Nintendo's latest Indie World dates Ratatan and Denshattack for Switch 2
The March 2026 broadcast locked in summer release dates for the Patapon spiritual successor, a train-skating action game, and a hit PC murder mystery.
Nintendo's March 3 Indie World revealed release dates for several high-profile indie games coming to the Switch and the upcoming Switch 2. The presentation locked in summer launch windows for the rhythm roguelike Ratatan, the dystopian action game Denshattack, and the console port of Magical Girl's Witch Trial.
Indie World evolved from the company's earlier Nindies Showcase presentations. Nintendo started those in 2017 to highlight smaller developers during the original Switch's launch window. The company rebranded the series to Indie World in 2019, and it remains a purely online affair.
The March 2026 Indie World presentation.
Patapon's creator returns this July
The broadcast confirmed that Ratatan will launch on July 16. The game was featured in a Nintendo presentation, but it is also coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on the same day. Development is being led by Hiroyuki Kotani, the original creator of Sony's Patapon series.
Ratatan heavily borrows from its predecessor's mechanical foundation. Players input rhythmic button commands to command an army of small creatures through side-scrolling levels. The developers layered roguelike elements and four-player cooperative multiplayer on top of the classic rhythm-action formula. Kotani launched a Kickstarter campaign for Ratatan in 2023. The campaign raised over $1.4 million from fans eager for a new rhythm strategy game. Sony abandoned the Patapon franchise after the PSP and Vita eras. Kotani's new studio is now filling that gap. The move to modern hardware allows for over 100 characters on screen at once during massive battles.
Tony Hawk but you are a train
Spanish developer Undercoders showed off Denshattack, which is scheduled for a June 18 release on Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. The premise is absurd. Players control a literal commuter train navigating a dystopian version of Japan. The train ignores the rails entirely. It jumps into the air to perform skateboard-style tricks and grinds to build up a high score.
The visual style leans heavily into a neon-soaked cyberpunk aesthetic. Players have to dodge obstacles, smash through rival gang trains, and fight massive corporate bosses. It is a bizarre combination of genres that looks like it belongs in a late-1990s Dreamcast lineup.
A half-million copies later
Switch owners are getting Magical Girl's Witch Trial on July 9. Developer Acacia originally released the mystery adventure game on PC in July 2025. It quietly sold over 500,000 copies on Steam. The setup traps 13 magical girls in an island prison. The group is forced to investigate murders and hold trials to find the hidden witch among them.
The game relies heavily on deduction mechanics similar to the Danganronpa series. Players must gather evidence during the investigation phase and point out contradictions during the trial. The PC version built a massive audience through word of mouth and positive user reviews. A console port was inevitable.
The showcase also included a few shadow drops. A puzzle platformer called Öoo is available now on the standard Switch. The game has no text and revolves entirely around using a bomb-carrying caterpillar to open hidden paths. It takes about three hours to complete. It provides a brief palette cleanser before the heavier summer release schedule hits.
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