Welcome to Hidden Nindies, a new feature where we put the spotlight on some of the lesser known indie games on current Nintendo platforms! We don’t have a strict line drawn for determining which games meet this criteria, but the spirit of the feature is to both expose Nintendo gamers to neat games that they may not have heard much about and to help indie game developers gain some attention for the quality games that they have built which may have fallen a bit under the radar on the Nintendo platforms (even if they were more successful elsewhere.) These are not reviews per se, and the writers may not even have finished the games, but something about them stood out enough to warrant a recommendation.CrawlDeveloper/s: Powerhoof Pty Ltd
Nintendo Platform/s released on: Switch
Platform/s played on: Steam
Played by: Andrew NIf you’re into asymmetric multiplayer have I got a game for you! Crawl is a multiplayer dungeon crawler where one player takes control of the hero and the others take control of monsters who must try to kill the hero. When you kill the hero, you switch places with the hero. It’s a bit like hot potato, but balanced with xp in ways that make playing well much more important than lucky timing. You work your way through a dungeon and eventually there is an end boss fight where the monsters can control different parts of the boss, and battle it out against the final hero to determine the ultimate winner/s.
Dungeons are procedurally generated, which theoretically means that you will never have the same experience twice. I do wish there were a bit more variety nonetheless, but I’m apparently the only person in the world who ever feels this way about procedurally generated games. Either way between the different monster choices, items, traps, and bosses there is quite enough to mix up to make each playthrough feel unique.
My only other real complaint, per se, is that matches take about a half hour, so it’s not the best game for bigger game parties where other people are waiting for a turn. Otherwise it is a ton of fun and there really isn’t much else out there like it on the Switch, or anywhere really.
FuriDeveloper/s: The Game Bakers
Nintendo Platform/s released on: Switch
Platform/s played on: PS4
Played by: Ricky GFuri is the sort of game that’s best described as a boss rush. It consists of a series of boss fights broken up by walking segments between each battle. During the walking segments, players are treated to surreal landscapes and pumping trance beats. Throughout these sections of the game, dialogue conveys the plot and amps the player up for the approaching duel. These sections of the game can drag at times (especially on replays), but they do succeed in creating peaks and troughs in intensity by juxtaposing the calm landscapes with the hazardous boss battles.
The meat of the game is its series of 1 on 1 duels with challenging bosses. Battles typically shifts between dodge and counter focused close combat and top down bullet hell-lite segments. Transitions are smooth thanks to consistent controls and rules between each mode of play, meaning both halves being equally engaging and rewarding. The fundamentals of combat are easy to grasp, but also contain nuances that players come to grips with as the game progresses. Because of this, there is a feeling of growth as the player rises to the challenge of each boss, overcoming initially daunting challenges.
Furi combines the strengths of similar boss focused games to create a polished experience that still feels all its own. Like Punch Out, its players are underdogs who must outwit and out-maneuver imposing foes. And like No More Heroes, those showdowns are led in with a sense of gravity, making the fights feel more meaningful and daunting. Despite the similarities, Furi forges an identity all its own thanks to its unique aesthetic and seamless use of top down shooting.
ThumperDeveloper/s: Drool
Nintendo Platform/s released on: Switch
Platform/s played on: Switch
Played by: Andrew NThumper was an early Switch title that I believe got some attention when there wasn’t much else on the system yet, but anyone who missed the Switch launch may have missed this one. It’s a rhythm game that plays out like a dark and moody roller coaster ride, with some pretty amazing (if disturbing) visuals.
Thumper is not a game to play to brighten your day. The mood is heavy, with both creepy graphics and a droning soundtrack, but it’s definitely an interesting experience. It’s a very polished game too, rhythm games depend heavily on solid controls and Thumper nails it in the control department. Oh, and it is tough as nails.
It does get a bit repetitive, with both the soundtrack and the visuals not really changing all that much over time, and it takes awhile before introducing a key game mechanic that fundamentally changes the game (switching lanes.) The flipside of this is that it’s a pretty meaty game, so you will get quite a lot of play out of it before you have to decide if it is overstaying its welcome.
Floor KidsDeveloper/s: MERJ Media
Nintendo Platform/s released on: Switch
Platform/s played on: Steam
Played by: Andrew NI’m on the fence about recommending Floor Kids, because to be honest, it started to get old pretty quick for me. Still, it’s such a cool concept and has such awesome presentation and music that I want to at least put it out there, and you can decide if it is a game for you or not.
Floor Kids is a breakdancing game where you learn a bunch of moves and then compete for points. The competitions are very open-ended, “freestyle” based (as opposed to a strict set of actions to mimic like the Guitar Hero games), though you do get points for things like chain combos, keeping it “fresh” with variety, meeting the requests of the crowd, and more.
This wouldn’t work if the soundtrack sucked, but luckily Kid Koala was on board to drop some sweet beats. There is also a two player dance battle mode, which is pretty neat. The open-ended nature of the competitions made them begin to blur together a bit for me, but if freestyle breakdancing sounds cool, this is a game you may want to check out.
See more Hidden Nindies here!URL to share (right click and copy) 
