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The trouble is being able to play forty-plus years’ worth of titles on the Switch. One cannot exactly plug an NES cartridge into the device. That’s why fans have to rely on publishers, like Nintendo, to re-release their games into standalone collections. There are some great ones on the Switch right now besides the obvious answer of what Nintendo offers through its online retro program.
8 Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle
Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle is a collection with seven classic arcade brawlers in it. The collection features Captain Commando, Warriors of Fate, Battle Circuit, Final Fight, Armored Warriors, Knights of the Round, and The King of Dragons, and they all have different co-op options.
Players could technically tear through this entire collection in a day even when playing alone. However, these brawlers are the gifts that keep on giving. They’re fun to pop out at multiplayer parties as they are easy to set up and they cater to a wide audience.
7 Castlevania Advance Collection
Castlevania Advance Collection is the bundle that fans had been dying forever for. Previous to this Konami released Castlevania Anniversary Collection, which brought together the classic 8-bit and 16-bit games and it was a good bundle but not amazing.
This other collection was all about exploring the more modern take on the series, the Metroidvania games that were released on the Game Boy Advance. These titles include Circle of the Moon, Aria of Sorrow, and Harmony of Dissonance. They’re some of the best Castlevania games around let alone some of the best Metroidvanias.
6 Collection Of Mana
Collection of Mana was a big deal in the West because it was the first time Square Enix released Trials of Mana, the third game, outside of Japan. It was originally a SNES game, Seiken Densetsu 3, which was released in 1995.
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Fans had been able to play it for years thanks to English fan patches online, but getting to play it officially was a real treat. That’s a great entry in the series with a lot of replay value thanks to the branching paths. The first two games, also included, are classic action RPGs worthy of any fan’s time.
5 Final Fantasy 10/10-2 HD Remaster
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster was the first time Square Enix would dive into the realm of remastering old Final Fantasy games into HD. This remastered collection first hit the PS3 and PS Vita before getting ported to a variety of other consoles.
The PS Vita was the best way to play both of these games until the Switch came along. RPGs are great for handhelds since they allow players to multitask. There’s a lot to do in both of these adventures, giving players a good investment especially if they love Blitzball.
4 Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2
Mega Man fans have it the best when it comes to collections. They can play the first ten main games in Mega Man Legacy Collection 1+2 and they can play the eight Mega Man X games in Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2. Then there’s Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection which bundles the Metroidvania adjacent Zero spinoffs that are challenging as all heck.
Plus in 2023 fans will see the release of Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection which comprises an abundance of lengthy RPGs. Of the compilations released so far, the Mega Man X series is the best investment as far as replay value, accessibility, and quality go.
3 Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
Capcom has no shame in re-releasing their games into bundles and fans are ecstatic about it. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a dream come true for fighting game fans as it combines twelve games into one title. Players can access multiple versions of classic titles like Street Fighter 2, for example.
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There are re-releases of that game with new characters as well as different versions between consoles like the SNES and arcade. With a decent net code, it’s safe to say fans will be playing these games online in versus matches for years to come.
2 Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario 3D All-Stars combined Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario 64 into one package. It was a strange release because Nintendo warned fans it would take the bundle away from both store shelves and digital shelves in less than a year. It was an event to get this collection and hungry fans jumped at the chance.
While it was great to see these classic titles in the series get re-released on a modern console like the Switch, there was seemingly little effort put into the compilation. The visuals were improved but things like controls could have used some tweaking.
1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection is the biggest compilation that came out in 2022. There are thirteen games players can choose between and most have alternate versions to check out.
The best example is the fighting game, Tournament Fighters, as each console release has an alternate set of stages and characters to choose from. The absolute best game in the collection is Turtles in Time. The price of admission for the collection is well worth it just for the SNES version alone.
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