The AAA market is flooded with technical showpieces for the new systems. They are a marvel to look at. One of the best-looking games from 2021 was Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. The visuals were stunning, almost like playing an animated film.
While games like that are fun, it’s also nice to go back to simpler graphics and mechanics. 2021 also had no shortage of indie games that did just that. Many of them were clearly inspired by some of the most classic Nintendo and other retro game series of all time including Donkey Kong Country, EarthBound, The Legend of Zelda, Metal Slug, Ninja Gaiden, and many others. Don’t miss out on these ten games and let’s find out why.
10 Steel Assault
Steel Assault is like a modern take on Bionic Commando if a sequel got made on the Game Boy Advance. Players have the power of a plasma whip which can take out enemies in a snap along with a grappling gun. This gun is used to anchor two points for travel vertically or horizontally.
The visuals and controls are top-notch, but some may not like how short it is: about an hour on average. At the same time, it is nice to have a game that can be completed in a single sitting just like an old Nintendo game.
9 Mighty Goose
Mighty Goose can be likened to the Metal Slug franchise if they somehow got a goose to join the team. The hero is a seemingly ordinary goose that has bionic arms attached to it so it can fire guns like a boss. The action is delightfully over the top with tons of guns and gadgets to choose from.
Players can even be assisted by partners like ducks or rabbits. The best part about Mighty Goose is the dedicated honk button.
8 Cyber Shadow
Cyber Shadow borrows a lot from Ninja Gaiden if Ryu was a cyborg instead of a man. The main character wakes up from a slumber to find the world has almost been destroyed due to rampaging robots. It’s now up to players to stealthily save the day.
It has elements of a Metroidvania in that players can go back to levels to gain hidden items once they get new powers. However, it’s not a fully interconnected map.
7 Loop Hero
Loop Hero is a roguelike that is seemingly trying to emulate the masterwork of the genre, Rogue, in terms of visuals. Rogue was a PC game from long ago with a crude art style like this. That’s why this genre is referred to as roguelikes as in Loop Hero is like Rogue. It may look like that game, but Loop Hero plays differently.
Players must run around in a literal loop, surviving as long as possible to gain materials. These materials will then be used to rebuild society in a ruined world that forces the player to repeat time.
6 Astalon: Tears Of The Earth
Astalon: Tears of the Earth is like Little Samson. That game is an underrated gem from the NES era. Players could swap between a boy, dragon, mouse, and rock monster whenever they wanted. Each character brought something new to the table.
The same is true for Astalon except players are restricted to switch at fireplaces. There is a knight that is strong but slow. A rogue that has a bow for hitting switches and enemies from a distance. Then there is the powerful but weak magic user. It’s one of the tougher Metroidvanias from 2021.
5 Eastward
Eastward is a combination of two Nintendo classics. It has the whimsical character design and story from EarthBound with the actual graphics and gameplay resembling that of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
It was a match made in Heaven because Eastward is everything a fan would want from an indie homage to those two games. The only big downside is that it starts out a bit too slow.
4 Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon
Shovel Knight established itself nicely as an homage to retro games when it launched. That was borrowing firmly from the 8-bit era, but Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon has a more 16-bit design to it. It’s been a while since there was a match-style puzzle game with a twist.
This falls very much in line with Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. Instead of crossing a puzzle and fighting game together, Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon is a combination of a puzzle and roguelike game. It is the first follow-up to the original that wasn’t DLC which is great to see after seven years.
3 Blaster Master Zero 3
Blaster Master Zero was a throwback prequel to Blaster Master which started on the NES. It had sequels but they were sporadic in releases and quality. This is now the third prequel to the original which continues onward from where the last game left off.
This trilogy has now surpassed anything that was established in the original canon. This is how you make retro games with modern design flourishes. It’s another great Metroidvania from 2021.
2 Cathedral
Cathedralis a Metroidvania seemingly inspired by Shovel Knight as if it were made on a Game Boy. That last bit is because the main hero is a big, chunky sprite which is how a lot of Game Boy games were designed.
Players will assume the role of a knight who is lost in a giant castle and the only goal set forth right away is to escape. There is gold to collect to help beef this mighty knight, weapons to acquire which can unlock new paths, and hearts to gain more health.
1 Super Mombo Quest
Super Mombo Quest is like Super Meat Boy as if it were a Metroidvania. The balloon health bar is also reminiscent of Donkey Kong Country. It’s a colorful platformer with a goofy-looking purple monster as the hero who has their tongue sticking out.
This tongue can help players bounce off of walls so it’s not just for show. The game is divided up into small rooms, each with a certain amount of crystals and coins to collect. Grab enough and the next area will unlock.