Nintendo Has A Ridiculous Number Of Indie Games Coming For The Switch

Nintendo hosted a Direct presentation this morning, with one very specific message in mind: The Switch will be a mecca of indie gaming goodness.

While the Switch's AAA lineup for 2017 is a bit lackluster at the moment, the same cannot be said about the slate of 64 indie titles gearing up to launch on the new platform sometime in the next 12 months. If Breath of the Wild, a new Mario game and a couple of Wii U remakes aren't enough to keep you busy throughout the year, indie titles will be picking up the slack in a big way.

Nintendo has given their crop of indie games the almost-too-adorable title of "Nindies." While only a couple will be ready to roll at launch, Nintendo has promised that far more indie games will be available once the eShop is fully up and running, with plans to have new games available on a weekly basis. Most of the games announced today are set to arrive in the summer and fall, with some huge "small" titles peppered throughout.

During the Nintendo Direct, games like Yooka-Laylee, The Escapists 2 and Steamworld Dig 2 received special mentions. Also brought up were games like the ridiculously good rhythm title, Thumper, as well as both Shovel Knight games, The Binding of Isaac and the recently revealed Rogue Trooper Redux. So when you're not busy playing Mario Kart 8 or Splatoon online, a rather sizable collection of indie games should help keep you gaming on the Switch into the wee hours of the morning. And considering the Switch's portable nature, some of those more bite-sized games should be a perfect fit for gamers on the go.

With the Switch set to launch this Friday, March 3, we take all of these Nindies as a good sign that Nintendo is really going after a more inclusive eShop ecosystem this time around.

While Nintendo has promised more than 60 games in the coming year, Polygon has pulled together a nice list of everything that has been confirmed for the Switch so far. Here's a rundown of what you can expect.

Runner 3

Yooka-Laylee

Overcooked Special Edition

The Escapists 2

Gonner

Kingdom Two Crowns

Blaster Master Zero

Flipping Death

Dandara

Graceful Explosion Machine

Mr. Shifty

TubleSeed

Fast RMX

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment

Shakedown: Hawaii

Rocket Rumble

WarGroove

Thumper

Perception

Stardew Valley

Ultimate Chicken Horse

NBA Playgrounds

Celeste

Stardew Valley

The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth

So what do you think, folks? Does Nintendo have a solid indie lineup on its hands or is there something missing from the list you were really hoping to see on the Switch? We're pretty excited for several of those games, but the thought of playing Stardew Valley on the portable screen probably has us the most eager. And then all things Shovel Knight, because good lord that game is great. Share your thoughts in the comments below.