These Nintendo Switch Games Are Out Now, After Direct Nindies Showcase

On Wednesday, Nintendo teased fans with a glimpse of what's to come to Switch in the coming year by revealing numerous indie games as part of the Nintendo's Direct-style Nindies Spring Showcase. While the majority of what was on show won't be released until various points further into 2019, there are some new games you can download and play right now.

First up, Vlambeer's Nuclear Throne is out today for Switch. The roguelike shooter boasts a colorful cast of characters and a wide variety of weapons. It first launched for PS4, PS Vita, and PC in 2015, but will be available for download today on Nintendo's hybrid console. It's one of three Vlambeer games that were confirmed for Switch during the stream; the other two are coming later in the year and one is an entirely original title, Vlambeer Arcade.

Blaster Master Zero II, meanwhile, is another of those that'll be available to download in the next few hours from the Switch Eshop. It's a sequel to the 2017 3DS platformer Blaster Master Zero, itself a remake of the NES's 1988 title Blaster Master.

While those are the only two games from the stream you can download and start playing right now, there were two games featured that aren't launching until later in the year but that you can pre-purchase right now. Those are Katana Zero, a 2D side-scrolling combat game; and Cuphead, a port of the previously Xbox One- and PC-exclusive platformer. The latter will feature Xbox Live support following a post-launch update, and Nintendo's broadcast shouted out Microsoft for helping to make this release possible.

Finally, an Eshop sale is now underway in the US on many existing indie Switch games, including Donut County, Inside, Moonlighter, and many more. That runs until the morning of March 27. Meanwhile, a separate promotion that involves free access is currently live for Splatoon 2.

Some of the most exciting news to come from the Direct presentation was the announcement of a new Zelda game--sort of. It's technically a new Crypt of the NecroDancer game, but it features Link and Princess Zelda herself. The game is titled (take a deep breath) Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer feat. The Legend of Zelda, and it's coming to Switch this spring.