Nintendo Switch Online Adds Four New Retro Games

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can play a new NES, SNES, and Game Boy games.

By Marc Deschamps

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can check out a new batch of retro games starting today. The games are spread across the NES, SNES, and Game Boy apps, and include Kirby's Star Stacker (SNES), Joy Mech Fight (NES), Downtown Nekketsu March Super-Awesome Field Day! (NES), and Quest for Camelot (Game Boy Color). The games are fairly notable for a number of reasons: three of these games are imports, and have never previously been released in North America. Meanwhile, Quest for Camelot is a licensed game based on a Warner Bros. animated movie from 1998!

A trailer for the games can be found in the Tweet embedded below.

Quest for Camelot

Quest for Camelot might be one of the most surprising additions Nintendo Switch Online has ever seen. While the game itself doesn't seem too notable, Quest for Camelot marks the first licensed game we've seen on Nintendo Switch Online. Apps on the service have mostly focused on Nintendo's first-party offerings, as well as the occasional third-party game, such as Alone in the Dark, Breath of Fire II, or Ninja Gaiden. The addition of Quest for Camelot could open the door for other licensed fare, including well-regarded games like Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose! or X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse. Subscribers will just have to wait and see, but there are a lot of great options Nintendo could explore in the future!

Kirby's Star Stacker

While the Kirby franchise is one of Nintendo's most popular, the SNES version of Kirby's Star Stacker has never gotten a release in North America. Based on a 1997 Game Boy game, Kirby's Star Stacker got something of an upgrade on Japan's Super Famicom in 1998. By that point, the Nintendo 64 had been on the market for more than two years, which likely played a role in Nintendo's decision not to localize Kirby's Star Stacker. The game did get a release on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan, but North American fans were once again left out. Nintendo has finally rectified things, giving NSO subscribers a chance to experience the game for themselves.

Joy Mech Fight

Like Kirby's Star Stacker, Joy Mech Fight was another game that wasn't localized thanks to its late release. Arriving on the Famicom in 1993, Joy Mech Fight is a 2D fighting game featuring a huge list of playable characters. In total, there are 36 to choose from, all of which are robots with disconnected limbs (in a style similar to the Sega Genesis game Vectorman). Out of all the games released today, Joy Mech Fight seems to be the one generating the most interest from Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on social media. Hopefully the three-decade wait will prove to be worth it!

Are you happy with these new additions to Nintendo Switch Online? Are there licensed games you'd like to see added to the service? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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