Last week, I planned to put together a TOP FIVE list from the Nintendo Switch Partner Direct. The problem was there weren’t five [NEW] games for me to create a list. Sure, there were over five new games, but I was only truly excited about two or three of them. The rest were games I was already aware of.

Yesterday, Nintendo continued the hype train with another presentation. This time an Indie World showcase, this was also a short showcase, but I also found two or three standout titles.

This is why instead of creating two TOP FIVE lists — one for each showcase — I have compounded the two showcases into one TOP FIVE list. Don’t worry, I will include which presentation each announcement came from.

Let’s go over this Double Whammy of a Nintendo Switch Partner Direct and Indie World Showcase TOP FIVE list:

1 | BALL x PIT (Indie World)

During the Indie World showcase BALL x PIT was described as Vampire Survivors meets Loop Hero meets some other game. I can see plenty of influences from those two games, plus some Space Invaders, Block Breaker, and others. What’s great is that BALL x PIT isn’t just copy and pasting one of these games, but instead it blends together the DNA of some of these games to create something unique.

The main thing those influential games have in common is that they are all very re-playable and addictive, and I can see myself becoming addicted to the loop of BALL x PIT when it comes out on Nintendo Switch 2 in the Fall (or October 15 for the original Nintendo Switch).

2 | UFO 50 (Indie World)

I’m sort of breaking my rule here of not including a game I already knew about, but when UFO 50 was first announced my initial thought was, When will this game come to the Nintendo Switch. The answer: yesterday!

UFO 50 comes from Derek Yu (creator of the Spelunky series) and a team of talented game developers. It’s amazing that within this game they have created a collection of fifty made up titles from a fictional game studio. Not just fifty mini games, but fifty full-on games — some with sequels and interconnected stories.

I’m very excited to get into UFO 50 this weekend and share my thoughts soon.

3 | Is This Seat Taken? (Indie World)

Not all cozy games are created equal, and not all cozy games are for me. I don’t know the proper formula for creating a cozy game that will grab my attention, but Is This Seat Taken? is definitely taking advantage of whatever that formula is.

I think it has to do with a cute art style and simple gameplay. I do enjoy solving cute little puzzles, and that is exactly what this game looks like. Is This Seat Taken? also came to the Nintendo Switch yesterday.

4 | Hela (Partner Showcase)

Hela was revealed during last week’s Partner Showcase, and I love the idea of exploring a beautifully designed world as a tiny little mouse with a backpack. There’s also the added bonus of being able to play co-op with my partner — TWO MICE!

I’m also excited to see a third-party Nintendo Switch 2 specific game that isn’t just a re-release of a previous next-gen console game. I love seeing games like Cyberpunk 2077, Split Fiction, and Street Fighter 6 come to a Nintendo console, but I have already played some of these games, so I’m ready for something new, like Hela.

Hela is set to release in 2026.

5 | The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales (Partner Showcase)

Here’s another Nintendo Switch 2 game from the Partner Showcase last week. I’ve been a fan of the HD 2D art style since it came around, and it keeps getting crisper game after game. The problem is I have tried some of the HD 2D turn-based RPGs and been terrible at most of them.

What’s great about The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is that it is an action RPG set in an HD 2D world. It’s also a brand new game, not a remake of a classic pixel game. I have been playing the Debut Demo since last week and I’m really digging it. I cannot wait to get into the full game some time in 2026.

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Honorable Mentions

There were plenty of other games shown off and revealed during both showcases. The Indie World showcase gave us more Mina the Hollower (from Yacht Club Games) and revealed a new demo. I backed this game on Kickstarter and have been patiently waiting for its release.

Neverway looks like a spooky, dark Stardew Valley and features art by the pixel artist of Celeste.

Herdling lets you solve puzzles and traverse mountains with silly, fuzzy beasts.

I’m not sure if Glaciered will be a game for me, but I really want to learn more about this cool future, underwater story.

The Partner Showcase revealed a brand new game in the Katamari franchise, Once Upon a Katamari. I recently started my first Katamari experience with We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie.

The Plants vs Zombies franchise returns with Plants vs Zombies: Replanted. I remember playing so many hours of this on my old, old iPhone.

I look forward to finally seeing the Madden franchise return to a Nintendo console, along with EA FC. We’ve had EA FC (and FIFA games) on the original Nintendo Switch, but they were always lesser versions. I’m hoping to test one or both of these games out to see how they feel on the Nintendo Switch 2.

I’m always looking for more arcade sports games. I’m hoping that NBA Bounce is closer to NBA Jam than NBA Playgrounds.

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Well, that’s my TOP FIVE from both showcases. You can watch both of them down here if you missed out and need a full re-watch…

Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase 7.31.2025 (FULL)

Nintendo Indie World Showcase 8.7.2025 (FULL)