5 Nindies From the Latest Nintendo Showcase That Were Love at First Sight

Indie games are my jam. Last week, Nintendo unveiled the latest and greatest independent games coming to the Nintendo Switch this year, unleashing a variety of unique games like Microsoft’s own vintage platformer, Cuphead to Cadence of Hyrule, an exciting mashup between Crypt of the Necromancer and the Legend of Zelda. Now, while all of the games look great, I’m a singular person with specific taste. So, here are some of the games from Nindies Showcase that stole my heart.

Overland – Finji

Strategy RPGs scratch a particular itch for me. Hell, I even once wrote a piece on why Disgaea is my comfort food. My recent time with games like Mutant Year Zero and Into the Breach prove they still hold a certain place for me. Overland presents itself as a post-apocalyptic road trip featuring turn-based combat, survival elements, and choice-based mechanics that affect your journey along the way – I’m yours. “Every level, road map, and character is randomly generated, so each trip is new,” says the team at Finji. Expect hard choices where players are forced to decide whether to save other survivors, search for supplies, or hide/fight monsters. Overland features a unique and grim color book styled art with a tense and dramatic score. Right up my alley.

Release: Fall 2019

Swimsanity – Decoy Games

Ahh, Swimsanity, we meet again. We last saw Swimsanity at the Game Devs of Color Expo. Decoy Games has since been a hit at almost every indie game convention since, with a PC beta dropping late last month. If you didn’t know, Swimsanity is a pretty fun shooter that pits players against each other in underwater battles. With several local and co-op game modes to keep everyone entertained, I’ve personally seen this game generate the same level of hype and excitement as any Smash Brother’s gathering. Now, while the game isn’t new to me, it’s great to see it coming to the Switch. It’s a match made in heaven that fits perfectly for playing on the go.

Release: Summer 2019

My Friend Pedro – Devolver Digital/DeadToast

Imagine if they turned your favorite John Woo flick and The Matrix into an arcade game. Say hello to the glorious My Friend Pedro, a shoot em’ up featuring a masked man and his best friend/talking banana Pedro. Honestly, that’s where I should stop cause that right there is exactly what sold me on the game. It’s high octane action filled with explosions, slow motion and all the action you could need. There is no way that you can look at My Friend Pedro and not grow that delightfully devilish grin equivalent to the Grinch. This ballerina of death shoots his way through this side scroller, performing acrobatic wall jumps, backflips, and trick shots off of frying pans. Nuff said.

Release: June 2019

Rad – BANDAI NAMCO/Double Fine Productions

From the wild mind of Tim Schiefer and Double Fine Productions comes Rad, a radioactive/80’s fueled action game. The premise of Rad is actually pretty cool. You’re a kid in a radioactive, post-post-apocalyptic wasteland fighting off all manner of creatures using mutant abilities you collect along the way. From the game’s trailer, it looks like a 3D version of the Binding of Isaac. Seeing as that’s a game I personally poured hundreds of hours into, I can dig it. It even borrows the way the player looks more and more deformed as they collect more powerups. Not much more was shown aside from the initial trailer but it was definitely enough to sell me on wanting to swing a bat in this rogue-like toxic wastelands. An added bonus is that there’s a private beta coming soon, which I’m crossing my fingers to get into.

Release: Summer 2019

Katana Zero – Devolver Digital/Askiisoft

Time bending assassins. That’s the description. What, you want more? You glutton. Okay, if you haven’t been paying attention, Devolver Digital has become the go-to publisher for unique indie titles that dare to do something different. Askiisoft’s Katana Zero is no different. The game pits players in the role of an assassin, hacking and slashing your way through an onslaught of enemies. If that weren’t challenging enough, the game features one-hit kills. One hit and you’re dead. The breakneck pace requires that you learn all manner of skills including “Deflect gunfire back at foes, dodge oncoming attacks and manipulate enemies and environments with traps and explosives.” I normally shy away from hardcore games like this but between its neo-noir style and rewind time mechanics, I’m ready for the challenge.

Release: April 18, 2019