For a few years now, Nintendo has been adding a handful of games on occasion to its NES and SNES library for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. Those tired of just those two platforms might be interested to know that there's potentially a new-old catalog of games headed to the Switch, if rumors are to be believed. An episode of a Nate the Hate podcast speculated that Game Boy games were to be imminently offered as part of Switch Online, with two other news outlets--Eurogamer and NintendoLife--corroborating the report with inside sources. Eurogamer even claims that more than just Game Boy and Game Boy Color games are being considered for eventual release, while NintendoLife contradicted it, saying that they did not hear any mention of anything beyond just GB/C.

For now, it remains unconfirmed, though this month marks the third anniversary of Nintendo Switch Online as a service, which would make it an opportune time to have such a reveal. Previously, a UI datamine implied that more than just NES games would be added, with SNES being the only new platform to be offered since then. Do you expect to see Game Boy games arrive on the Switch? Or perhaps more than just that, eventually?

Nintendo Life has also confirmed with its own sources that Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles are likely coming to the Switch Online service "really soon".

The same insider is far less optimistic about Game Boy Advance titles arriving on the paid online service in the near future - noting how several companies are currently working on re-releases, including Nintendo, who has the Advance Wars remaster coming out this December. We've also not heard anything about Game Boy Advance titles being included in this update.

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[CeeDee]

I believe it because it'd be lame and underwhelming.

Anyways I doubt Pokémon games would be on there. They would rather sell those separately.

 

[JuanMena]

I know this isn't EOF/IMAGE BOARD

But, I mean...
Nintendo should've done this since the beginning.

By now people that owns a Nintendo Switch has probably hacked it already... leading to emulation with more gimmicks and features than Nintendo will ever give you for a subscription model.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Wow, funny. Shantae the gameboy color game got on the switch before any of nintendo's own gameboy color games. Mega man Zero/ZX Legacy collection also put GBA and NDS games on there too. Let's not forget Neo Geo Pocket Color also beat them to the punch.

I'd much prefer GBA games for a number of reasons, but if this somehow gets us the Pokemon TCG with online play, I'm all for it.

I doubt it will have online multiplayer like NES and SNES does. Local wireless multiplayer seems more believable. Honestly, the lack of games not using local wireless multiplayer or even LAN despite having online multiplayer is very disappointing. Very few games use this feature and considering Nintendo switch Lite is only portable, how do they expect most of the games to do multiplayer or LAN in the same room with those systems? Let's not forget Neo Geo Pocket Color games are also on switch and multiplayer is played on the same console, split screen style. It feels less personal the more this problem continues.

I’d of course prefer being able to actually own these games ala virtual console, but at this point I’d just be happy for convenient access to GBC/GBA games on the go. Especially since it’s such a chore to dig for my 3DS at this point

This seems to be a common complaint among many. I can understand why though. $5 for the gameboy color game of your choice on 3DS ESHOP is the better option without a doubt. But to be honest, I'm not upset with the switch online method. Yeah it sucks you need subscription to play them. But I would have never even thought to buy Wario's Woods on virtual console. But I did try it on the switch.

Is just at least for me, I see something I know I am going to enjoy and play like Super Mario Bros 3. sitting next to something I never heard of like Wario's Woods, and that makes me want to try. It's similar to buying compilations like the Sega Classics. That's how I managed to play stuff like Beyond Oasis, Light Crusader and Landstalker. Most people probably didn't know what some of those games are until now or even think to try something they never heard of on virtual console. Honestly I only every bought Virtual Console games I played already and it was on discount.

While the selection of the games are still lacking with stuff that "should have been there from the start" like Super Mario RPG or Earthbound, even Arcana on SNES and both the 2nd & 3rd Ninja Gaiden games still missing. It is disappointing how long it takes and wonder if we even getting them at all. For the record, I'm just sharing another point of view.

 

[veedios]

GB/GBC with Tetris at the start and no pokemon is my guess would love to see GBA but it’s Nintendo

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

Maybe in 2027 we'll get an N64 or GBA game

 

[MarkDarkness]

"Wow, thanks Nintendo. Revolutionary!"

 

[wolf-snake]

Sources not only already claimed that Gameboy and Gameboy Color games were coming to switch since september last year, but last time sources claimed something we were supposed to get a Switch Pro announcement before E3.

 

[gaga941021]

here's an idea... connect your smartphone to the Switch via bluetooth or something, and get the DS's bottom screen to show up on on your smartphone while the top screen is shown on the Switch
yeah, that will NEVER happen.

Because this is a terrible idea.

 

[adamsef]

The Nintendo overlords overvaluing there game boy 80s crap on everyone!
Why can’t they just let people choose whatever games they want on the eshop?
I’m so glad I have an unpatched switch

 

[64bitmodels]

Good job nintendo, you did the bare minimum. You added GB and GBC games to NSO. 4 years after the console came out. you motherfuckers are wack.
by now we should have had at least 7 nintendo consoles on Switch Online and not just
GB and GBC games.
if any of yall are getting hyped by this i have no idea on what to say...

 

[Wavy]

If this is true (which is highly likely), then cool. Just would of liked GBA games as well.

Oh well. Still pretty interesting otherwise.

 

[RichardTheKing]

GBC and GBA should have been there from the start, even before NES and SNES, since the Switch is a handheld after all - I mean the Switch Lite is handheld only for example.

I'd love to see N64, Gamecube, Wii, and NDS on there, but I imagine that might be a lot more complicated, for different reasons (processing power, I/O, etc.)

Now, I hope we'll get to play Oracle of Ages/Seasons on the Switch soon but I'm not holding my breath.

I've recently completed my first playthrough of Oracle of Ages, on emulator, and...whew, I would not want to play this on console! The Head Thwomp boss is a total crapshoot, the Smog's unique gimmick is incredibly annoying, the Goron Dances are under-explained and practically mandate a "0 Mistakes" cheat, the Maple and Gasha Seed Heart Pieces would be incredibly tedious without a specific cheat (to lower enemies-killed requirement from 40 to 1) and save states...

Oracle of Seasons doesn't have most of those, except for the Maple and Gasha Seed stupidity, but a Walk Through Walls cheat is still quite nice for overly-bullshit puzzles - such as one involving moving a magnetic sphere over an incredibly large hole in the floor (Ancient Ruins, from memory). The Subrosian dancing minigame is much fairer than the Goron one, but it's still up to luck whether you get Dmitri's Flute or not (if you want him as your buddy, anyway), and the Manhandla boss has moving floors, making slaying him much more of a pain than it should've been. Digdogger's gimmick is also awful.

Being able to memory-edit on the fly (almost exclusively for health) is a godsend, too, since the only Potion is one that takes effect on death, and only works once before needing to be reobtained.

In short, Link's Awakening is the only GBC LoZ game that's worth playing on console, in my opinion; the Oracle games need a proper remake.

 

[Clydefrosch]

years of whining and they're still not doing what you want?
maybe you should direct your energies somewhere else

 

[Deleted member 546149]

How you just add all retro consoles

 

[Clydefrosch]

I've recently completed my first playthrough of Oracle of Ages, on emulator, and...whew, I would not want to play this on console! The Head Thwomp boss is a total crapshoot, the Smog's unique gimmick is incredibly annoying, the Goron Dances are under-explained and practically mandate a "0 Mistakes" cheat, the Maple and Gasha Seed Heart Pieces would be incredibly tedious without a specific cheat (to lower enemies-killed requirement from 40 to 1) and save states...

Oracle of Seasons doesn't have most of those, except for the Maple and Gasha Seed stupidity, but a Walk Through Walls cheat is still quite nice for overly-bullshit puzzles - such as one involving moving a magnetic sphere over an incredibly large hole in the floor (Ancient Ruins, from memory). The Subrosian dancing minigame is much fairer than the Goron one, but it's still up to luck whether you get Dmitri's Flute or not (if you want him as your buddy, anyway), and the Manhandla boss has moving floors, making slaying him much more of a pain than it should've been. Digdogger's gimmick is also awful.

Being able to memory-edit on the fly (almost exclusively for health) is a godsend, too, since the only Potion is one that takes effect on death, and only works once before needing to be reobtained.

In short, Link's Awakening is the only GBC LoZ game that's worth playing on console, in my opinion; the Oracle games need a proper remake.

what in the hell are you talking about exactly?
my brothers beat those games when they were like 6 and barely able to read.

 

[Deleted member 534570]

*Laughs in emulation*

 

[diggeloid]

I feel like Switch Online's drip feed of games is getting more and more people into emulation. Even if you aren't tech savvy enough to download an emulator, there are a bunch of shady sellers on a certain tech giant's online store that are more than happy to serve you.

All of this because Nintendo is lazy and/or stupid, because I know many people would gladly give them money to re-buy a bunch of old games. I spent eight whole dollars for the Sega Ages Phantasy Star port. That's $8 for a single retro game I could have downloaded for free! If Nintendo's full retro game library was available for purchase on the Switch, I'd go broke overnight. And I'd still pay for Switch Online since it's literally the only option for online play.

 

[linkenski]

Fucking weak. Nintendo not releasing based on servicing their users but treading water against their own gaps in release to keep the business afloat. It creates an inevitable cycle where we never get to the good later-gen stuff and it keeps resetting and you keep rebuying for every new generation they start. I'm probably finally unsubbing from Nintendo Online soon.

I hate this.

 

[Delerious]

And watch. The titles they'll release will be the most obscure and/or poorly received titles on the GB/C.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

About time. It only makes sense. GBA games will probably be next, followed by N64 (after the release of the N64 Classic, it's bound to happen)
Though I expect the N64 games selection will be pretty small.