by Before we start, a bit of cleaning up. For the most part, we went with the game’s earliest release date on whatever platform it debuted on. However, with dates across territories, sometimes spread out over multiple years (hello, Super Mario World), the following are instances where we’ve allowed ourselves a little leeway to accommodate a particularly well-deserved favourite. Complaints to the usual address.
In some cases, we’ve added accolades and even notable nominations from outside the Switch. You’ll also notice that the excellent Atari 50 collection and Hamster’s Arcade Archives series do some hard work in the early years (and in the case of 1972-75 we had to get creative – let us know in the comments if you have suggestions for those early years). Overall, we think you’ll agree that the wealth of historical titles available to play on Nintendo’s compact console is impressive.
So enough noise. Let’s start with… well, not with Very beginning, but certainly much closer than we are now. Come with us now on a journey through time and space, back to Minnesota in 1971…
Publisher: Gameloft / / Developer: Gameloft
Created as an educational tool for Minneapolis high school students, The Oregon Trail is an iconic text-based “edutainment” adventure famous for teaching American children about the dangers of dysentery to trail pioneers in the mid-1800s. As with many of the games topping this list, the original game is available to play for free online (via the Oregon Tourism Organization website), but it’s also available on Switch in a much updated, enhanced form courtesy of Gameloft.
Unfortunately we didn’t play the game, but let us know in the comments if you had the pleasure of dying from dysentery on Switch.
Publisher: Atari / / Developer: Digital eclipse
We promise we won’t cheat as much from now on, but in the early 70’s the choice is limited so you’ll have to forgive us for using Atari’s cutting edge game Pong from 1972 to several years.
Given the game’s enduring popularity in the travel world, perhaps it’s a good idea to make it three entries. The Atari 50 version of the Digital Eclipse Collection is as authentic as you’d expect, and it’s not the last time we’ll be relying on this particular collection, as you’ll soon see.
Please note that some external links on this site are affiliate links, which means that if you click on them and make a purchase, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Publisher: Atari / / Developer: Digital eclipse
The archetypal game of breaking blocks, Explosion sees you bouncing a “ball” off a Pong-like paddle at the bottom of the screen and using it to blast through the rows of bricks at the top. Atari’s Nolan Bushnell apparently wanted something similar to a single-player version of Pong, and that’s exactly what Breakout is.
A huge success that would inspire the 1978 Taito game, which we’ll get to shortly…
Publisher: Atari / / Developer: Digital eclipse
Fight was the quintessential title included with every Atari VCS/2600 system from its release in 1977 to 1982. While the “27 VIDEO GAMES” it was announced to include on the box might seem a bit far-fetched by modern standards (these 27 titles consist of different modes for only a few games), titles such as Tank AND Stream this collection featured a lot of introductory players to home multiplayer competition.
Publisher: Taito / / Developer: Taito
In a broader cultural sense, perhaps even more so than Mario or Pac-Man, Space Invaders and “video games” are synonymous. Only one of these three has its own emoji on your phone’s keypad, and it’s not the corpulent plumber or the yellow cake dude. Taito’s shooter is cited as an inflammatory incident in the origin stories of many gaming industry luminaries, including one Shigeru Miyamoto who we understand has had several blockbusters under his belt.
Space Invaders is a must-read, and luckily you can do it on Switch.
Publisher: Atari / / Developer: Digital eclipse
The Atari 50 comes to the rescue again with this masterpiece of vector graphics that gave you the freedom to move anywhere, launching your ship’s rockets to dodge and aim at the titular space obstacles flying at you from all directions. The sense of inertia of your craft and the precise physics and controls still impress today and act as callbacks to the earliest video games such as space war! and Nolan Bushnell’s own computer space.
Publisher: Bandai Namco / / Developer: Bandai Namco
Another gaming icon familiar even to those who have never picked up a joystick or gamepad before, Pac-Man’s maze-based antics with his spooky antagonists (Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde) are designed as a peaceful alternative to the BLASTY-BLASTY fighting game that Atari and Taito received great acclaim. We’d argue that devouring enemies and trapping them in a confined space isn’t the pacifist antidote to Space Invaders as proposed, but arcade aficionados in the early 1980s couldn’t get enough.
Awards: Missile Command, Adventure
Publisher: HAMSTER / / Developer: Nintendo
Mario (or rather Jumpman) may seem quite limited in his abilities (and dying by a short fall is very old-fashioned), but Donkey Kong is still a fun game. Harder than the NES port, it can be quite addictive when you want to improve your best scores. For fans of the game and the vertical orientation of the OG arcade cabinet, this TATE-compatible version of the Arcade Archives is something of a “definitive edition”. Its three versions with several display options and Hamster’s typical range of modes and online leaderboards make it a great choice for highscore seekers and pedants who want to get the ratio right.
Awards: Galaga, Frogger Defender, Tempest, Centipede
Publisher: HAMSTER
Sneaking into Japanese arcades in December 1982, Namco’s Xevious delivered a visual setting that was rare in arcades at the time, and stands alongside the mighty Space Invaders as one of the most influential entries in the shooter genre. We’re pretty partial to the autostereoscopic 3D version of Classics on the 3DS, but the Switch version delivers TATE mode in all its glory.
Fun Fact: Xevious is unlockable in Star Fox: Assault on the GameCube. No, it’s not on the Switch. I’m sorry we brought this up.
Awards: Donkey Kong Jr., Burger Time, Stonoga, Dig Dug
Nom without switch: JoustMs. Pac-Man, Trap
Publisher: HAMSTER / / Developer: Nintendo
Mario Bros. may be a game many remember as an extra bonus mode that you’ve never played in all those GBA Super Mario ports, but it’s a significant release that you can enjoy in all its original arcade glory on Switch.
While it didn’t come close to Donkey Kong’s success, it’s nevertheless a significant entry in Nintendo’s canon that showcases Mario and Green-Mario In the sewers, Luigi does plumbing work for a change.
Awards: Elevator action, athletics
