Switch Online Classic Collection: Game Boy and Advance Games

The latest Nintendo Direct fulfilled a long-standing wish by adding Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games to Nintendo Switch Online’s collection of retro-styled titles. While the cheaper Switch Online plan gives you access to regular Game Boy titles, the more expensive Expansion Pack plan is required to play Game Boy Advance titles.

Some of the top games on each platform, such as Wario Land 3, Metroid II: Return of Samus, WarioWare, Inc. Mega Microgames, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, are among the few that are now available.

Nintendo has previously confirmed a number of upcoming games, such as Golden Sun and the Zelda Oracle games, so this isn’t all we can look forward to. The confirmation of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance compatibility naturally got us thinking about what more we’d love to see released, and we’ve listed everything that’s now available and confirmed to be coming below.

The Game Boy and Game Boy Advance turn 34 and 22 this year, respectively, so we racked our grey matter for our favorite games we hope to see on Switch Online. In addition, we have compiled lists of the top Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance games, so be sure to look into those as well.

Online support for classic Game Boy titles has been announced for the Nintendo Switch

• Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare” is now in stores.
• Now shipping: Game & Watch Gallery 3
• A game called Gargoyle’s Quest is currently on sale.
• Currently in stock: Kirby’s Dream Land
• Kirby’s Tilt-a-Whirl
• Launching now, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
• Oracle of Ages, a Legend of Zelda Game
• Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, a Legend of the Five
• Now in stores: Metroid II: Samus Returns
• In the Pokemon TCG
• Six Golden Coins for Super Mario Land 2 are now for sale.
• Tetris
• Wario Land 3 is currently for sale.

Nintendo Switch Online Will Provide Game Boy Advance Games

• F-Zero: Top Speed
• Assault on the Citadel: Fire Emblem
• The Sun of Gold
• The Incredible Mirror and Kirby
• It’s finally here: Kuru Kuru Kururin
• The Minish Cap, the third installment in the Legend of Zelda series, is officially on sale.
• Launching now: Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
• The new Mario Kart game, Super Circuit, is out now.
• Fusion of Metroid
• New Super Mario Bros. on the Game Boy Advance!
• Now shipping: WarioWare, Inc.’s Mega Microgames
• This game is as old as Donkey Kong (Game Boy)

With very few adjustments to fit on a Game Boy cartridge, Donkey Kong may have been a worthy attempt at recreating the arcade hit. At first glance, it appears to be that kind of game, but a masterfully executed twist at the conclusion reveals an altogether different genre.

Like its successor, March of the Minis, Donkey Kong GB is a lengthy puzzle platformer packed with traps. It is one of the best and most consistently unexpected games in the Game Boy canon, and it should be included in any Switch library. As stated by Steve Watts.

The Mario Tennis Characters Play Tennis (Game Boy Color)

One of Nintendo’s longest-running spinoff series, Mario Tennis has received most of its attention in the form of console games. If you’re looking for a gem in the rough (or clay, if you will), look no further than Mario Tennis for the Game Boy Color. The primary mode is more of an RPG than a sports game, and it follows a fresh student at a tennis academy named Alex as he learns the ropes and works his way up the ranks.

Mario Tennis on Game Boy Color is surprisingly fantastic, despite the initial disappointment of the game’s lack of Mario. The game features great and relatively basic tennis gameplay that players of all ages will love. Also, for no apparent reason, the music gets really brutal. — Mr. Gabe Gurwin

A Mega Man 5 (Game Boy)

Although Mega Man was a household name on the NES, the games released for the Game Boy were merely simplified copies that left players wanting more. Only Mega Man 5 deviated from the formula and created a really original Mega Man game that could compete with the greatest of the series.

The customary assortment of bosses, such as Frog Man and Gemini Man, was replaced by a more consistent motif as part of this rebranding effort. The Stardroids were given names like Pluto and Mars, after planets in the solar system, making it more difficult to determine which of the three you could beat within a game of rock-paper-scissors.

The levels were well-thought-out and hard, while also feeling appropriately scaled for the Game Boy’s limitations. It’s the crown jewel of the Mega Man series and deserves to be ported to Nintendo Switch if only one is to happen. As stated by Steve Watts.

New Super Mario Bros. (Game Boy)

Super Mario Land, released when Nintendo still hadn’t locked down what a Mario game even was, holds the dubious title of being the oddest mainstream Mario game. Exactly one year prior, the company had renamed Doki Doki Panic for the Western market and released it as Super Mario Bros.

In Super Mario Land, Mario is even smaller than in the original Super Mario Bros., but he still manages to convey a sense of weight and velocity that makes the game feel much more substantial than its predecessor. It has a wide variety of bizarre environments and foes, from Koopa Troopas that release bombs when they die to huge Easter Island heads.

Mario drives a submarine and a fighter plane, and an alien is in charge. Despite its flaws, this Mario game has a certain charm thanks to its eccentricities, and more people should get the chance to play it. As stated by Steve Watts.

Improved Final Fantasy Tactics (Game Boy Advance)

PlayStation’s Final Fantasy Tactics was a masterwork of strategy game design and crisp, operatic storytelling. Although I enjoyed FFT immensely, I was let down by its Game Boy Advance spinoffs. In general, their storylines lacked complexity, and their conflicts were far more limited in scale. However, looking back, I realize that I didn’t give these a chance.

They weren’t what I was anticipating at all, but I hear they’re good little tactical nibbles. The new Judge system adds a nice wrinkle by limiting your options in a fight, making you reevaluate your strategy. They took full advantage of the GBA’s vivid palette, and the result was an art style that exploded with life and color. Seeing them again would be great, in part so I can reevaluate them. As stated by Steve Watts.

Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones(Game Boy Advance)

The original game in the Fire Emblem series, which was simply titled Fire Emblem in the West, was a fantastic introduction to the tactical RPG series, but the series’ entire potential wasn’t revealed until the sequel. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones reused the same foundation as its predecessor but added a new dimension of player agency by allowing them to choose between two sets of identical twins and join one of them on their deadly adventure.

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is a well-designed strategy jewel, but by today’s standards it is too challenging and lacks the “casual” no-permadeath setting we expect nowadays for it to be available on Nintendo Switch Online. To quote: “Gabe Gurwin”

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords(Game Boy Advance)

Since the game’s greatness is undeniable and the original Super Nintendo Entertainment System release is playable on Switch Online, there’s really nothing more to be said in favor of A Link to the Past. In contrast, the GBA release of Four Swords featured not only that game but also a brand new one that, as its name implies, was Nintendo’s first attempt at a multiplayer Zelda game. (It also included a hidden dungeon that could be unlocked in A Link to the Past.)

Despite its notoriety, though, the game is essentially forgotten; finding a group of people who all own copies and can get together to play is next to impossible. The DSiWare and 3DS eShop versions were only available for a short time, but making them available through Switch Online would be a fantastic way to revive this lost treasure. Hopefully, this will pave the way for GameCube games and Four Swords Adventure, the sequel to Four Swords, to be playable online on the Switch in the future. That was Chris Pereira.

The Next Generation of Metal Slugs (Game Boy Advance)

A game like Metal Slug Advance is a welcome addition to the NSO collection; you can never have too much of this series. Although the Game Boy Advance (GBA) featured several ports of popular titles like Mario games, Metal Slug Advance offered a whole new experience.

The gameplay and aesthetic are largely unchanged from the original Metal Slug, but new features such as a health bar and collectible cards add a significant layer of challenge for those who want it. These cards are found throughout each level and must be kept alive until the end of the stage to be claimed.

In most cases, the sole benefit was the satisfaction of having accomplished the task (no easy feat, given decades of playing Metal Slug games, have rendered me no less horrible at them), but in others, permanent upgrades were made available. Metal Slug, like a few of the other games I’ve recommended here, is best suited for Switch Online because of its brief play sessions, however, I would like to have access to the Rewind option so I can complete Metal Slug Advance. That was Chris Pereira.

Rhythm Tengoku (Game Boy Advance)

And yet, despite never having played it, I am among those advocating for Rhythm Tengoku’s inclusion. The original game in what would become known as the Rhythm Heaven series, Rhythm Tengoku, was only ever released in Japan. (It’s a Game Boy Advance game that came out in 2006—almost two years after the Nintendo DS debuted.)

Since it’s possible that some of the game’s material was later included in Rhythm Heaven Megamix for the 3DS, bringing it to Switch Online would be a terrific opportunity to offer the game to a brand-new audience. Comparable to the aforementioned WarioWare, it has a number of minigames with a wacky premise but a rhythm-based focus on the end result.

Even though I love that The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga are both accessible on Switch Online, I find that most of the time when I browse the Switch’s classic games catalog, I’m just searching for a fast hit. My needs for the service are best met by games like Rhythm Tengoku, where I can jump in, play a level, and be done in a few minutes. That was Chris Pereira.

A WarioWare Game With a Twisted Plot (Game Boy Advance)

One WarioWare game is a welcome addition to Switch Online’s launch lineup of Game Boy Advance titles, but why not more? Another GBA classic, Twisted shined not only because it followed the tried-and-true WarioWare model of a succession of little microgames (such as catching objects or picking your nose), but also because of the game’s fresh take on the genre.

Because of its gyro sensor, interacting with Twisted frequently involved twisting the system in your hands, as the name suggests. It was unlike anything else available at the time, and it would be interesting to add something new to the concept in light of the latest WarioWare titles’ focus on button-based controls.

Because more WarioWare means more reasons for me to return to Switch Online and maintain my subscription. — Christopher Pereira

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