Guide: Best Retro Throwback Nintendo Switch Games -School Style
By Newly patched in: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound & UFO 50!
Ah, wistful memories—what slippery treasures they can be. How famously have we booted up an old heartfelt favorite only to discover that present-day convenience has almost ruined it? As many virtues as the classics possess, life’s modern luxuries—like smooth framerates and sensible menus—have grown awfully hard to do without, and sometimes those returns can taste bittersweet.
Luckily, in the midst of all the remasters, bundles and retro anthologies busily shaving rough pixels from ancient favorites and buffing them for today’s hurried player, there now exists an equally sizable wave of fresh releases that bow politely to the past. Below you’ll discover the neo-retro adventures we love most on Switch. They’re arranged in no strict lineup, and any single entry often shows off more than one muse—so the origins we call out are only the clearest tip of a very large iceberg.
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Come on then—let’s dive into the titles most likely to press every retrofuturist nostalgia button on your Switch…
Finest Retro Revival Games on Nintendo Switch
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Switch eShop)
Pixel Mentors: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, DuckTales, Mega Man, Castlevania, and plenty more…
Yacht Club Games wears its sampler heart on its sleeve—even jokes self-deprecatingly about its mosaic of influences. Shovel Knight was already brilliant at launch, yet Treasure Trove crams everything added since the 2013 Kickstarter miracle: bonus campaigns Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment and King of Cards, plus the couch-brawling Showdown. The result is a single carton overflowing with pixel-perfect platforming homage.
Collectively, these games are glorious love songs to the golden age of 8-bit(+), and having the entire Shovel buffet in one Switch spot makes this an essential download—especially for anyone who has yet to strike that first gorgeous patch of pixel dirt. Dig in!
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198X (Switch eShop)
Pixel Mentors: Streets of Rage, R-Type, Out Run, Shinobi, Kill Screen, the neon-drenched ‘80s
A digital love note to a vanished decade, 198X gathers up the arcades of yesteryear and serves them with lavish hand-drawn backdrops and a soundtrack so catchy it could be illegal. Visually, the game is a stunner, and its audio rivals the best synthwave playlists. The lone complaint: the runtime is brisk—barely an hour from button press to credits.
Some will rail against that compact length, yet for anyone who grew up pumping quarters into coin-ops, adores striking 2D art, and desires an offering that lingers lovingly in your memory long after the screen fades to black, 198X still earns your attention.
Horizon Chase Turbo (Switch eShop)
Pixel Mentors: Top Gear, Out Run
While Out Run might be the first analogue most drivers imagine, Horizon Chase Turbo really feels like a souped-up love letter to 16-bit era Top Gear, right down to the digitised sunset skies.
The handling is smooth liquid nostalgia, the cars pop with candy-coated hues, and those angular retro polygons scream for sunglasses, sunshine and turbo.
go ahead and slot this entry into your Switch backlog whether you’ve just wrapped your thumbs around the console or you’ve been holding controllers since the grey NES pad. After a more raw, chunky-pixel look? Then allow us to point you toward Mega Man 9 and 10 housed inside the Mega Man Legacy Collection 2.
The Messenger (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Ninja Gaiden
Side-scrolling 2D romps such as The Messenger are hardly scarce nowadays, but turning your back on this outing would mean skipping a genuine treat. Boasting a surprisingly meaty campaign, a knockout score, and razor-tight, exacting stage layouts, it feels criminal not to highlight its fantastic chiptune soundtrack as well.
The Messenger stands tall as a masterclass in old-school craftsmanship, gliding seamlessly from an 8-bit vibe to a 16-bit aesthetic without dropping a single frame. In Nintendo’s bulging pantry of indie brilliance, it’s the sugar-dusted delicacy that never spoils.
Sonic Mania Plus (Switch)
Inspired by: … seriously, guess.
Sonic Mania felt like SEGA’s blue blur finally sprinting back into the classic 2D spotlight, paying homage to the halcyon Mega Drive/Genesis days while polishing the formula and folding in fresh concepts. New zones, inventive Act 2 twists, and a parade of creative bosses speak to the love and skill the team injected.
The Plus patch introduced extra faces and modes that smooth over the odd wrinkle from the vanilla launch; after years of uneven hedgehog misadventures, it was an outright joy to see the little guy reclaim pole position in the modern 2D platforming podium.
Blaster Master Zero 2 (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Sunsoft’s maiden Blaster Master
Inti Creates hit a grand slam with Blaster Master Zero 2, improving upon its predecessor in virtually every department while clearly laying groundwork for a hallowed series. Air-tight stage hopping, memorable showdowns, heaps of hidden extras, and drop-dead gorgeous pixel work conspire to make it one of the simplest eShop shouts we can give; do yourself a favor and nab it.
Veterans of the franchise and total rookies alike will find an adventure that never drops the ball from start to finish, further proving Inti Creates’ seat among the retro elite.
Blaster Master Zero 3 keeps the tempo red-lined, layering a shadow-realm mechanic that gives the already intricate level design one more enticing wrinkle.
Stardew Valley (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Harvest Moon
Stardew Valley invites you to clock into an alternate existence—one where a prize parsnip can make your whole day. The enchantment baked into every sod square and rainbow trout is unlike anything else; plenty of games are fun, but few conjure genuine wonder.
This is the kind of title that wants you to linger. The joy isn’t found in any single chore, but in the slow, satisfying swell of pride and safety that builds as the seasons roll by in this pastel, 16-bit farm-life daydream. Longtime Harvest Moon devotees or Animal Crossing day-trippers will feel instantly at home among Stardew’s fireflies.
Axiom Verge (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: the Metroid lineage
Axiom Verge funnels the spirit of Metroid into a vintage-flavored action-adventure, sprinkling in sharp new wrinkles to keep explorers guessing. You’ll chart labyrinths and pulverize grotesqueries in time-honored fashion, yet an emotionally charged storyline unfurls as the map fills in.
While Super Metroid remains the gold standard for side-scrolling exploration, the NES original can feel crusty in spots. Playing Axiom Verge only underscores how far the sub-genre has soared since then.
The follow-up is no slouch either.
Cuphead (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: 1930s Fleischer and Disney rubber-hose cartoons, Contra, Gunstar Heroes, Mega Man
Cuphead leaks nostalgia from every painted cel. Whether it’s the jazz-age aesthetic that knocks you silly or the punishing boss-rush essence you crave, StudioMDHR’s tour de force—once locked to Xbox—makes the subsequent Switch port feel like a bargain. Drop-dead gorgeous visuals, toe-tapping audio, and knuckle-breaking challenge remain perfectly intact.
Its single-minded focus on screen-filling boss brawls won’t suit every palate, yet if you know what you’re signing up for, our endorsement is irreversible. Just gaze at it!
Hotline Miami Collection (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: the original top-down Grand Theft Auto titles, Drive, the neon ’80s
Together these two titles dish out some of the most compulsive and cathartic (not to mention absurdly gory) moments you can carry in your pocket. The Switch ports don’t reinvent the wheel, yet they offer the single finest method to experience this ultraviolent ballet on the move or curled up on the sofa.
Its sequel is the weaker half, butthe blocky pixelated look and pulsing synthwave music that define both releases have held up remarkably since 2012 — likely because the yearning for that vintage vibe still glows like a neon sign.
Blazing Chrome (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: the Contra series
Anybody hankering for the era when side-scrolling shooters dominated arcades will find Blazing Chrome to be a perfect fit. Built for bite-sized runs, its razor-sharp action and hyper-authentic 16-bit art style deliver an explosive gauntlet of screen-filling set pieces and screen-shaking boss fights that never stop thrilling.
The merciless challenge will scare off casual players, yet those who welcome the punishment will discover one of the finest 2D action experiences of the past decade. After the disastrous Contra: Rogue Corps illustrated how badly retro revivals can misfire, Blazing Chrome shows precisely how it should be done — flawlessly.
Wargroove (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Advance Wars
Within the Switch’s catalog of strategic titles, Wargroove and its follow-up stand as cream-of-the-crop choices on the eShop. Monumental strategic depth, near-endless replay value, and an adorable polish unite to create a must-buy for anyone craving a thoughtful, brainy adventure on Nintendo’s hybrid console.
Advance Wars got its remake, yet Wargroove remains a rightful heir to the throne. Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp now has serious rivalry on Switch thanks to Chucklefish’s outstanding work.
Also don’t overlook the sequel, which is anything but a lightweight follow-through.
Pocket Rumble (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: classic Neo Geo Pocket Color fighters from the Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown and King of Fighters lineage among others
Pocket Rumble offers a short arcade path that doubles as solid practice. Competitive matches, however, are where it truly shines, aided by a compact yet eclectic roster. Fighting games often overwhelm rookies with lengthy input lists and tech jargon, yet Cardboard Robot Games strips it down to an approachable, easily digestible brawler wrapped in spot-on NGPC-inspired sights and sounds.
Relying on a mere pair of attack buttons and streamlined specials might sacrifice complexity for some veterans, yet the title still delivers ample depth. Compatible with any controller and engineered for rapid firefights, it’s ideal for online brawls or couch-side tabletop throw-downs.
GALAK-Z: The Void: Deluxe Edition (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Macross (the anime), ’80s twin-stick coin-ops
GALAK-Z won’t click with every player: its roguelite loops, harsh difficulty spikes, and draconian death penalties frustrate anyone expecting effortless, nonstop combat or a straightforward twin-stick blaster. Spoiler—it is neither.
Approach it instead as the measured, exploratory space-survival sandbox it wants to be, and your perseverance earns you immensely gratifying dogfights and a wide arsenal of swappable parts (plus a killer mech transformation), all decked out in dazzling neon ’80s gloss.
Undertale (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Earthbound, Super Mario RPG
Undertale is a razor-sharp RPG that knows exactly what makes the genre tick—then gleefully subverts every one of those beats to near-satirical effect. Expect constant surprises arising from its brilliantly penned cast, rule-bending combat, and earworm soundtrack. This is an effortless recommendation, doubly so for genre enthusiasts. Treat yourself and press download.
Demon’s Tilt (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Alien Crush, Devil’s Crush
A love-letter sequel to the TG-16 pinball duo of Alien Crush and Devil’s Crush, Demon’s Tilt won’t suit every palate: its sole table, cryptic rule-set, and frequent difficulty spikes narrow the audience. Yet pinball die-hards owe it to themselves to give it a tilt.
Additional tables would’ve been welcome, and some visual flourishes were dialed down in the Switch build, but the remaining package oozes depth and rewards patient players willing to excavate every secret tactic. Vertical handheld mode sweetens the deal even more.
Fight’N Rage (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Final Fight, Streets of Rage, Double Dragon…
The brawler is alive and kicking. Fight’N Rage is an essential pick-up on Nintendo’s system. Its unexpectedly layered, weighty combat engine—bolstered by three distinct fighters plus a menagerie of smartly designed foes—lifts it far above the button-masher stigma the genre often carries. Backed by an outstandingan [[arcade-style]] campaign that splinters into multiple paths, plus mountains of extra modes and unlockables that will keep you returning time and again.
Whether you’re a seasoned devotee of retro brawlers or you simply relish pounding the stuffing out of mohawked mutant felines and Bruce-Lee-cosplaying monkeys, you absolutely owe it to yourself to sample Sebastian Garcia’s creation; it’s hands-down one of the finest beat ‘em ups we’ve ever encountered.
Huntdown (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: 16-bit run-and-gun blasters, 1980s sci-fi fever-dreams
Huntdown is a swaggering, laser-precise love letter to the classic arcade shooters of yore. Its 16-bit aesthetic is replicated to pixel-perfect effect, yet it’s lavished with modern flourishes—think an absolute banger of a soundtrack, razor-sharp audio design, toggleable CRT shimmer, and a toybox of firepower that shreds both scenery and scum as you carve a path from one superb boss encounter to the next.
Stages can feel cyclical in structure, but the on-the-fly chaos, unabashed fun, wall-to-wall hammy voice lines, and relentless winks at pop culture conspire to make this one of the most effortlessly recommendable blasters on Switch—another bullseye in the console’s already enviable action line-up.
Xeno Crisis (Switch)
Drawing from: Robotron: 2084, Smash TV
Xeno Crisis feels like a rediscovered cabinet pulled from a ’90s arcade time capsule—a twin-stick massacre simulator drenched in its inspirations and blood.
The brutal difficulty may deter dilettantes, but persevere and you’ll be rewarded with some of the most feverish, can’t-stop-blasting action the genre can muster. Talk a friend into co-op and the memories-on-the-spot begin to feel legendary.
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom (Switch)
Spiritual ancestor: the Wonder Boy lineage
Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is nothing short of a triumph. Its visuals radiate lush, hand-drawn charm, the soundtrack soars, and it venerates the Wonder Boy formula while slipping in quality-of-life inventions that contemporary players will adore.
Understand going in that you’ll still face 8-bit-styled platforming rigidity, and you’ll happily invest 12-15 gleaming hours in the adventure. It might not wear the Wonder Boy trademark on its sleeve, yet it’s wonderful in every sense of the word.
Honourable nod: Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap — technically a remake of the Master System classic Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap — but Dotemu’s efforts feel far grander than a simple coat of new paint.
The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors (Switch)
Heritage: Ninja Warriors, Final Fight…
You can’t truly return home, or so the saying goes; nostalgia’s rosy tint often outshines reality. Fire up the SNES Ninja Warriors today and it’s still enjoyable, yet the 4:3 frame feels cramped, the animation no longer gleams, and solo-only play pales beside other Final Fight contemporaries.
Then The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors appears—and suddenly memory and present collide. Expansive, painterly backdrops, butter-smooth animation, and razor-tight ninja carnage blur time itself, making you feel ten years old again. Essential cartridge.
Octopath Traveler (Switch)
Channeling: Quintessential 16-bit JRPGs
Octopath Traveler hails from the Square Enix team behind Bravely Default, and it meets every lofty hope. From its jaw-dropping “HD-2D” artistry to its intricate mechanics, it gazes backward even as it strides boldly forward. Every component locks together in perfect synchronicity, crafting an adventure that is near-impossible to set aside. RPG veterans and rookies alike will find the balance between depth and accessibility a rare delight.
Classic systems, a full orchestral score, and an unconventional narrative structure make this unmissable. Pro tip: don’t overlook the excellent sequel Octopath Traveler II.
The Eternal Castle [Remastered] (Switch eShop)
Built on: Another World, Flashback and the era of cinematic platformers
The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED] is a stark, stylish odyssey that lingers in your mind long after the credits fade. A single, sit-down playthrough is enough to leave a lasting scar of euphoria.
If you recoil at the famously deliberate responsiveness of vintage cinematic platformers, tread carefully. But if you crave an evolution of that cold-blooded magic, you need look no further. They don’t craft experiences like this anymore… and we can’t help but ask, “Why on Earth not?”
Freedom Planet (Switch eShop)
Inspiredchannelled by: 16-bit Sega side-scrollers—think Gunstar Heroes, Ristar and, naturally, the blue blur himself.
Freedom Planet might have begun life as a carbon-copy hedgehog homage, yet slapping that label on it and walking away sells the experience painfully short. Yes, its narrative feels workaday and sudden leaps in challenge will test your patience, but the final product transcends those blemishes, revitalising familiar running-and-jumping beats with inventive twists you probably didn’t see coming. Dive in—even if you’ve already devoured the sublime Sonic Mania—because the evident craftsmanship on display turns this into a heartfelt ode to everyone who still loves a good momentum-driven platformer.
Cleared it and hunger for more? The follow-up pushes further into its own identity, refining every component until the original feels almost like a sketch.
Cyber Shadow (Switch eShop)
inspired by: Ninja Gaiden
If retro tough-as-nails twitch-platformers are your jam, Cyber Shadow should already be downloading in the background. Every byte of the adventure drips passion, proving beyond doubt that the developer has reverse-engineered the genre’s masterpieces down to the last sprite.
Meticulously crafted stages, era-perfect audiovisuals, pinpoint controls and a formidable level of challenge merge into a razor-sharp package that wastes zero seconds of your time. Mechanical Head Studios couldn’t have announced itself with more confidence.
Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection (Switch eShop)
inspired by: *long, meaningful stare*
This revival strips away almost every modern comfort—if the prospect of restarting again and again makes your eye twitch, turn back now. It flirts with excess more than once, and you’ll occasionally wonder why certain gauntlets run for so many screens, yet at its core it remains a tightly choreographed test of grit that marries old-school discipline with contemporary conveniences just enough to feel fresh.
Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection is Tokuro Fujiwara’s 35th-anniversary valentine to the franchise that made controllers airborne, and remarkably, it lands every heartfelt beat. Patience and persistence are prerequisites, but push through and bragging-rights platinum awaits anyone still hungry for serious adversity.
Steel Assault (Switch eShop)
inspired by: ye olde whip-cracking Castlevanias
Steel Assault is like savouring a single, perfectly seared steak bite—its flavour lingers precisely because you only get the one. The intensity more than compensates for the short runtime; you’ll likely spend as much time replaying as you did finishing it the first go.
If lightning-fast arcade cruelty ever made your palms sweat, you owe it to yourself to sample this morsel. It’s a fleeting, uncompromising punch of side-scrolling adrenaline, executed so precisely that the only real complaint is the absence of leftovers afterwards.
Infernax (Switch eShop)
inspired by: Ninja Gaiden, Zelda II, pre-Symphony Castlevanias
Make no mistake, Infernax is brutally demanding—yet never cheap. You can’t flip an “easy” switch, but clever planning and liberal use of side-quests let you dial back the agony fractionally, and the game welcomes temporary detours when you slam into a brick wall. Still, don’t bank on a painless stroll or on instinctively picking the “good” route—morality in this gory realm remains murky at best.
Lack of genuine novelty is the lone chink in an otherwise sterling set of plate mail: every component feels familiar, yet executed so skilfully that you’ll only mind if the mere thought of homage already bores you—and in that case, what are you even doing here? Infernax demands focus and respects those who give it.
Chained Echoes (Switch eShop)
inspired by: legendary 16-bit JRPGs
Chained Echoes is a deft blend of everything you loved about ’90s role-playing games, re-engineered to feel both stubbornly nostalgic and startlingly original. A snappy narrative tempo, off-beat progression mechanics, tactical turn combat and an enormous world to explore conspire to make this small-studio miracle one of 2022’s finest RPG offerings.
Almost miraculously, it drops the ball nowhere—a fact that becomes staggering once you learn that nearly the entire package sprang from the mind of a single developer. JRPG aficionados should add this to their libraries yesterday.
Arcade Paradise (Switch)
inspired by: coin-op titans of yore
If laundromat management simulators or sticky-carpet arcades light up any part of your memory, Arcade Paradise deserves your quarters. Its plot about a slacker heir struggling to impress dad won’t keep you hooked, and yes, endless shirt-pressing and gum-scraping eventually loses its sparkle.
Still, the arcade cabinets themselves are bursting with creativity and swagger; we’d happily pump tokens into them at a real-world dive. Failing that, we’ll fire the collection up long after the last sock is folded, chasing stat after stat on worldwide leaderboards.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider (Switch eShop)
inspired by: Shinobi, Strider, Mega Man
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is an absolute triumph in ‘neo-retro’ game design. It boasts fluid combatwith heaps of diversity in its backdrops and adversaries, rendered in an artistic style that looks like it leapt straight out of the early 1990s.
While its relatively short runtime may grate on some, anyone craving an action game that delivers top-notch entertainment while oozing retro authenticity will consider this an absolute shoo-in.
Kraino Origins (Switch eShop)Cavern of Dreams.
Bynine Studios slips in, injects a dose of enchanted platforming with a shadow lurking beneath, and bows out briskly. For those Banjo die-hards who long to relive that bubble of awe they first tasted inside Grunty’s Lair, this may be the nearest ticket short of hopping into a time machine or scrubbing your own memories.
Alisa Developer’s Cut (Switch eShop)
Call-backs to: Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark
Alisa Developer’s Cut is an outstanding nod to vintage survival-horror that can comfortably trade blows with Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark. From its clunky tank movement to its delightfully campy voice acting, it lands almost every note, conjuring an atmosphere torn straight from the mid-’90s.
The title’s charm will resonate most with connoisseurs who grew up on this slice of horror, but if that’s your crowd, buckle in—this is among the genre’s finest offerings yet.
Pepper Grinder (Switch eShop)
Rooted in: Dig Dig, Drill Dozer, Sonic the Hedgehog, DKC
Pepper Grinder is a fiendishly creative and joy-packed platformer that no genre aficionado should overlook. Borrowing equal doses from tunnel-centric legends and 16-bit icons, its campaign may feel brisk, but what’s here is thoroughly entertaining, deceptively tough, and begging for repeat runs.
If it sounds promising, snagging Pepper Grinder is an easy call—there’s even a demo ready for the fence-sitters.
Crow Country (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: PS1 horror touchstones like Resident Evil & Silent Hill, plus Final Fantasy VII
Crow Country serves up retro-flavoured survival horror that salutes the classics while adding modern luxuries to keep things slick—and more importantly—fun. Scouring the quaint-yet-creepy amusement park is a treat, packed with well-hidden secrets and bitey beasties.
Minor hiccups—slightly sluggish screen transitions and teeth-clenching traps—keep it from perfection, yet, reminiscent of Signalis, Crow Country is a retro-horror excursion that avoids feeling archaic on day one.
Labyrinth Of The Demon King (Switch eShop)
Influenced by: Vintage FromSoft, namely King’s Field
Labyrinth Of The Demon King brilliantly replicates a late-’90s action-horror crawl that’s every bit as oppressive as it is enthralling. Crude-yet-creepy visuals, unforgiving brawls, and dizzying corridors form a puzzle worth deciphering.
We heartily recommend it to Soulslike devotees seeking a fresh coat of paint on familiar bones, provided you’re willing to weather its curveballs and absorb its quirks.
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo (Switch eShop)
Evokes: 2D Zeldas
Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo is a clinic in top-down, retro-Zelda design, welding timeless systems with smart new flourishes to create something memorable and well worth your money.
Barring a few roguish difficulty spikes, we’d urge any Hylian conservative hankering for more Minish Cap vibes to pounce on Pipistrello ASAP. Like its namesake bat, the game has plenty of slick tricks tucked in its wings.
Sea of Stars (Switch eShop)
Owes its soul to: 16-bit RPG giants—think Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG and Illusion of Gaia.
Sea of Stars is Sabotage’s resounding second victory, spinning familiar genre threads into a fresh tapestry. Small pacing stumbles don’t tarnish a tight story, layered tactical battles, elegant stagecraft, and knockout audiovisual polish—making this recommendation almost reflexive. Old-school JRPG faithful need to clear their schedule immediately; everyone else should still consider this masterclass in retro elegance.
Few titles can capably serve as the ultimate ambassador for what Japanese RPGs can achieve. Sea of Stars is both a modern classic and the new gold standard for neo-retro ambition. Letting it pass by would be a mistake.
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (Switch eShop)
Shout-outs to: This one isn’t lurking in any dark alley!
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is the title that sparks obsession. Stringing death-dealing combos with balletic precision is so liberating that interruptions feel almost offensive. From the masterful mechanical mesh to the escalating set-piece levels that remain gorgeous and unforgiving, the experience is a feast—an old-school arcade-style expansion would be a gift from the ninja gods.
Certain purchasable Talismans crank the challenge even higher, but the baseline difficulty already demands every ounce of skill you possess.you. That erratic frame-rate is genuinely unfortunate, yet when it comes to alluring side-scrolling ninja acrobatics, it lands with the silent grace of a prowling feline. SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance, the gauntlet has been thrown for a one-on-one duel.
UFO 50 (Switch eShop)
Inspired by: Practically every classic console and cartridge compilation from yesteryear
What leaps off the screen about UFO 50, Mossmouth’s charming anthology of faux-retro delights, isn’t just how many titles are stone-cold killers—although they absolutely rock—but how seamlessly they fuse into one cohesive journey.
In this package, you’re stepping inside a pixelated hall of wonders, and UFO 50 acts as your 8-bit DeLorean. It’s a masterpiece tailor-made for the Switch.
The last ten-odd years have delivered a tidal wave of nostalgic nuggets, and Nintendo Switch shelters more than its fair share, as illustrated above. We’ve wrapped up our current favorites, and we’ll refresh this rundown whenever worthy newcomers arrive.
Best Retro Throwback Switch Games FAQ
What actually is a throwback? How does something earn the “retro” label? We’ve tackled the most frequent queries right here…
What is a “throwback” game?
When we say throwback titles, we’re talking about projects that borrow liberal doses of DNA from gaming’s early days. In the examples above, think NES, Mega Drive (Genesis to some), SNES, original PlayStation, and N64.
Basically, they’re modern love-letters to the bygone formulas we grew up devouring.
Wait, where is [insert game here]?
Whereas some of our guides are community-voted or reader-curated, this list reflects chiefly our own curated choices. The missing title might simply miss the mark for the category, so it’s been left off the podium.
Spot a glaring omission that you swear belongs here? Raise your voice and let us know.
But what counts as retro?
That varies according to whom you ask! We’ve already listed a batch of era-defining platforms, and this article mainly spotlights works indebted to the 64-bit age and earlier. Before long, though, GameCube and PS2 inspirations will find themselves filed under “throwback” too.
We don’t dictate what’s retro—time flies. The humble Nintendo DS is over two decades old now, and yes, we suddenly feel ancient.
Which contemporary experiences tug at your nostalgia heartstrings? Share your own go-to cult classics below.