When it comes to retro games on Nintendo Switch Online, people have often wondered what the next console would be. After all, we’ve had NES, SNES, N64 and Mega Drive games, what else is on the agenda here?

Would we get GameCube now? Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games? Something else entirely?

Well, as it turns out, the answer is the second of those two choices. Why? Because in the Nintendo Direct yesterday, the company announced that Game Boy and Game Boy Advanced games would be heading to Nintendo Switch Online!

Here’s the trailer showing the new consoles’ games running on Switch Online:

As you can see, it’s a pretty impressive selection. For Game Boy games you’ve got the following titles:

Available GB Games

• Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare (outside Japan only)
• Game & Watch Gallery 3
• Gargoyle’s Quest
• Kirby’s Dream Land
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
• Metroid II: Return of Samus
• Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
• Tetris
• Wario Land 3
• Yakuman (Japan Only)

Upcoming GB Games

• For the Frog the Bell Tolls (Japan only)
• Kirby Tilt ‘n’ Tumble
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
• Pokémon Trading Card Game

Whereas for Game Boy Advance ones, you’ve these ones:

Available GBA Games

• Kuru Kuru Kururin
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
• Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
• Mario Kart: Super Circuit
• Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
• WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!

Upcoming GBA Games

• F-Zero: Maximum Velocity
• Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (Japan Only)
• Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
• Golden Sun
• Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
• Metroid Fusion

Which seem to be decent representations of each genre, even without the awesome stuff promised in future. But there is one thing we’re not a fan of here.

That being, only the Game Boy games are available to base Switch Online players. For the GBA ones, you’ll need the Expansion Pack to use them.

And that’s a bit disappointing when you consider that said games are decades old and available on other systems now. Sure, they’re certainly convenient here, and we get that Nintendo wants to encourage people to buy the expansion.

But they’re still pretty overpriced nonetheless. It’s like the situation with Mega Drive games, where titles that probably could have been on the normal service got made exclusive to the higher end one for no apparent reason.

Still, they’re a thing now. So what do you think of them? Are you excited to play Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games on your Nintendo Switch now? What other titles should be added to these services in future?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below, or over on our Discord server today!

Source:

Nintendo Switch Online – Game Boy & Game Boy Advance Announcement – Nintendo Direct 2.8.23 (YouTube)