The Nintendo Switch Online service offers a selection of games from past Nintendo consoles as well as the Sega Genesis. In addition to well-known classics that have been talked about by many people, there are also many games that are relatively obscure in comparison. These games may have been forgotten over time by many people, but they’re still quite enjoyable.
This article will list one relatively-obscure but enjoyable puzzle game from each system currently on the Nintendo Switch Online service. As the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance don’t have many games on the service, currently, the “puzzle game” qualification will be a bit looser for those.
Wario’s Woods (NES)
This puzzle game is notable for being the last official Nintendo game ever released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994, well into the Super Nintendo’s lifespan. It stars Toad adventuring through Wario’s forest to free it from his control. The game is a falling block puzzle with a unique spin on it. You play as Toad and have to clear the screen of enemies by lining them up with falling bombs of the same color. You do this by picking them up and arranging them as more fall from the top. After enough time, Wario arrives and the ceiling starts lowering while new enemies spawn, making things more difficult.
It has a surprisingly versatile moveset for an NES game, with the player being able to lift large stacks of bombs and enemies, walk up stacks when not holding anything, drop what you’re holding underneath you, and move objects by kicking them when you’re currently holding them. Overall it’s quite a fun and unique puzzle game. While it would be nice to also have the SNES version available, the NES version is also good.
Toad’s abilities in this game are similar to Super Mario Bros 2.
Magical Drop II (SNES)
This puzzle game is an interesting title in the Magical Drop series, which is still getting games as recently as 2023. In this game, you play as various characters based on the Tarot cards and compete against your opponents by trying to clear your grid of colored gems faster than they do. Uniquely for a matching puzzle game, the gems start at the top and pile on downwards to fill the screen rather than piling up from the bottom like they do in most other games of this type.
To win a match, you’ll need to either clear a certain amount of gems before your opponent does or get your opponent’s screen to fully fill up before yours does. Like many other competitive puzzle games, scoring big combos will make things harder for your opponent, such as dropping uncolored gems that can’t be matched on their grid. The game’s quite fun, and if you like it there are other games in the series to check out. The latest one is playable on the Nintendo Switch too.
The different characters have slight differences in their playstyle.
Dr. Mario 64 (N64)
The Dr. Mario series of puzzle games revolve around matching different colored pills up with viruses, trying to clear the whole screen before it fills up. This installment for the Nintendo 64 is unique in that it has a story mode. In addition, the game features Wario as well as various enemies from Wario Land 3 as playable characters. It’s an unusual choice for such a game, but it certainly gives it a unique charm. The music features remixes of the classic Dr. Mario songs as well as some new tracks.
It’s a good entry in the series and sets itself apart from the others. The original Dr. Mario is also on the same service. Wario Land 3 is also currently available for the same service.
You probably wouldn’t have expected Dr. Mario to be battling Wario Land enemies.
Game & Watch Gallery 3 (GB)
The Game & Watch Gallery series is a set of compilations on the Gameboy and Gameboy Advance that feature recreations of various Game & Watch games. They include both classic versions, which are faithful recreations of the original Game & Watches, and modern version, which feature Mario characters and updated gameplay and music. This entry features Egg, Donkey Kong Jr, Mario Bros, Turtle Bridge, and Greenhouse. You can also unlock classic versions of Donkey Kong II, Judge, Flagman, Spitball Sparky, and Lion.
This is a solid game if you’re interested in the Game & Watch games. It would be nice to get the other Gallery games on the service too at some point.
The modern version of Egg is a particularly fun game in this collection.
Kurukuru Kururin (GBA)
This game is a rather odd and obscure title that was never officially released in North America before it was added to the Wii U’s Virtual Console in 2016. Some might be familiar with it from the Helirin’s appearance as an assist trophy in Super Smash Brothers Brawl. In this game, you control a flying machine known as the Helirin as it navigates mazes. It continuously spins clockwise and you move through each level. You have to navigate through the course while avoiding touching the walls, as you’ll lose health and time.
It’s similar to one of those carnival games where you have to move a stick through an electrified maze without touching the walls. It’s quite an odd and unusual game, but it’s also a unique experience that you won’t find in many other games.
The mazes get increasingly elaborate as you progress through the game.
Columns (Genesis)
This puzzle game is a simple match-3 game that revolves around lining up different colored gemstones to make matches and score points. Lining up three or more same-colored gemstones vertically, horizontally, or diagonally will score you points, and occasionally rainbow gems will clear the screen of whatever colored gem they land on. It’s similar to many other match-3 puzzle games and is among the first of its kind, first releasing in 1989.
One thing that sets it apart from similar puzzle games is that the gems always come out in columns of three, and the three gems can be shifted into any vertical arrangement while they’re falling. It’s a very simple game in gameplay and aesthetics, but it’s still a fun and enjoyable puzzle game. There are also other games in the Columns series to check out if you enjoy this one.
A simple matching puzzle game like many others since.
