Nintendo really dropped the ball on the NES offerings via its online service in 2020. Only six games dropped onto theSwitchand most of them weren’t very good. This was even crazier considering there were fifteen Super Nintendo games dropped onto the service. That’s more than double the amount.
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What’s even stranger is the fact Nintendo localized thefirstFire Emblemafter more than two decades but it was released not on the online service for free but as a paid game. What is even the point of Nintendo Online at that point? That being said, all six games should still be recognized in some light. The drabbest titles still need a spotlight even if they aren’t the most compelling.
6Eliminator Boat Duel
Eliminator Boat Dueloriginally released for the NES In November 1991. 2021 marks its thirtieth anniversary. That said, it’s not exactly a title worth celebrating. It’s very low budget which one can tell with the oddly drawn faces and models in the “cutscenes.” The only reason to fire this game up is to see these faces because of how jarring they can look.
It’s a very barebones racing game from a publisher, Electro Brain, not known for much quality. Sometimes races are captured behind the boat while other times the angles are from the top down. This variety was at least appreciated.Eliminator Boat Duelwas added toNintendo Switch Onlinein February 2020.
5Nightshade Part 1: The Claws of Sutekh
Nightshadeoriginally released for the NES in January 1992. As the name might suggest, this was planned to be a series of games; however, sales and reviews would account for this being a one and done situation. This is odd considering this is a Konami published game under their alias Ultra Games.
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It’s an adventure game spliced with random battles akin to an RPG, but with beat ‘em up mechanics. Point a cursor at an item and sometimes players can interact with it, examine it, or do something of this nature. Running into an enemy will prompt a brawler battle. It’s an interesting mashup of genres and a detective-themed RPG does sound appetizing.Nightshadewas added toNintendo Switch Onlinein December 2020.
4The Immortal
The Immortaloriginally released for the NES and Apple IIGS in November 1990.Many more platforms followed thanks to the game’s publisher being EA.The Immortalmay be better on other platforms but on NES it is not very good.
It is a dungeon crawler starring a wizard with the same type of powers as Gandalf. That is to say, he can use magic along with weapons like swords. He even looks like him.The Immortalis clunky and pretty challenging due to its unforgiving nature. Keep an eye out for traps, look for treasure, fight monsters, and repeat.The Immortalwas added toNintendo Switch Onlinein July 2020.
3S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team
S.C.A.T.originally released for the NES on July 18, 2025 in Japan and a year later in North America. 2021 also marks this game’s thirtieth anniversary and, unlikeEliminator Boat Duel,S.C.A.T.is worth celebrating. It is basically likeContrabut as a side-scrolling shooter.
S.C.A.T.looks, plays, and sounds good thanks to the craftsmanship from Natsume who both developed and published it. While it is also very hard to get through, theSwitch’s rewind featureshould help. There are power-ups aplenty and the addition of a second player should help even the odds.S.C.A.T.was added to Nintendo Switch Online in September 2020.
2Rygar
Rygarstarted in arcades in 1986. The NES version would later release in July 1987. Like its arcade counterpart, it is an action platformer.Rygaris very hard due to the random spawning nature of its enemies. Thankfully, the iconic razor shield-like yo-yo gives the player some distance between enemies.
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However, even that isn’t enough to save the day sometimes. What should be appreciated isRygar’s seemingly interconnected world. It’s noMetroid, but it is something close to it. It may not be as good as another Tecmo NES gem from this time period,Ninja Gaiden, but given some patience,Rygaris worth a look.Rygarwas added toNintendo SwitchOnline in May 2020.
1Shadow Of The Ninja
Speaking ofNinja Gaiden,the Switch did get a ninja gamethis year.Shadow of the Ninjaoriginally released for the NES in December 1990. It is another Natsume developed and published title and is much better balanced compared toS.C.A.T. There is plenty of health, maneuverability is solid, and there are plenty of cool weapons.
Players can play as either Hayate or Kaede, although this ultimately doesn’t matter as they play the same. However, that doesn’t detract from the overall experience.Shadow of the Ninjais not a passing curiosity. Pick up this game. Finish it. Devour it. It is one of the system’s most underappreciated titles. In fact, might even be better thanNinja Gaiden.Shadow of the Ninjawas added to Nintendo Switch Online in February 2020.
