The Nintendo Switch is a retro gamer's dream come true with its absolute treasure trove of vintage, arcade, and retro-inspired titles to choose from. From simple platformers and dungeon crawlers to side-scrolling beat-em-ups, the beloved system is essentially an arcade in your pocket. But, what good is an arcade without the classic side-scrolling-shoot-em-ups?
Whether they're spaceships taking on alien invaders, planes and bombers in dogfights against enemy soldiers, or run-and-gun bullet-hell shooters, there is no shortage of the genre on the system. But, where do we begin? Fortunately, Metacritic is a powerful tool, and we've got ten of the best shoot-em-ups on the Switch. So, get ready to lock and load
Updated October 5, 2021 by Adam Carr: The Nintendo Switch has continued to be the go-to place to find shoot-em-ups. More and more games release every week it seems, and these are a mixture of brand new titles and returning legends. This has of course resulted in a bit of a restructure of what games can be considered "the best", so we've updated our list to contain some of the latest and greatest. We suspect this endless stream of retro support will continue for quite some time, so expect even more games to weasel their way in later down the line.
11 Darius Cozmic Collection Arcade - Metascore 76
Few names in the shoot-em-up scene hold as much weight as Darius. This collection gathers all of the classic arcade titles and offers them in a very neat package. Inside you will find three versions of the original Darius, Darius 2, Sagaia, Sagaia 2, and Darius Gaiden. These are all genre staples, with Darius Gaiden, in particular, being an absolute treat both visually and mechanically.
In Darius, you will man one of the legendary Silver Hawks and do battle against giant robotic space fish. Being a classic series, Darius is far from a bullet hell, but it will certainly test your mettle. The biggest draw to the series, however, is the amount of content that it offers. Darius has multiple paths through its campaign and seeing everything the game has to offer will take several playthroughs. It just so happens that content is top-tier, too.
10
Pawarumi - Metascore 77
In terms of gameplay, Pawarumi is relatively simple. Shoot anything coming towards you, don't get shot, defeat the boss. Sounds easy enough, right? If you take that concept, throw in some impressive challenge and a remarkable sci-fi/mythologic art style, you've got a recipe for an impressive shoot-em-up that could be played in a modern arcade.
Pawraumi is gorgeous, that much is certain, but that doesn't mean it won't try to turn your gunship into swiss cheese. There are points in the game where your screen will be positively saturated with bullets and projectiles. Choose the right weapons and keep your joystick finger nimble if you want to tackle this game.
9 Stereden: Binary Stars - Metascore 79
If it's one thing we retro gamers enjoy, it's sprite graphics and Stereden: Binary Star's more classic approach to the shoot-em-up formula definitely gives us flashbacks of Gradius, Life Force, and Twin Bee. Its spaceship combat goes farther than just blasting a few oncoming waves of enemies, venturing into full-on Star Wars-level battles.
The game is difficult, there's no getting around that fact, but it's the arcade-style gameplay and design that jacks the replayability up to twelve and keeps us coming back for more. With ships galore and a packed arsenal of weapons and guns, there's definitely more than one way to blast a fleet.
8 Cotton Reboot - Metascore 81
Another legendary series that, unfortunately, has seen very little exposure in the west. You play as the titular Cotton and you are on a quest to collect a bunch of magical sweets to fuse them together to form the ultimate sweet. The story is charming, funny, and presented in a wonderfully endearing classic anime style.
The gameplay is also fantastic. Cotton Reboot has two main modes, Arrange and the original X68000 version. The original is a classic through and through, but the new Arrange Mode is where this game shines. Revamped graphics, mechanics and soundtrack bring Cotton to the modern age.
7 R-Type Dimensions EX - Metascore 81
R-Type is about as traditional as spaceship shoot-em-ups get. Similar to Gradius, you pilot a ship towards an oncoming onslaught of alien attackers on your way to defeat the boss at the end. R-Type Dimensions EX takes that traditional formula and brings it into the 21st century with flying colors.
Despite the title, this is not just a port of the original R-Type series, but a brand new game for gamers with a similar flavor. It has updated graphics, different weapons, and even a multiplayer mode. R-Type Dimensions EX represents the perfect marriage of the classic and the modern.
6 Danmaku Unlimited 3 - Metascore 83
Where we've previously mentioned some hardcore shoot-em-ups and arcade titles and ports, Danmaku Unlimited 3 is still in the same vein as many of these spaceship shooter standards, but it has a much more user-friendly approach for gamers new to the genre, and yes, they do exist. We can think of no better way to show them the ropes.
What makes this game different from something like R-Type, Pawarumi, or Stereden is that it features a mechanic that turns dead ships' remaining bullets into harmless energy. Not only that, but your ship comes equipped with an astoundingly powerful laser attack that can clear the screen in a pinch.
5 Mushihimesama - Metascore 84
Mushihimesama is a game that any shoot-em-up fan needs to play. Developed by Cave, a studio known for making some of the greatest shoot-em-ups of all time, Mushihimesama is one of the many shining jewels on their illustrious crown. Mushihimesama is a bullet hell through and through, and its mechanics incentivize quickly eliminating enemies to reduce bullet density and to maximize point gain.
Don't let the hellish nature of the genre put you off, however. Mushihimesama is very accessible thanks to a myriad of difficulty options that allow you to tweak the challenge to your skill level. It also comes with buckets of modes that all change the core gameplay in interesting ways, keeping the game fresh run after run.
4 ACA NeoGeo: Blazing Star - Metascore 84
This arcade port of the space shooter Blazing Star is not only an excellent port of a NeoGeo classic but an absolutely beautiful and colorful game with incredible sprite work and enough ships and enemies to saturate the screen with bullets and laser-fire. In short, it's an awesome arcade title.
Weapons and powerups galore drive this side-scrolling spaceship shooter into the hearts of all retro game fans. It's a traditional shoot-em-up, sure enough, but it has enough variety and challenge to continue warranting play, even after the days of the NeoGeo systems.
3 Crimzon Clover World EXplosion - Metascore 85
Crimzon Clover World EXplosion is chaos incarnate. It's impossible not to be in awe at the carnage-filled barrage that is practically every second of gameplay. Enemies, bullets, explosions, and gold medals are constantly erupting from every orifice. This is only made more hectic when you activate Break Mode which dials things to eleven...Double Breaking destroys the amp.
This is another bullet hell, but, similar to Mushihimesama, Crimzon Clover has plenty of difficulty options to tailor your experience. The game is also jam-packed with modes that radically change the game's mechanics. It even has a Gradius-inspired Arrange Mode that is an absolute blast.
2 Raiden IV x Mikado Remix - Metascore 87
Raiden IV x Mikado Remix is the culmination of every Raiden IV re-release ever made, and then some. There is more content to experience here than most games on this list, and that content is fast, fun, and playable in multiplayer. Heck, if you wanted, you can even play it single player, by controlling two ships simultaneously. Raiden IV has something for everyone.
Whilst its graphics are a bit dated, the gameplay has been honed to a mirror sheen. This is vertical shoot-em-upping at its finest. Raiden, as a series, is pretty darn difficult, so be prepared to die an awful lot before you reach the end, but that's a small price to pay for the amount of quality content on offer.
1 Ikaruga - Metascore 88
Shoot-em-up fans should find it no surprise that we're giving Ikaruga the top spot on our list. We've seen shooters combined with platformers, dungeon-crawlers, and even roguelikes, but this game takes the vertical-style shooter formula and fuses it with a puzzle game. The results are both difficult and satisfying.
The mechanic/gimmick that makes Ikaruga so incredible is the ability to change your ship's polarity, making it weak or strong against different colored enemies. Bullets and ships fill the screen, but one wrong button-press could be the difference between victory and defeat.