The Nintendo Switch Is Becoming An Indie Powerhouse

The wait is almost over. In just two days the Nintendo Switch will hit the shelves, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at center stage. While the release of one of the most anticipating games of the year from one of their flagship franchises is important, Nintendo is quietly building a massive lineup of impressive Indies to complement their AAA titles. Last year at the Media Indie Exchange we saw Nintendo’s Damon Baker in attendance checking out all the Indies the event had to offer, and it was no surprise to hear him reveal a few of those titles yesterday.

Yesterday’s Nintendo Direct showcased 17 Indie games, or Nindie games in this case, coming to the new console, with many of them either being exclusive or timed exclusives for the Switch. Some of these titles we’ve known were coming for a while, or have already experienced on other consoles or PC. Playtonic Games’ Yooka-Laylee, which was originally Kickstarted as a WiiU title, is making its way to the Switch, hoping to recapture the nostalgia of the Banjo-Kazooie/N64 days. The surprisingly addicting couch co-op title Overcooked, which was released last year, was also confirmed yesterday to be making its way to the Nintendo Switch. We were all well aware of Stardew Valley‘s presence on the Switch, but what we didn’t see coming was the Switch becoming the first console to support the upcoming multiplayer feature, a huge upside for the console.

The Nintendo Direct also showed some promising new titles, including a sequel to Steamworld Dig and the return of Blaster Master. One of the most intriguing titles of the Direct was a game by the name of Wargroove, which gave off a really strong Advanced Wars vibe, and should be an excellent tactical experience on the Switch.

When it comes to expanding their lineup, Nintendo is making all the right moves by supporting up-and-coming developers. Sure, every console needs their healthy dose of AAA first and third party titles to survive, but having a wide selection of Indies doesn’t hurt either. Nintendo’s bold new direction of a hybrid console seems to be also working in Indie dev’s favors as well, as their creativity is not being limited to being either a handheld or a home console game. It will also be interesting to see what not only Indie developers, but developers as a whole, come up with to put the HD Rumble feature to good use.

What games were you most excited to see during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct? Let us know in the comments below, or head over to our Facebook or Twitter page to discuss.