Nintendo Switch Online Adding Three Classic Game Boy Games

Mario Day has been very eventful this year, as Nintendo has revealed release dates for some upcoming games, as well as news about the next Super Mario Bros. Movie. Rounding out the company’s announcements today, three classic games will be coming to Nintendo Switch Online’s Game Boy app. On March 12th, subscribers can expect to see Dr. Mario, Mario Golf, and Mario Tennis added. The three games were all very well-received upon their original release, so this should be good news for both existing fans, as well as those that have never had a chance to play them. 

Dr. Mario, Mario Golf, and Mario Tennis

Dr. Mario originally released in 1990, arriving on both the NES and Game Boy at the same time. The NES version has been available through Nintendo Switch Online for some time now, as has Dr. Mario 64. As such, Dr. Mario‘s release isn’t as notable as the other two inclusions. Mario Golf and Mario Tennis were released later in the Game Boy’s lifespan, releasing on Game Boy Color. The games featured gameplay similar to their N64 versions, but developer Camelot added new RPG elements, which proved to be very popular with players. Decades later, the Game Boy Color version of Mario Golf would inspire the Nintendo Switch indie game Golf Story. 

At the time Mario Golf and Mario Tennis were released, the N64 had a peripheral known as the Transfer Pak. Originally released alongside Pokemon Stadium, the peripheral allowed players to send and receive data between Game Boy and N64 games. The Game Boy Color versions of Mario Golf and Mario Tennis both featured connectivity with their N64 versions, but it’s currently unclear if that will be kept intact on Nintendo Switch. 

Game Boy Games on Nintendo Switch Online

Since Nintendo released the Game Boy app last year, 18 games have been made available. That number includes favorites like Super Mario Land 2, Tetris, and Kirby’s Dream Land, but there are also some obscure picks, including a licensed game based on the 1998 Warner Bros. animated movie Quest for Camelot. The additions of Dr. Mario, Mario Golf, and Mario Tennis will bump that number up to 21. That number is somewhat respectable, but there are a lot of notable omissions. Hopefully, Nintendo will continue to beef up the number of games available so users can get a better idea of everything the system had to offer during its time on the market. 

As a note, the Game Boy app is available as a free download to any Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, regardless of which tier of the service they subscribe to. When Nintendo Switch Online first launched, the service was accompanied by apps for the NES and SNES systems. The Game Boy app came later, alongside apps for the Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and N64. Those latter three apps are only available to users that subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. 

Are you excited to check out these classic Game Boy games? Which one are you looking forward to most? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!