Essential Switch Purchases vol.1

You’ve recently acquired a Nintendo Switch, outside of the better known titles you’re itching for some quality games that are worth your money, well look no further here are a few titles we think are worth your precious pennies!


Neverwinter Nights.

If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck in terms of RPG look no further than Neverwinter Nights. This is an enhanced port of the classic PC release so your mileage may vary but if you can put aside some gripes with graphics and UI issues you’re treated with one of the best written and gripping tales around.

Neverwinter Nights looks like a game set between the Ps1 and 2 in terms of graphics, while it does look dated it presents a huge expansive world of adventure where you can tackle it however you choose. Based on D&D rule sets you can customize your character and that’ll shape your approach through the story, sword swinging or word slinging, it’s totally down to how you want to play.

The main narrative of Neverwinter Nights doesn’t start the strongest and feels like a bunch of fetch quests put together to keep you busy. The narrative picks up from chapter 2 onwards but is a far cry from Baldurs Gate 2, Mass Effect or Knights of the Old Republic.

Alongside the main campaign you get 2 official expansion packs, Shadows of Undrentide & Hordes of the Underdark but also several user created campaigns cherry picked for quality, 10 to be exact. You also get access to the online world of Arelith, a fan run MMO with heavy focus on Role Playing, truly staggering and in a league of its own on the Nintendo Switch.

There is so much content here for fans of cRPGs or just RPG fans in general to discover/rediscover, it does feel and look its age nowadays but it has an unmistakable magic which draws you in and keeps hold on you with it’s mighty dragon claws. The UI can be a bit crowded and the fact it’s been ported from PC does show in how finicky the controls can be but if you can look past these you’ll find one of the most interesting, content wealthy and unique titles on the Nintendo Switch.


Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 + Icewind Dale/Planescape Torment.

This is cheating a little but it’s worth letting everyone know just how content rich and cheap these essential titles by BEAMDOG are. If the above with Neverwinter sounded good these titles are well worth adding to your console hybrid of joy.

These 4 titles were all created by Bioware, the same team that made all the games mentioned earlier, this is where they started and for the most part you can see where they got their reputation for a quality tale from.

The standouts for these packages are Baldurs Gate 2 and Planescape Torment. BG1 is a little slow but serves as a nice enough prologue and entry point into these game which all use the same engine and mostly play the same. Icewind Dale is a much more combat focused title than the others and unless you really have a grip on the quirky combat you might not quite enjoy this one as much as the others.

Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 also come with all the expansions so there is once again at least 100 hours of content here for fans of Dungeons and Dragons, Icewind Dale also includes all the expansions, the only title without any extras is Planescape Torment.


Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove.

Shovel Knight shouldn’t be a stranger to anyone, he is a thing of Indie & Kickstarter legend. Now “why are you talking about this?” I hear you ask, yes Shovel Knight released a fair few years ago and was covered on our website back in 2015.

Since it’s release Yacht Club Games has been adding content in the form of new campaigns, Spectre Knight, Plague Knight and most recently King Knight.

Each campaign has a different story, leading up to Shovel Knights story, they also have individual gimmicks which make each campaign just as captivating as the last. Spectre uses his Scythe to glide through the level and combat foes, Plague throws dangerous potions to get around & King Knight shoulder barges, much like a certain “evil” version of a famous Plumber.

King of Cards campaign also features a card game much in the vein of Triple Trad from Final Fantasy, it’s a brilliant distraction and outside of a few battles at the start of the campaign it’s completely optional.

BUT to even sweeten the pot already comprised of the best platforming game and it’s campaigns of the last decade, Yacht Club Games have also thrown in Shovel Knight Showdown. What is Shovel Knight Showdown?

Shovel Knight Showdown is basically Shovel Knight Smash with a smattering of Power Stone, it’s a Shovel Party and everyone is invited. Pick up and play is the nature here, while not as content wealthy as the main campaign the fact this is a free addition is absolutely staggering.

There is an arcade mode which features 10 fights and then a boss battle, couch multiplayer options and a mode where it randomizes matches, it’s insanely addictive and just adds to the value of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove.

If you have an interest, love, curiosity of 2d Platfomers or genuinely quality games, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is an essential purchase, it’s one of the most fun, content wealthy & genuine titles on any format, coupled with the portability of the Nintendo Switch, you’ll have no excuse to put the game down ever! 

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Straight from the streets of SouthTown, all Dunks Powah'd and ready to Bust A Wolf. Catch me on Twitch/YouTube.

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