Hello, friends. It’s been a little while since our last SwitchArcade Special Edition. In the past, we’ve put together a bunch of “best-of" lists for a variety of genres on the Nintendo Switch. Today another popular genre on the platform gets its turn in the spotlight: the shoot-em-up. Sometimes known as ‘shmups’, these games have been around since practically the dawn of the medium. The genre has had its ups and downs, but it’s been having a bit of a renaissance lately. The Switch has particularly reaped the rewards, with tons of new and classic examples available. In no particular order, here are our picks for the best of the lot.
Ikaruga ($14.99)

In the opinion of many players, Ikaruga is the pinnacle of vertical-scrolling shoot-em-up games. Whether you’re an expert player or a beginner, there’s a lot of fun to be had with its intriguing color-switching system and impressive visual design. The gameplay mechanics focus nearly as much on swapping to the right color as they do on twitch dodging, making for a rather unique experience within the genre. If you’re not that hot at shoot-em-ups, you can just enjoy the ride. More experienced players can dig into the rich scoring system and the challenge it offers. This Switch port is an excellent version of the game, to boot. Gunbird 2 ($7.99)

You could fill a whole list with the amazing works of Psikyo, and indeed there are two full collections available on the Switch. ...