A new game in a classic NES series has been announced for Nintendo Switch 2. The new release is poised to arrive on February 15, 2027, while the series itself dates back to 1986, meaning this new release arrives 41 years later. At first it was arcade-only, but in 1987 it came to the NES, which is how most know it and remember it. That said, this new release is not a brand new release, but a port of a previous release. Notably, it follows another NES re-release on Nintendo Switch 2 last week, though this was a much deeper cut from the NES library by comparison.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Back in 2019, legendary Japanese studio Taito released via the Nintendo Switch, and the Nintendo Switch Only, a new release in the Bubble Bobble series called Bubble Bobble 4 Friends. Then, in 2020, this game came to PS4, and then PC in 2021. Now, several years later, it is coming to a current-gen console for the first time via the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Nintendo Switch 2 only, under the name Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back! – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Stardrop Mountain. The release is being published by Clear River Games.
Fans Did Not Expect This
When Bubble Bobble 4 Friends was released, it did so with a Metacritic range of 68 to 75, which more or less lines up with 50% of its user review scores. To this end, on Steam, it has a 68% approval rating. On the PlayStation Store, though, it has a much better 4.21 out of 5 stars.
This is not just the base game, though, which may explain the lack of a free upgrade, though it does appear there will be some form of an upgrade path. To this end, Nintendo fans who bought the game previously will need to fork over another $40. This time, though, there is the Stardrop Mountain expansion, which adds new stages and brings back a fan-favorite villain, Invaduh.
As you would expect, fans of this classic and nostalgic series are excited for yet another release, but also new content. This is most obvious by the fact that the trailer above does not have a single dislike, or at least this is true at the moment of publishing.
“Never thought I would see this old Switch game get new material,” reads one of the comments on the trailer above. Another adds, “I absolutely loved 4 Friends! I’m super excited for this new addition.”
With the Nintendo Switch 2, there’s been an increasing emphasis on nostalgia, mostly because game makers are relying on established IP as safer investments compared to new IP. To this end, a recent leak revealed word that an iconic Nintendo DS series may also soon be returning.
