Three Game Boy games have been added to Nintendo Switch Online and if you like to submerge yourself in nostalgia, you should definitely go take a look. The joys of returning home to a Game Boy have not been duplicated by any console or video game that has come out since but reminiscing is just as fun in the present. A distinct, stand-out game from Mario’s legacy, Super Mario Land has been added to Switch Online as a way to celebrate 35 years of the Game Boy system, and Alleyway and Baseball are also joining the party with it.
The Game Boy was released in 1989 and the three games that are being reintroduced were early arrivals on the handheld device, making their revival quite meaningful for those who have been around since the start. The Game Boy games on Nintendo Switch Online will give older players a chance to relive older memories and younger players should be just as excited to explore them, taking a moment out from their action-packed games to experience the originals that set the stage for everything we have in gaming today.
Image: Nintendo revives Super Mario Land
Three Game Boy Games Arrive On Nintendo Switch Online
Whether you’ve ever used a Game Boy yourself or not, you’ve likely heard it mentioned among gaming circles at one point or another. Nintendo’s Gunpei Yokoi was the creator of the original device and it was released on April 21, 1989. The gadget had a miniature screen that didn’t support color just yet, an 8-bit display with five buttons to support gameplay. Super Mario Land, a 2D sidescroller platform game was among the most celebrated additions to the series of cartridge-powered experiences that arrived on the gadget. The handheld console evolved in many ways over time, but nothing could take away from its simplicity and design.
The games on the device might appear quite basic in comparison to the complexity and detail our modern gadgets are capable of handling, but they’re still just as fun today. The three Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy games include Super Mario Land, Alleyway, and Baseball. According to IGN, Nintendo Switch Online Japan has also received The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls, which was exclusively released in the country in 1992. We’re especially excited that Super Mario Land has been added to Switch, but the other games deserve a shoutout at least.
Super Mario Land: The Game Boy Game Joins Switch Online
Journeying away from the Mushroom Kingdom into Sarasaland instead, Super Mario Land has a lot of familiar elements that make a Mario game, but it also introduces new characters and concepts that aren’t traditionally a part of the series. The storyline focuses on the rescue of Princess Daisy from the clutches of the alien Tatanga, marking her first appearance in the Mario universe. We cross four different worlds with three levels in each one, giving us a total of 12 stages to conquer to find success. The game begins in the Egyptian-themed Birabuto and ends in the Asian-themed Chai Kingdom.
An interesting element of the gameplay of this Game Boy game that is coming to Switch Online is that it was one of the first instances of introducing vehicles to Mario. To make his journey more exciting, Mario flies the Sky Pop airplane and maneuvers the Marine Pop submarine in his search for the Princess. The game also has very distinct enemies, like the flying stone-head Batadon, the levitating Chikakos, and the bullet-like Giras.
Image: Game Boy’s Alleyway comes to Nintendo Switch Online
Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy Games: Alleyway and Baseball
In celebration of Game Boy’s 35th anniversary, apart from Super Mario Land being added to Switch Online, we have also seen Alleyway and Baseball make a comeback. Alleyway was developed by Intelligent Systems and released in 1989 for the Game Boy. The breakout-style game was also part of the Mario franchise and Mario briefly featured in the art and marketing for the game. The game requires players to move a paddle back and forth to bounce a ball off of it and break the boxes floating above.
In the fourth round after every three levels, the blocks are arranged in the pattern of a character from Mario, for example, a Koopa Troopa, Blooper, Piranha Plant, Cheep Cheep, and even Mario himself. There are no lives in this stage so losing ends the round and there’s a time limit that gives you bonus points. Seeing these Mario details in the bonus round is a delight like nothing else.
The Baseball Game Boy game coming to Switch Online is not as much of a crowd-puller as the rest, but it can be fun for those who like sports-themed games. Just as the name suggests, the game is about baseball and the player has six teams to choose from—to win, they have to try and score as many runs as possible. There aren’t any complicated details or hidden Mario references with this one, but it’s engaging nonetheless.
Image: Baseball: A simple but engaging blast from the past.
How to Access the Game Boy Games on Switch Online?
If you’re interested in logging in to Nintendo Switch Online to try these Game Boy games, you need to purchase access to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription library. It costs $19.99 USD per year for a single user account or you can pay $34.99 USD annually for the family plan for the use of up to eight accounts. If you don’t want to commit to an annual plan yet, then there are one- to three-month subscription plans to explore, which range between $3.99 USD and $7.99 USD. The membership plan gives you access to an unbelievable collection of titles both old and new, so you have the opportunity to rediscover something from the past just as easily as you discover newer games you haven’t tried before.
Nintendo has such an extensive presence in the gaming world that reviving old titles makes up a huge part of its business strategy. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (20th Anniversary Edition), originally developed by Intelligent Systems, received an HD remake for the Nintendo Switch. It is gorgeous and glorious and everything a Mario fan could want, and it keeps with the excitement we’ve seen over the Game Boy games coming to Nintendo Switch Online.