
Even amid Switch’s treasury of throwback visuals, Kingdom: Two Crowns shines. Your journey begins on horseback beneath ghostly moonlight while soft reflections glimmer atop motionless water, creating an immediate “wow.” Beauty is woven into every minute of Two Crowns; you’ll lose plenty of time simply marveling at the screen as you trot from kingdom edge to kingdom edge. The rhythmic shift from night to dawn, dawn to dusk, coupled with varying weather and seasons, can feel hypnotic—ideal to wind down with before bedtime.
Hyper Light Drifter: Special Edition (Switch eShop)
This handheld-or-docked 60 fps rendition isn’t just “another” port—it’s the definitive tour of Heart Machine’s neon-swathed nightmare world. Five minutes with the Switch version confirm the marriage of hardware and game; every glowing doorway, every blinking flare of magenta and cyan, every crisp shard of shattered landscape looks tailor-made for the system. The pixel metropolis feels lush and melancholic, a joy to wander even as it steamrolls your run for the thousandth time early on.
Huntdown (Switch eShop)
In Huntdown, painstakingly illustrated little squares and dashes lend every action thumping weight. As you cartwheel through firefights, fabric spikes whirl and weapons transform enemies into chunky crimson confetti. Foes erupt out of subway doors, slither from sewer grates, or scream in atop souped-up rides, yet each spectacle stays framed by meticulous pixel craft that oozes satisfaction.
Potion Permit (Switch)
The alchemy life-sim Potion Permit bathes every scene in cozy autumn hues. Zoom in on any corner of Moonbury and you’ll spot an absurd amount of handcrafted detail that rewards minutes or hours of aimless wandering.
And the citizens aren’t cookie-cutter: each has a distinctive silhouette and personality, including a handful of eligible sweethearts ready for wooing.
Live A Live (Switch)
For Live A Live’s HD-2D makeover, Square Enix stayed true to the SNES spirit while lavishing screen-space with crisp embellishment—arguably the pinnacle of this hybrid style.
Not a single sprite appears out of step. Environments pop with granular fidelity: rocks, circuits, bamboo forests, shimmering pools—they all converge harmoniously as pixel foliage rustles and sunset flames dance in perfect orange squares. Peek above Edo Japan’s tide and you’ll glimpse your tiny snorkel bobbing like a 1-bit periscope through crystal pixels. On an OLED panel, it’s pure eye candy.
One look at the screenshots should be enough—the art direction here is nothing short of breathtaking. Pixel-based visuals have become fashionable once more, with many releases appealing to childhood nostalgia, yet few reach this astonishing level of polish.
Titles such as Owlboy remind everyone that pixel art remains a vital medium; microscopic touches—like the lavishly drawn clouds and foliage—left us gaping just as wide as any photorealistic blockbuster released in 2018.
To The Moon (Switch eShop)
To The Moon wears its “built-in-RPG-Maker” appearance openly, yet its beauty is undeniable. Spanning decades through the dying memories of one man, it stages brief, exquisite snapshots of the most important moments in a couple’s shared life.
The stripped-down style only intensifies the heart-wrenching tale, planting unforgettable images deep in the mind. No other game ties pixel art to narrative quite so tightly.
Unpacking (Switch eShop)
Unpacking diverges from the rest thanks to its subtly distinct pixel work. You won’t spot gentle rays pouring through stained glass or painstakingly shaded depth cues; its power lies in pure minimalism.
Every object—large or tiny—is conveyed with the cleanest possible rendition, and while it took some squinting before we realised those rolled cloth bits were underwear, the fuss-free art meshes perfectly with the quietly profound story being told.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (Switch eShop)
Visually, Shredder’s Revenge serves up an all-you-can-eat buffet. CRT overlays are absent—perhaps a let-down for some—but the hand-drawn precision leaves little room for complaint.
Each screen is stuffed with flourishes, starting inside April’s bustling Channel 5 studio before spilling into gritty New York backstreets and dripping sewers. Beloved places are recreated with fresh devotion, vibrant palettes, and an unmistakable Saturday-morning vibe, all stitched together through slick visual storytelling.