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.Night in the WoodsDeveloper/s: Infinite Fall
Nintendo Platform/s released on: Switch
Platform/s played on: Switch
Played by: Andrew NNight in the Woods is a game about a punk rock cat who drops out of college and comes home just in time to experience weird David Lynch inspired happenings in her town. Does that get you excited? It got me excited! And I’m happy to say that the game delivers on that promise.
At its core Night in the Woods is inspired by “classic” adventure game, and the majority of the gameplay involves choosing which friends to spend time with (it would take multiple playthroughs to see the end of all of their stories), talking to various townspeople, and trying to solve the mysterious happenings around town. There are a few puzzles, some minor (but surprisingly solid, enough to make me want more) platforming and a Guitar Hero inspired rhythm game in there as well, but most of the game is running around town getting into antics and figuring out the mysteries.
The art is pretty amazing, the music is pretty awesome, the story is excellent (and timely), it controls very well, and overall it’s just a great package. I know this isn’t the most “hidden” Nindie out there, but it feels like it didn’t get a whole lot of attention on the Switch, so I had to include it.
Bulb BoyDeveloper/s: Bulbware
Nintendo Platform/s released on: Switch
Platform/s played on: Switch
Played by: Robert HBulb Boy is a strange beast. I don’t mean the titular Bulb Boy, I mean the game. Well, actually, I mean him too. Everything about this game is strange. But it’s strange in a good way, for the most part. On one hand it’s a story about family. On the other hand it’s a story about trying not to have your glow-in-the-dark head violently torn apart by a screaming poo monster. It’s adorable and it’s revolting and it’s also really enjoyable.
At its core Bulb Boy is a point-and-click adventure, albeit more streamlined than other games in the genre. There is no real inventory management, practically no backtracking since the game’s puzzles are pretty much self-contained, and it’s also got a total lack of text and voice acting, apart from the occasional, unintelligible gibberish. Any hints or instructions you get will be presented to you via visual cues and icons popping up whenever needed, making the dreamlike (read: nightmarish) feel of the game even more pronounced. It also makes the game perfect for those who have trouble reading, like kids. Kids you want to scar for life by having them play Bulb Boy, because you’re heartless and you hate kids.
The game can be fairly ambitious in its efforts to gross you out, but always does so in ways that are designed to make you smile rather than retch. Feeding slimy insects to a hungry spider or hiding from murderous enemies with their entrails dangling out of their butts is nasty business, but thanks to the picture book art style and the heartwarming plot it doesn’t come off as cynical or contrived. Bulb Boy is just a nice if short little adventure game for those who want to try something a tad different and don’t mind a bit of strangeness to go with it.
The Next PenelopeDeveloper/s: Aurélien REGARD / Seaven Studio
Nintendo Platform/s released on: Switch
Platform/s played on: Switch
Played by: Andrew NAnand! Paging Anand! Are you listening? You know how you always want more top-down Micro Machines type racing but no one does that anymore? Well here you go. Sort of.
The Next Penelope does indeed involve top-down racing, but that’s just part of the package. Most of the worlds in the game follow the same basic formula, all using the top-down racing mechanics: 1. Complete a challenge (usually learning a new move in the process), 2. Win a race, 3. Fight a boss. It’s a pretty nice mix of gameplay, although some of the bosses could have maybe used a little more polish.
Everything looks and feels nice, and my only real complaint is that it’s a bit lite on content. There are only five or six worlds, I finished everything in a few hours and once you’re done, there isn’t really much else to do besides redoing a few high score stages and the likes. Still, there isn’t much else out there like it, so it’s worth checking out if top-down racing with a bunch of other stuff thrown in sounds like your thing.
Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D: Space Recipe For DisasterDeveloper/s: Tanukii Studios Limited
Nintendo Platform/s released on: 3DS
Platform/s played on: 3DS
Played by: Robert HBack in 2011 Keith Webb and his Tanukii Studios released Go! Go! Kokopolo on DSiWare to an appreciative if not suitably enormous audience. Six long years had passed when a sequel was finally released on the 3DS eShop, and during that time the original had managed to go from being a favourite mainly amongst critics and a handful of fans to a bona fide sleeper hit. The long awaited second instalment features various enhancements such as better general gameplay balance and gorgeous sprite art in stereoscopic 3D, but still has its beloved trademark ”chase ’em up” gameplay intact.
As feline antihero Kokopolo you rush through maze-like levels in search of docile creatures that you enrage by slapping their butts and then have them chase you around until you manage to trick them into getting eaten by a giant plant. It’s essentially a high speed mix of Pac-Man, Benny Hill and Little Shop of Horrors. While simplistic on paper, the game does a great job of introducing new enemy types and obstacles pretty much all the way through, making sure that the near constant running never ends up feeling stale or repetitive.
Just like the classic arcade games it takes its inspiration from, Go! Go! Kokopolo is intuitive enough for absolute beginners with its simple premise and precise controls, but has enough depth and content to provide hours of entertainment for more experienced butt slappers. You get an 80 level story mode featuring several boss fights, three playable characters with their own respective campaigns and worlds, and an addictive time attack mode on top of that. It’s a great value for its price, and a solid alternative to games like Pac-Man Championship Edition for those want something with a bit more traditional progression to it.
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