The Nintendo Switch Online offer just got a whole lot better with the addition of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games, bringing an initial offer to Nintendo Switch Online, which will be added to over time. Many have made fun of Nintendo’s online offering over the years, but with the addition of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games, this now becomes one of the best retro offerings we have on any system. Today I’m going to check out the Game Boy offer on Nintendo Switch Online and bring you my thoughts.
Nintendo’s Direct in February 2023 was a banger for many reasons, and very much near the top was the news that Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games have arrived on Nintendo Switch. Not only were they coming, they would be dropped onto the Nintendo Switch Online service that very same day. While Game Boy games are available in the regular tier, Game Boy Advance games have been made available in the more expensive Expansion Pass tier. While the offer for each platform is relatively small, Nintendo has promised some classic will arrive on the service soon including Golden Sun and the Pokemon Trading Card game.
There are some interesting challenges with bringing Game Boy games to Nintendo Switch Online. Back when they were on the Game Boy Advance, the screen wasn’t very bright, and therefore games compensated with more colourful graphics – Metroid Fusion is a great example of this. These days we have OLED screens, so we don’t have the problems of the Gameboy Advance era, but that means Game Boy Advance games can look too bright and colourful, therefore Nintendo has done some work to adjust the colours for modern screens.
Nintendo has also added some features for fans of the original Game Boy. There’s a screen adjust mode where you can see what the titles would look like on the original green Game Boy, there’s a Game Boy Pocket mode plus the light colours of Game Boy Color. There’s also a ‘classic feel’ mode which overlays a pixel grid. Classic feel mode also adjusts the frame rate to 59.7 frames per second, just under the ideal 60 we’re used to today. The original Game Boy ran at 59.7, and when things are sped up this can break some animations, so Nintendo have adjusted to run at the original rate. You can see this in some games where spites flicker, try turning on the classic mode and that will likely fix it.
Nintendo appears to have put a lot more care and time into the Game Boy features for Nintendo Switch Online. We have NES, SNES and N64, with the latter launching in a terrible state, making some of the best games of all time like Super Mario 64 and Legend of Zelda Oacarina of Time a real slog to get through, rather than a joy. With the Game Boy ports you can see Nintendo’s care and attention. For me the library of games is my biggest point of feedback so far, it’s just not very extensive. However, Nintendo are holding back some key games to provide to the audience over time.
Game Boy games
Tetris
Super Mario Land 2 – 6 Golden Coins
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
Gargoyle’s Quest
Game & Watch Gallery 3
Alone in the Dark – The New Nightmare
Metroid II – Return of Samus
Wario Land 3
Kirby’s Dream Land
Kirby’s Dream Land 2
BurgerTime Deluxe
Upcoming Game Boy games
Kirby’s Tilt ‘N Tumble
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Game Boy Advance games
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania Kuru Kuru Kururin
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Metroid Fusion
Upcoming Game Boy Advance games
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
Golden Sun
Fire Emblem
F-Zero Maximum Velocity
That’s a pretty good line up to start with for the Game Boy offer on Nintendo Switch. There are a couple of games I am particularly interested in. The Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening DX is one of them, I’ve been playing through the Zelda games, starting from the original and going through them one by one since the start of 2022, and I’d like to get through as many as possible before Tears of the Kingdom comes out. The addition of The Oracle Of Ages and Oracle of Seasons is fantastic, given I haven’t played through these titles before. Link’s Awakening did have the 2019 remake on Nintendo Switch, but I am really looking forward to getting into the original.
Kirby’s Dreamland is another classic Game Boy title, and one of the very few carts I still own today. I have an original Game Boy pocket somewhere, with the original Kirby’s Dreamland still in the cartridge slot. It’s been a good few years since I played the game but it always stands out to me as one of the best original Game Boy games, plus we also have Kirby’s Dreamland 2 on there too.
Other notable entries include Tetris, the original classic that took the world by storm. Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins is another great game, plus the original Metroid II: Return of Samus. We now have access to a huge back catalouge of Zelda, Metroid, Kirby and Mario games – all available on Nintendo Switch.
On the Game Boy Advance The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is another one I didn’t get to. I’ve played most of the home console Zelda’s but not the handheld Zelda’s; so Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass etc are gaps in my Zelda knowledge. Now we have Minish Cap on GBA via Nintendo Switch Online that is going to change. Metroid Fusion is another one I am very excited about, especially given Metroid Dread’s relatively recent release. Golden Sun is one I am very excited about, I’ve heard plenty of good things about that, plus Fire Emblem too.