20 Promising eShop Indie Games

Despite all the troubles Nintendo has had in attracting third-party support for its beleaguered Wii U, eShop has become quite the attractive space for indie developers. Sadly, many folks are still under the mistaken impression that Nintendo has in place the same restrictive policies that made publishing on the WiiWare and DSiWare stores such a chore. Rest assured that Nintendo learned its lesson during the generational transition.

If you want to become an eShop developer today, you no longer need an office separate from your home address, nor do your games need to meet a certain sales threshold before you get paid. All developers can now self-publish and set their own prices and discounts. Upon purchasing a development kit, you'll gain access to a free tool called "Nintendo Web Framework" that can easily port Javascript and HTML5 applications to Wii U. And in a surprisingly proactive move, Nintendo was the first of the big three console manufactures to provide a free license for the 3D game engine Unity with each dev kit.

To demonstrate its commitment to serving indie developers, Nintendo frequently showcases choice indie games at major trade shows like E3 and supports events like IndieCade and the upcoming Indie Game Revolution exhibit at Seattle's EMP Museum. This is most certainly a different Nintendo -- one that wants the little guys to have as painless an experience in sharing their creations with the world as possible.

As a result, a number of eye-catching games have arrived on eShop with many more still under construction. Titles like Renegade Kid's Mutant Mudds and Yacht Club Games' Shovel Knight have already become contemporary classics, but what else is in the pipeline? What can gamers hungry for digital Wii U and 3DS delights expect in the coming year?

On the following pages are 20 of the most promising upcoming eShop games from indie studios. Some are exclusive to Nintendo platforms, while other are multiplats that further serve to highlight the open ecosystem that Nintendo has cultivated.

1. '90s Arcade Racer

The name tells you everything you need to know: '90s Arcade Racer is a throwback to the classic arcade racers of the '90s, specifically Sega fare such as Daytona USA and Virtua Racing. Greek developer Antonis Pelekanos took to Kickstarter in early 2013 to secure the necessary funds, and during the campaign, he formed a partnership with indie publisher Nicalis in order to expand the team size and target platforms -- Wii U and mobile in addition to Windows, OS X, and Linux.

True to its inspirations, the game is bright and colorful, albeit with modern spit shine -- the Wii U build in particular runs at 60 fps at 720p with anti-aliasing for a clean picture. Also true to form, the track count rather modest -- there are only four in total, but each has alternate routes and day / night cycles. It's is more about the purity of old-school racing and learning the ins-and-outs of each course and less about the excess bloat of modern simulation racers.

'90s Arcade Racer was originally planned for release this year, but the need to hire a new programmer to completely rewrite the AI code has resulted in a delay of at least a few months. Tough break.

2. Affordable Space Adventures

Affordable Space Adventures is the brainchild of Nicklas Nygren, the Swedish developer behind the Knytt series. Just as in the Knytt games, Affordable Space Adventures is about atmosphere and exploration as you navigate an alien world in a rather cheap-looking rust bucket of a spacecraft.

This Wii U exclusive lays out the ship's control panel on the GamePad for a more authentic space-faring experience. You'll have to steer, manage the scanners, lower the landing gear, and a myriad of other options by interacting with the touchscreen. You don't have to go it alone, however -- two or three players can form a crew, with one person piloting the ship with a Wii Remote, another serving as the GamePad-equipped engineer, and the last on flashlight duty.

Affordable Space Adventures will be available early next year, and considering how much Nintendo has been showing it off at public events, I don't doubt it will be very well received.

3. Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures

Filmmaker James Rolfe's Angry Video Game Nerd character is easily one of the most influential contributions to online gamer culture. The Nerd's foul-mouthed reviews of retro games inspired a legion of other video personalities to follow suit, but though there are many imitators, there is only one Nerd. I mean, how many YouTube stars get not only a full-length motion picture based on their exploits but also a videogame adaptation?

Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures released last year Steam, but developer FreakZone Games and publisher ScrewAttack have promised that Wii U and 3DS ports will arrive before the end of 2014. It's only fitting that the game appears on Nintendo machines, considering how the character was once known as the "Angry Nintendo Nerd."

As for Adventures itself, the Nerd is sucked into the TV and trapped in a sh*tty game of his own. Each level is loaded with tons of AVGN references that will make long-time fans chuckle, though newcomers will be able to enjoy the game's solid platforming mechanics. But this is a Nerd game after all, so expect to rage with extreme regularity.

4. A.N.N.E

A.N.N.E is the second Kickstarter success story on this list, and I promise it won't be the last -- the crowdfunding website has helped many struggling developers not only get the ball rolling but also spread awareness among the community for their projects. The originally Windows-only A.N.N.E was able to meet the OS X and Linux stretch targets, but it failed to hit goals that would have brought it to other platforms. Nonetheless, Canadian developer Moise Breton decided to go ahead with a Wii U port anyway, appropriate funding level be damned!

So just what is A.N.N.E all about? What isn't it about? It's a shmup, run-and-gun shooter, non-linear platformer, and RPG all rolled into one pixelated package. You'll get to play as either the titular A.N.N.E or Number25, two robots split apart for the tragic crime of falling in love -- I guess you can add "romance" to that genre salad bowl as well!

Unfortunately, we may have to wait a while for this one, as no target release window has been announced yet.

5. Armikrog.

In 1996, an unusual point-and-click PC adventure called The Neverhood was released. Though it earned rave reviews, it was a sales disaster. Such a shame, since it had one hell of a hook: the entire game was done in claymation.

Fast forward to 2013, when many members of the Neverhood team started a new company called Pencil Test Studios and set about working on a spiritual successor called Armikrog. (that errant period is part of the title). At the helm are artists Ed Schofield and Mike Dietz and character designer Doug TenNapel, who worked together not only on The Neverhood but Earthworm Jim as well. Though Pencil Test's Kickstarter only guaranteed Windows, OS X, and Linux versions, it was able to meet the Wii U stretch goal towards the end of the campaign.

Unlike many Wii U games that only use the GamePad for Off-TV play or inventory management, Armikrog. promises a range of clever implementations. For instance, you'll be able to hold the GamePad to the TV to use as a visor that reveals dead spirits. There will also be segments in which you draw a track on the touchscreen for a minecart-like pod to run across. Who knows what else they'll conjure up!

6. Chromophore: The Two Brothers Director's Cut

Late last year, Ackk Studios released Two Brothers, a top-down PC action-adventure similar to The Legend of Zelda or Secret of Mana. For most of the journey, the world is rendered in sepia tones as if it were running on a Game Boy, but whenever you die, you are sent to an afterlife rich in color. It's an interesting dynamic, but all the game's cleverness was sadly marred by a wealth of technical glitches and unintuitive game design.

Enter the rebranded Chromophore: The Two Brothers Director's Cut, which promises to be much more than a simple touch-up. The original game was built using the software development tool Multimedia Fusion 2, but in order squash all the bugs, the entire game was remade using C#. After that, Ackk Studios set to work tweaking everything from top to bottom based on user input, which should ideally result in a cleaner product as was originally envisioned. Barring any further hiccups, the new cut should be ready for PC, Xbox 360, and Wii U either this year or early 2015.

For the Wii U build, there will be some GamePad-exclusive features, of course. Details on those are being kept a secret, however, as they are linked to major story events.

7. Cryamore

Speaking of Zelda and Mana, you might want to consider NostalgiCO's Cryamore. It takes its adventuring in a more steampunk direction, placing you in the role of explorer / researcher Esmy as she seeks powerful Cryamore minerals that can bestow upon humans dozens of magical abilities. The game is quite the looker, too -- character designs come courtesy of studio co-founder Rob Porter, who hails from UDON Entertainment, and animation is being handled by Mariel Cartwright, whose distinctive art brought Skullgirls to life.

Cryamore's Kickstarter broke through every stretch goal thrown at it, guaranteeing an abundance of voice acting, a full Japanese translation, and builds for Windows, OS X, Linux, mobile, OUYA, PS3, Xbox 360, and of course Wii U. Development has been progressing at an admittedly slow pace, so there's no telling when it will finally come out. But if you've got a soft spot for PS1-age adventure games, Cryamore ought to check all the right boxes.

8. FAST Racing NEO

Nintendo is in no hurry to produce a new F-Zero, which has left a huge futuristic racer gap in its lineup. Shin'en Multimedia is prepared to fill that hole with FAST Racing NEO, and even though the only available game materials thus far are a handful of screenshots from the company's Twitter page, you ought to be paying extremely close attention. Why should you have so much faith in Shin'en's capabilities? Because it has proven time and time again that it knows Nintendo hardware almost as much as Nintendo itself, if not more so.

This German third-party developer has worked exclusively on Nintendo platforms for the past decade and a half, and in that time, it has accomplished feats of technical wizardry that place it an echelon far above studios several times its size. One of Shin'en's earliest games was Iridion 3D, a launch title for Game Boy Advance that sported very convincing faux 3D graphics when just about every other GBA offering looked like Super Nintendo fare. Then there was 2010's Jett Rocket, an impressive-looking 3D platformer on WiiWare that became even more impressive once you remembered that WiiWare file sizes were restricted to 40 MB.

FAST Racing NEO also happens to be a sequel to another WiiWare marvel called FAST Racing League. Considering how amazing League looked on previous-generation hardware with all the limits of the WiiWare platform, you can only imagine how NEO will look and feel on Wii U, free from all of Nintendo's past digital roadblocks.

9. Heart Forth, Alicia

Who doesn't love a good Metroidvania? The non-linear structure of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, itself inspired by the likes of Super Metroid, has in turn inspired any number of indie projects over the past decade. But Heart Forth, Alicia has already gone a step beyond most of the others -- the main character uses an honest-to-God whip!

Alicia is a young wizard who was tossed from her home in the clouds to the old world below, and now she must use a combination of physical and magical attacks to return to her land and hopefully undo the curse that has prevented her people from conceiving children. Developer Alonso Martin clearly gave a lot of attention to the story and world building in this game -- there will even be curious live-action cutscenes of a nameless woman, whose own tale has some as-of-yet unknown connection with that of our heroine.

Once again, an incredible amount of Kickstarter donations ensures that Heart Forth, Alicia will arrive on Wii U and 3DS in addition to PC platforms, PS4, and PS Vita. Even better, that extra cash has allowed Martin to bring on board famed composer Manami Matsumae, whose work can be heard in such games as Mega Man, U.N. Squadron, and most recently Shovel Knight!

10. Hyper Light Drifter

Of all the the Kickstarter-backed projects featured in this list, Hyper Light Drifter arguably sounds the most impressive. From the blocky yet incredibly detailed pixel art style to the rich level of animations, Heart Machine's labor of love is like a meeting of Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP and the works of Studio Ghibli. But enough about how it looks -- how does it play?

Your protagonist, Drifter, explores various dungeons and collects loot, using a sword made from light to cut through his enemies. He's got a healthy supply of skills and armaments, like rifles, companion drones, and a dash ability that can be used for anything from breaking through certain objects to crossing pits. And for an extra challenge, there's a co-op mode in which your partner will continually respawn at the expense of a portion of your own health, thereby linking your fates.

Everything so far about Hyper Light Drifter sounds incredible. It's fortunate that it's coming to all current home consoles plus PCs and Vita. This is a game no one should miss.

11. Mighty No. 9

It's impossible to talk about highly anticipated indie games without mentioning Mighty No. 9. The game is still a ways off, but it's already a legend in the industry. The story, in case you've been living under a rock this past year, is that former head of R&D at Capcom and Mega Man series producer, Keiji Inafune, decided in 2013 to lead the charge and become one of the first major Japanese developers to launch a Kickstarter game project. In what some have considered a monumental act of passive aggression against his former employer, the project in question bore a deliberate resemblance to the very Mega Man franchise that Capcom no longer seemed interested in working on.

After becoming the fourth most funded videogame project in Kickstarter history, Inafune's company comcept set to work with a dream team of partners. On primary development duties is Inti Creates, best known for producing Mega Man 9 and 10, the Mega Man Zero and ZX sub-series, and most recently Azure Striker Gunvolt on 3DS. On music composition is Manami Matsumae, who I already mentioned a couple of pages back is responsible for the soundtrack to the original Mega Man on NES. And of course, the use of Kickstarter to seek creative input from fans calls to mind the community-driven "Devroom" that was to be the foundation of Mega Man Legends 3.

Despite some minor hiccups here and there, Mighty No. 9 has already amassed a wealth of potential. Now it just has to live up to it when it launches in 2015 on not just Wii U and 3DS, but also Windows, OS X, Linux, PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, and Xbox 360.

12. Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty!

For PlayStation gamers, the recent PS4 release of Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty!, an HD remake of the PS1 platforming classic Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, was but a pleasant treat. But for Nintendo gamers, the upcoming Wii U version is another landmark in Nintendo's improving relations with third parties -- excluding a few handheld ports from outside studios, no Oddworld Inhabitants-developed Oddworld games have appeared on Nintendo consoles until now. That's cause for celebration, yes?

If you haven't played the original, you must guide the Mudokon Abe on a quest to save his kind from being eaten by their slave masters, the Glukkons. Unlike most game heroes, Abe usually doesn't confront his enemies physically, instead using his wits to avoid danger or even possessing his foes to do his bidding. It's a different brand of platformer than what most are used to.

In addition to New 'n' Tasty!, the Wii U is also receiving a port of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD, a far more action-oriented installment in the franchise. Both should hopefully arrive before the year is up, when they will be welcomed with open arms.

13. Pier Solar and the Great Architects

Pier Solar and the Great Architects is an HD remaster of Sega Genesis RPG that was originally released in 2010. Yes, you read that correctly! Pier Solar is a homebrew -- a piece of fan-made software developed for legacy hardware -- but it's not just any ol' homebrew! It required a custom 64 megabit cartridge, the largest of any Genesis game, thereby making it the largest 16-bit RPG ever made by extension.

The game easily sold out in its original format, but you can only reach so many people with a Genesis cartridge in the 21st century. To that end, developer WaterMelon took to Kickstarter in order to bring Pier Solar to Windows, OS X, Linux, Xbox 360, and... Dreamcast, because why not? Ports to Android, OUYA, and Wii U appeared further down the list of stretch goals, and thankfully all those goals were met. Ironically, additional ports announced much later for PS4 and PS3 have already been released, while the Wii U version and others are set hopefully for this month or next.

The HD version of Pier Solar contains even more content compared to the Genesis release, as well as the option to play using the new graphics or the original pixel look. For the Wii U build, players will be able to manage party member statuses, equipment, and more using the GamePad. Above all, this is a true old-school RPG in every sense of the word, repackaged for a modern consoles. It's at least worth a playthrough for that reason alone.

14. Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut

Nintendo never did get its own version of Portal, despite how well the non-violent 3D puzzler could have made use of the Wii Remote. Q.U.B.E. is obviously not Portal, but I think it could scratch that same itch -- developed by the UK-based Toxic Games, Q.U.B.E. (Quick Understanding of Block Extrusion) drops you in a white, sterile environment that you must escape from through the power of physics and object manipulation. In this case, you have a special pair of gloves used to arrange colored blocks.

The original Q.U.B.E. was released for PCs back in 2011, followed by a Q.U.B.E: Director's Cut earlier this year, which will soon arrive on home consoles such as Wii U. The new version features new puzzles, of course, but it also has an entirely new soundtrack, a time trial mode, and a new story pumped up with voice acting.

However, anyone expecting the same kind of humor as in Portal shouldn't hold their breath -- Q.U.B.E. is designed to be a far more serious experience.

15. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero

WayForward's Shantae series is associated with Nintendo handhelds, even though Shantae: Risky's Revenge recently received a Steam port and the upcoming Shantae and the Pirate's Curse will hit Wii U some time after its 3DS release on October 23. But everything you know is about to be thrown out the window with Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, built specifically for home consoles.

Shantae is the tale of a young half-genie who protects her hometown with her whip-like ponytail by day and belly dances by night. Half-Genie is the start of a new chapter (previously speculated to be a prequel, though that doesn't seem to be the case) that features hand-drawn animation atop 3D backgrounds, similar to DuckTales Remastered. This time around, WayForward is sharing development duties with Inti Creates, which seems to have no trouble pulling double duty alongside Mighty No. 9.

WayForward is bringing Half-Genie Hero to Wii U, Windows, PS4, PS3, PS Vita, Xbox One, and Xbox 360. For the sake of such lofty ambitions, it was necessary to launch a Kickstarter. Thanks to hitting several stretch goals, the game will include alternate costumes for Shantae, bonus chapters separate from the main story, and the ability to play as other characters such as Sky, Bolo, Rottytops, and the villainess Risky Boots.

16. Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones

Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones is the Wii U-exclusive sequel to Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark, even though the latter has never appeared on a Nintendo console. That doesn't mean developer Curve Studios hasn't had good relations with the Big N in the past -- Curve's water-based puzzler Fluidity and its sequel, Fluidity: Spin Cycle, were published by Nintendo for WiiWare and 3DS eShop, respectively. Why not go for the hat trick?

As in the original, you'll have to navigate a test clone through various chambers without getting caught -- it's the twitch platforming of Super Meat Boy combined with the stealth navigation of Splinter Cell. But this time, instead of simply going from level to level, each chamber is linked via an overworld, and you'll need to locate special tools to open up the path to the next area. There will also be a co-op mode, in which one player controls the clone while the second charts the action on the GamePad and offers assistance via a selection of equipment.

Curve Studios must be enjoying its time working on Wii U, as it has since announced Wii U ports of Lone Survivor, Thomas Was Alone, and The Swapper. We're still missing the first Stealth Inc., however. It's bound to come eventually.

17. Swords & Soldiers II

Here comes another Wii U-exclusive sequel, but in this case, the previous one did appear on Nintendo machines. After working on the 2D MOBA Awesomenauts, Dutch studio Romino Games decided to revisit its first major production, Swords & Soldiers for WiiWare, then expand upon it with Swords & Soldiers II.

The original was a real-time strategy game that flipped the script by focusing on the action from a side perspective. You had the option to play as one of three factions: Vikings, Aztecs, and Chinese. For the sequel, the Vikings make a triumphant, though they they now face two new armies, one of which is an undead Demon horde!

The first Swords & Soldiers is regarded as one of the best games for WiiWare, so Swords & Soldiers II has some mighty big shoes to fill.

18. Tengami

Many gamers feel that Rare's talents have been wasted with Microsoft. For those people, you should be happy to learn about Tengami, developed by a new indie studio called Nyamyam consisting almost entirely of former Rare employees from both the pre- and post-Microsoft acquisition days. There are the founders Jennifer Schneidereit, who worked on Kinect Sports, and Phil Tossell, whose much larger history includes Diddy Kong Racing and Kameo: Elements of Power. Beyond that pair you've got Ryo Agarie, artist for Perfect Dark Zero and Viva Piñata, as well as the one and only David Wise, composer of Donkey Kong Country.

Considering their background, you'd expect Tengami to be some big sprawling adventure. Instead, it's a much more relaxed journey through a Japanese pop-up book, in which you flip objects the environment around to progress further. Simple? Yes. Laid back? You betcha. It's already available on iOS, but you probably want to wait for the Wii U version, which will give you a large HD picture in addition to the ability to directly flip elements using the GamePad's touchscreen.

19. Treasurenauts

Renegade Kid's Mutant Mudds was one of the first unequivocal successes on the eShop. The 3DS title was proof positive that independent developers no longer had any reason to fear Nintendo's digital distribution network. Renegade Kid knew it had a good thing going with Nintendo, which is why it was only natural for the follow-up to come to 3DS as well.

Whereas Mutant Mudds was a bare-bones platformer with a laser focus on perfecting the basic genre mechanics, Treasurenauts sets its sights a little higher. You'll equip any of several weapons and then set out in search of as much booty as you can. There will be massive bosses to battle and secret doors to uncover, but the true Treasurenauts experience is realized with two-player co-op, in which you and a friend use teamwork to reach paths that can't be reached on your own. It's nothing revolutionary, but neither was Mutant Mudds -- sometimes it's refreshing to play a game that does a couple of things really well without tripping over itself trying to be innovative or shocking.

Treasurenauts was set to launch this year, but development has been temporarily halted because Renegade Kid director Jools Watsham decided out of nowhere that he had a burning need to make a Metroidvania. That game, called Xeodrifter, will likely hit 3DS eShop before the year is up.

20. The Unlikely Legend of Rusty Pup

The final game on our list, The Unlikely Legend of Rusty Pup, is another Rare homecoming. It's being produced by Gory Detail, a fresh outfit that consists of Chris Seavor and Shawn Pile, the latter who was a programmer on Conker's Bad Fur Day and the former who was that game's director as well as the voice of the titular squirrel. The duo have often expressed desire to work with Nintendo again, and now they're getting their wish with this new Wii U and 3DS project.

Rusty Pup is a 2D platformer in which you don't control the main character but rather manipulate the environment to lead him, as in Lemmings or the later Mario vs. Donkey Kong entries. But just as with Tengami, don't expect the kind of wild slapstick you're accustomed to in past Rare titles -- Rusty Pup's is a sad tale and what humor is there is typically of the black variety.

To be honest, it's hard to gauge progress on Rusty Pup, considering how Seavor only ever shares the odd screenshot over Twitter or Vine footage filmed off-screen, though what little he's revealed is very eye-catching. Quite frankly, I'm just excited to see not one but two teams of ex-Rare members making software for Nintendo once again!