Rumour: Nintendo Will Expand Its Switch Online Service With Game Boy And Game Boy Color Titles

I got really excited until I saw the rumour tag

I really hope this is true. Would absolutely love to play Pokemon Red/Blue on the switch (NOT Pokemon Let's Go). I would love it even more since I grew up in the 90's era.

That makes sense. Would hate for them to include Game Boy Advance and give players an opportunity to play Metroid Fusion (and Zero Mission) before the release of Dread this fall.

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".

Okay, ...then who? That's the same as just saying "according to an industry insider" without any further explanation... which this website has done before. I love ya, but cmon.

I hope this becomes a reality. It would be nice to see the Switch Online Service get some Game Boy love.

Eh. Wake me up when we get GBA games

EDIT:Even then, it still wouldn’t make this service any better, you’re better off emulating these games despite how much Nintendo doesn’t want you to.

Advance titles were never going to just be handed out for free in this service. It’ll probably be another 10 years before they do that.

Half excited, if true. Considering how they aren’t adding the greatest games anymore to NES or SNES. Leaving out easy choices like Zoda’s Revenge or the Lolo sequels. For a light example. I feel like Gameboy will be the same song and dance. But. Maybe we’ll get lucky and get to play stuff like Mole Mania. Hoping it has a strong launch if it does happen, and we don’t have to wait terribly long for Wario Land and Kirby’s Dreamland 2...

If this is true, then there is no way in hell that the Pokémon games will be on there.

Very low expectation for this, and low excitement. As the article states "several companies are currently working on remakes", the online service is clearly restricted for games that Nintendo can get rights or permission. The likes of Konami and Capcom release their own compilations, so that pattern will continue. Of course, Nintendo has so many great games of their own, so it's mystifying they don't release their GB and, especially, GBA games. I'd love the three F-Zero games, for example. It would be great if there multi-player too. Konami needs to release the three GBA Castlevania games.

If this is true would it really kill them to have GBA games on there too. Just release them individually as Virtual Console games again at this point I really don’t care, access to legacy Nintendo content is categorically worse now than it was in the last few console generations and that just doesn’t make any sense.

@Bucky Then (many) people would have their Metroid fix/burnout and wouldn't buy Dread. The same goes for GB Pokemon and many other series (even specific subgenres)

I’m happy for this! Even though I own an OG Gameboy and color, I’d still like to see some of these hit Switch. Unfortunately, it’s going to need some real bangers if I’m going to re-up my subscription. It’s been long since lapsed at this point.
That’s partly due to me having a lot of those games already available to me without the need to pay a monthly premium. I’m NOT referring to illegal emulation.

It's a start, GB/GBC first, then when well drys up, GBA.

Mario Land 1-2, Wario Land 1-3, Kirby and many spin offs, the Mega Man GB saga, Donkey Kong Land trilogy and DK 94, Links Awakening, Mario Golf and Tennis, some of the Pokémon spin offs (Let's face it, RBYGSC would probably be sold for money again), countlees puzzle games, there's plenty to release over a year till we get GBA.

Everything GCN down should be available.

eh. I'll take it

But really, gimme GBA.

@ShadowWeaver421 I wouldn't count on the Pokemon games appearing on the service. I mean, it's possible but I can see them being somewhat problematic. I'm excited for the Wario Land games though!

I have no hype at all for GB/GBC games. Ok, I'd happily play both Zelda Oracles, but that's it. And looking at GB/GBC games while we already have SNES seems like a huge downgrade, at least GBA would add the library a lot of fun games, even if we talk about first party titles only, like both Metroid, both Fire Emblem and Zelda Minish Cap.

It should have been last year. Mario’s 35th celebration stole the spotlight.

No, Game Boy Games will be exclusive to the Switch Pro.

That would be nice… GBA would be really awesome. I’ve been playing some on the good old wii u. They hold up great.

At this point I’m done expecting anything to be added, so whatever happens is a nice surprise.

@Thesharkfromjaws there aren't really that many first party GBA games. All the Mario games were ports. Zelda was developed by Capcom. It really would just be good for Metroid Fusion

That would be super cool to see. September is already upon us, so hopefully we know soon.

That would be great! I know it's a distant dream, but they should add the Harry Potter GBC games, they were really good RPGs.

Since the gameboy didn't have its own controller, I really hope they use this as an opportunity to release a d-pad joy-con!

It's basically gonna be iterations of games we have elsewhere, like Tetris or Kirby's Dreamland. I'd be betting that NONE of the good titles like Pokemon or Mario Tennis/Golf will be around.

Yall almost killed me, Then I saw the Rumor tag.

Hope if it's true we get the Kirby spin-off trilogy of GB games; Pinball Land, Block Ball, and Star Stacker are all really good games!

@Tyranexx Heck yea, but GBA? If we have to wait till next year... that would sting xD The dole out is far too slow... Nintendo take my money?

If this turns out to be true, it'll break my heart a little.

I really want the GB/GBC/GBA library in the form of a Switch cartridge(s) or a dedicated device. The Game & Watch toys aren't very comfortable to play with, but they boot up almost instantly and have a fantastic screen, but it's such a waste to be using them for NES ROMs that most people won't bother carrying around with them as an alternative to a superior handheld.

But a Game Boy Mini?

I'll just leave my wallet right here.

retreats slowly

Either way, this MAY be the tipping point that persuades me to subscribe to the NSO... but I'm not happy about not being able to own the games.

The bad news: it will all be D-list 3rd party shovelware

This has made the most sense to me since they announced SNES tbh. People would pay an additional cost for more advanced games, while Gameboy makes more sense to be added to the service as is. It's also probably the simplest to add basic online to for any multiplayer games, compared to N64 (I mean, I can easily see N64 online working, I just don't necessarily trust Nintendo on it :V).

There's also a greater than zero chance that big 3rd party series might not ignore this one as much. I don't think a lot of 3rd party gameboy games have been re-released outside of 3DS VC. The only ones I know are on Switch already are Castlevania and Final Fantasy Adventure.

This is disappointing if true. I had hoped GBA was the next addition and that perhaps we'd get to play Fusion before the release of Dread. It makes sense for them to add GB/GBC first but it's still disappointing. The majority of Game boy games have aged even worse than NES games.

That said, I look forward to playing Donkey Kong 94.

God I hate y'all sometimes

Mole Mania! Mole Mania! Mole Mania!

@Scapetti “all the Mario games are ports” Mario and Luigi Super Star Saga would like to have a word.

Edit: oops you said “not many” and not not any sorry for bothering you.

@Angelic_Lapras_King Mega Man saga?
Keep dreaming.

"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". If they release GB/GBC titles, does this mean Link's Awakening is out of the question?

I was hoping they’d remake the Oracle games with the new links awakening engine.

Speaking of game boy (advance) any word on that castlevania advance collection?

@Zequio Not like Capcom's going to make a MegaMan GB Collection anytime soon

@Finntendo64 I forgot about that one but I meant Mario platformers really. I was also exaggerating for dramatic effect haha. I just can't see there being enough games for the NSO service.

❗I would rather they remake/remaster/whatever both 'Super Mario Land' Games.

Hold on….so for the SNES anniversary we get Gameboy on NSO? What will we get on the Game Boy anniversary? Game Cube games? The GC anniversary was 20 years ago after all.

A word of advice to everyone, if you want to play an underrated classic by Miyamoto, then check out Mole Mania when it hits the service.

Its an offbeat game with some great gameplay that makes you solve puzzles to clear room.

Muddy Mole's adventure is one of the best games on the system, and belongs in the same conversation with the heavy hitters like the Super Mario Land games, Link's Awakening, Metroid II, the Donkey Kong Land games, Donkey Kong 94, etc.-

Yawn. Still not the systems I'm waiting for. Wake me up when N64, GBA, and GC are coming.

It's something, but I'd much prefer GBA.

That being said, more people being able to play Super Mario Land 2 is a good thing.

I can't get into playing these games on an HD TV. Let's face it: Nintendo chose (if the rumor is true) games that would be quick and painless to emulate, rather than putting in the work to give us N64 and/or GameCube. I'd rather see one popular N64 game than 20 GameBoy or GBA titles.

This slow drip, if true, is why I’m loving my Anbernic RG351M. Don’t have to worry about this crap anymore.

I'm still probably gonna stick with the 3DS, thanks. I'd rather have a bunch of GB/GBC games to play without needing a subscription, or waiting months on end to get like three games I'm probably never gonna play

@dustinprewitt most of that were licensed titles for movies and shows. I don't think we've seen a single one of those on VC or the NOL apps, so I doubt we'd get them on GB/GBC

I’ll believe it when I see it. What would they even give us on normal game boy, one Pokémon game if we’re lucky, a bunch of Mario, and than it will instantly be like nes/snes where they just drip feed us crappy games

Thing about GBA titles, is that a lot of the best ones were just remakes or remasters of games already in the service: the entire Mario Advance series, Metroid Zero Mission, Kirby Nightmare in Dreamland, A Link to the Past, etc. Of course, games like Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion, and Kirby and the Amazing Mirror should still get a modern chance to shine, and we did get Mario Allstars despite all those games already being in the NES service, so I don't think those reasons should bar such great remasters from joining either.

News: Oh, Great!!!
Rumour tag: Oh my, again?!!

I keep hearing this and I don't believe it until I see it

@duffmmann There is also that rumored Castlevania Advance Collection

I'll play Wario Land for sure.

Whatever this is, I think we will hear it in September. Its usually where Nintendo announces big stuff

"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."

The same could have been said about the SNES. The Ninja Saviours and Wild Guns Reloaded are remasters of SNES games, the latter is even on NSO. There's a few more as well. Blizzard Arcade Collection for example. If GBA isn't added any time soon, it won't be because of any re-releases on the way.

I would prefer a lot Gameboy Advance games (especially for the rpg). Gameboy games are not that "good".

Gameboy and Gameboy Color games don't really hold up. GBA would be better, and even then I have them all emulated on my phone. Hopefully there are people who get excited for this, but I'm not one of them

Listened to Nate's podcast. To me it sounded more like speculation than any real insider information. That being said, Game Boy games on Switch Online isn't that unimaginable.

I was thinking this morning that I hope they add Game Boy, and it felt within the realm of possibility. Maybe it was a premonition!

I welcome the wider range of games for the NL comments section to whine about not knowing.

@Classic603 GB/GBC games were designed as short time-wasters. Which is about as long as most people are probably going to play them.
It was GBA when they decided people wanted 10 minute long cutscenes before they play A PORTABLE GAME.

Sure would be nice to see a modern Nintendo product emulate the Nintendo systems my smartphone could 10 years ago

No surprise if this is true: GB/GBC games will probably come to NSO this year, likely followed by GBA games next year.

It would be great if we got Survival Kids. That game is a real gem.

We should have had a GameBoy/GBC Classic Mini first..... this news may kill that dream

Not believing anything until it comes straight from Nintendo themselves.

This sounds really great, especially for most people. But I'm totally turned off by the NES/SNES offerings almost purely because they are tied to the sub. I would like to buy the game and have it on the menu. Knowing I "own" the game is weirdly satisfying and compells me to play it. The reason why I still play VC on 3DS over NSO any day

There are hundreds of fun little GB titles outside of the well known classics. The scheme they are following with the NES/SNES online, of releasing games nobody asked for, would work much better with GB.

So you have absolutely no basis behind these claims besides what some random person has to say, ok then buddy

@Yosher exactly my thoughts

@Quarth most stuff like this is just speculation

Okay, let’s settle this once and for all. Who here has an uncle or aunt that works at Nintendo?

Just get an RG351P and put the entire GB/GBC/GBA libraries on there. The games would be yours without any stupid subscription service and you would keep your save files long after NSO is dead and gone. Nintendo is never releasing a backlit Gameboy Advance that has rumble support and plays 20 other consoles, but Anbernic does what NintenDONT 😉 🎮

@MagicMan Yeah, I know, but it seems like a lot of people in the comments section almost takes it as face value.

N64? ... I guess not.

Lol they should already have it ln day one.
Man serious what is Nintendo doing.
When my steam deck arrives ill just play every game from the first console to arcade. 2 years ago i was against emulation. But now i am a big fan.
My brother has every game (rom) out there and i serious love it.
So yeah on sd card will be filled with emulators/roms to play ln the go on my steam deck. And with fightcade i can even play many of them online lol.
Nintendo became lazy with the succes of the switch and i serious dont like it. Been a fan sinds i was a kid but the road they are heading now i really dont like.

This looks less like a rumor and more like wishful thinking.

@PBandSmelly they're anonymous for a reason....

@Classic603

I’d agree that most of the library have aged poorly, but there are a few gems that are worth playing.

Zelda Oracles (best GB Color game, bar none)
Super Mario Land series and Wario Land.
Donkey Kong 94
Tetris

Well, it makes sense. Nintendo has remastered /rerelease most games that do make sense to remaster / rerelease (Zelda, Pokemon let’s GO, Samus Returns and Tetris). Other companies have had the same opportunity (Castlevania, Final Fantasy Adventures).

Now it can just add it to the service with a couple leftover gems to tie the last persons in (Zelda Ages/Seasons, Mario, Kirby and Donkey Kong). I expect a 2nd Pokemon Let’s GO next year december, since 2022 will be a copy of 2017 (Zelda, Splatoon, Mario + Rabbids) so Nintendo can add Pokemon Gold and Silver later down the line, probably middle of 2023.

And they’re probably doing the same now with their GBA games. Advance Wars and Mega Man Zero collections are already there (soon). The first couple of Final Fantasy games that were on GBA get a rerelease on mobile (and very likely consoles too later down the line). Which means, perhaps, a castlevania, Golden Sun, Metroid or F-Zero collection? And a remake of the Minish Cap? But Nintendo can stretch this one out for the next three years. So many great games on GBA.

@ssgkris
If there is no evidence then why even bring it up? Anyone could easily claim to be an insider and give any information, but as long as NL handles it like this, it doesn't add anything. It's as plausible as "Because I said so" when you say something and never elaborate on it again. They could have easily provided screenshots with censored names and faces. No matter who they get the info from, even if it's Doug Bowser himself, if there is nothing to show for it then you'll just look like a liar bringing it up.

Nice, but I will believe it when it’s released.
Besides yeah something new like GBA would be cool since we already had a Gameboy drop in the past.

Rumors again? Well. My sources tell me this is false. And my very knowledgeable source is my neighbours' cat. She's always right, though.

But... what about N64?

I'd love to see this. Between emulation on PC and the classic mini consoles, I was already playing existing NSO online retro games in other places. Game Boy and Game Boy Color games would be comfortable to play handheld, and are something I've largely never bothered with for emulation (outside of a select few 3DS VC purchases). Recently played Super Mario Land on 3DS VC and was surprisingly engaged, so a few more to play on Switch wouldn't be unwelcome

GBA would make sense so you can play fusion before dread. But this is Nintendo. Lol. Another missed opportunity.

@AG_Awesome oracle remakes would be a dream come true. do it in a double pack like Famicom Detective Club was (I'd love to see Ages and Seasons have their own Switch menu tiles)

To echo several other posts - in many ways I'd rather see a "GameBoy Mini Classic" dedicated device for GB. It makes more sense than the NES and SNES versions (where Switch paired with the right retro controllers now offers a better option).

That said I've always thought that GameBoy (OG and Color) is actually a better pick for NSO than GBA or N64. The games are for the most part instant, straightforwards and designed to get you playing very quickly. Some of that is obvious (like level selects) whilst other aspects are more subtle but either way they are games built for handheld play and generally better for dropping into for 5-10 minutes at a time than, say, N64 games.

Of course the reaction would hinge on whether or not they get Tetris on the service.

One question to ask though - would it have Super GameBoy built in or would it play things GameBoy Player style?

Glad for everyone looking forward to this possible update to the classics line but GB and GBC doesnt float my boat. Wake me up when N64 is announced.

that's terrible not a lot of great GameBoy games

This is awesome, keep the retro systems coming! I especially want the Gameboy Wars games on Switch!!! And that game Jon covered that was a precursor to Link's Awakening. And Super Mario Land 1 and 2, Motocross Maniacs 1 and 2, Warioland 1 and 2 and 3, Revenge of the Gator, all the Kirby games, Boxxle, Baseball, Tennis, Donkey Kong 94, Parodius --- actually the only games I really care about are Gameboy Wars games and Parodius. The gameboy Parodius game is good and would be a great start to Parodius on Switch.

@OorWullie
You said the ‘B’ word 😱

@Funneefox I think the emulation is great! Just too less titles. But the ones they provide work like a charm

Will believe it when I see it.

Start-Titles could be:
Tetris
Mario Land 1/2
Donkey Kong Country
Metroid
Wario
Zelda Links Awakening
Kirbies Dreamland
Metroid
Pokemon Red/Blue
...

From the 1st party side this seems unlikely given how many remakes we've gotten and how likely it is that missing games also get remade like the Oracle games or already existing remakes get ported to Switch like Samus Returns. However, Nintendo's focus with NES and SNES on NSO have been really obscure 3rd party games so adding in more systems would give more options for really obscure 3rd party games.

So if it does happen I think the focus will be really obscure 3rd party games.

@Damo Not revealing a source is a great way to spread lies. And a source that doesn't want to be credited isn't a reliable one.

At least I can tell you that the name of my neigbours cat is Mittens.

September could be very exciting anyway, courtesy of a Direct. Which, at least, we can bring up on the basis of decent (depending on corona factor) statistical odds rather than the mighty Insiders™.

VC would be a much welcome addition.

Oh Nintendo, you spoil us 🙄
If the rumours turn true, then we can all laugh at game pass 🤣

If Nintendo can do that, then I'd prefer they just bring the Virtual Console back.

Brought to you by previous 100% reliable sources like :

• Nate Drake’s uncle working at Nintendo
• Analysts’ continuously leaking b*ttholes
• just trust me bro

They have to add the GBA as well! They can't loose the opportunity to release the Metroid games from Gameboy Advance before Dread.

@Damo Most rumors on this site have been false. Rumors about Switch Pro come to mind.

So no, "our source" is not credible for me. I only trust it if it comes from Nintendo directly. And sure protecting sources is important, for whistleblowers. Which really isn't the case for a rumor.

Also rumors are extremely dangerous, it sets expectations. And if those aren't met people will get angry / dissapointed. Like the same example with the Switch OLED.

From looking back at a lot of the Gameboy and Gameboy advance catalogue, so many of them were based off TV shows and movies such as digimon, medabots, yu-gi-oh etc.
I always wonder if that presents some difficulties due to IP rights

is there any proof your "source" showed you or are you just taking them by their word?
gb/c coming "likely" doesnt sound very confident or definite

Are the "credible sources" the same ones who fed the rumours about the Switch Pro ye reported on for years? NL's rumour mill isn't producing anything of quality lately. Even with Switch Pro being debunked, ye still spent weeks after trying to reignite the rumour (only because ye spent so long convincing everyone it was revealed) before finally calling it quits.

Like many others here, I am more interested in playing GBA titles. Didn't get a chance to own one and there are many games in that system I am interested in. This would be a welcome addition though.

This is nice. But we want GC and N64!

@Damo Sure if you keep saying "a Switch Pro is coming" (from
before vanilla* Switch launched) it's only false if it never happens before the next gen is launched. That makes it a very easy rumor.

Even if the thing wasn't in production until 5 years after it* released. With the Switch from 2017, that would be next year.

And no, your track record hasn't been good. There is no Switch Pro. There might be one in the future, but it will be different than ALL the rumors up until the Switch OLED was announced.

And I could even see Nintendo do a Switch OLED 4K (DLSS) next year. Which would be exactly what the "Pro" rumors said.

@Funneefox it's what I did with Metroid fusion last week, you may as well

@PringleMuffin preach, gamefreak don't give no *****

What's the point if there's no GBA? Most GB games aged like crap

Nintendo Switch online has been slowest than Virtual Console. We wait 2 years for new console addition. I hope they inlcude more titles in the launch day.

GBA ...GBA! ...This is the Game Boy handheld with the best games

I think a lot of people in the comments section are making the assumption that a source could be anyone if they just sent Nintendo Life an email saying "oh this game is coming out, don't reveal my name" with some doctored screenshots and NL would happily report them. This isn't how journalism works!

Just as an example, the source could work for Konami and it turns out that one of Konami's games are coming to the NSO service. This source could reach out to Nintendo Life and give them this information, Nintendo Life would have reason to believe them because they know they work at Konami and have given them credible information before. In exchange for the information, Nintendo Life report it under anonymity to protect this person's job and keep their source in case any more information comes out. This is a simplified version of how this could work, and is from my limited understanding of games journalism.

Also, I think whilst it is fair to call on the Switch Pro rumours as false, this wasn't something solely reported by Nintendo Life, it was wide spread and on every major gaming website including Kotaku, IGN and even Bloomberg. Personally I think Nintendo realised launching a Switch Pro would be impossible now because they wouldn't be able to supply enough with the infamous chip shortage and covid knock on effects, so they went for plan B to appease investors somewhat.

@christofilth what about star fox racing, metroid prime trilogy or n64 classic? people report on what they want to believe and what gets them the most clicks

Wario blast and harvest moon GB are most likely 3rd party launch titles

GBC will probably get bionic commando and perfect dark

GBA games ? The secret code is 351…

@Bustacap Fair examples, but all of those could have been in development and cancelled. Nintendo is infamous for being secretive and almost every gaming website in the world has taken a gamble when reporting information on them before, even the biggest websites have messed up, and this is something that has been going on since gaming journalism first existed, it's an industry that is reliant on rumours and secrets whether we like it or not, and gaming websites that only reported on news directly from publishers would probably be incredibly boring.

You could maybe make the argument that Nintendo Life might be a bit gung ho when it comes to reporting rumours, but they never report them as fact, so I don't really see what the harm is? If someone reads something clearly marked as a rumour then gets disappointed when it doesn't come true, then I don't think the onus is on the writer if they are clear that the information they've received isn't from a press release and might not actually come to be.

I agree I what to play the original pokemon

It's insane that they haven't had thousands of gb, gba, nes, snes, n64..... games available to online subscribers from day one launch of the switch.

The issue with NL and rumours is the fact that, previously, they have pushed their rumours so hard it drowns out any other form of discussion that goes against it.

The Switch Pro is the perfect example. For years, Nintendo Life wrote articles, made poles and otherwise attempted to capitalise on unfounded rumours that there was a Nintendo Switch Pro coming. The rumours were mostly done not by leaks, but by industry speculation (a new Tegra chip, the fact that consoles tend to have a mid-generation upgrade - which, as far as I'm aware, has happened to a Nintendo home console once before, but has happened to all Nintendo handhelds). The amount of reporting by Nintendo Life on this was near-constant, where you could expect a new article on it on a day-by-day basis at its worst. They had no proof, only just what was being "rumoured", creating a cyclical rumour mill (where the rumours gained more traction due to their reporting by prominent Nintendo sites, causing more rumours to be made, which were reported, and so on).

When the "Switch Pro" was revealed, the rumours were instantly proven to either be A). complete fabrications or B). far off from being true (despite every rumour basically following the template of "Switch Pro to be announced next week" every week up until it was announced). NL was still pushing these rumours even after they were confirmed to be dead (and judging from the comments by the editors in this, they're still pushing that it was real all along). Even if in a year's time a Switch Pro or Switch 2 is revealed, NL don't deserve any credit for backing this rumour, especially with the timeframe from rumour to (potential) reveal.

Further reading comments from NL staff actually show they claim a "good track record". Simply not true. What ye're adding to your credit are the rumours you reported on from known leakers with actual good track records (e.g. ShiinaBR for your Fortnite rumours). Actual rumours from NL (e.g. the Switch Pro) have had little correct information, or are so general that it's almost laughable ye'd take credit for them (e.g. RUMOURS: game with previously-unannounnced release date might have release date announced at next Nintendo Direct).

@JJtheTexan This. I wish they'd stop fuelling the fame of ""insiders"" who peddle a lot of half truths and false predictions in the hopes you'll become part of their audience, and sites like NLife will boost their profile.

I can't stand seeing people get by off of doing almost no work, and not even being correct about what they say.

Nate was 'talking' about the possibility of GB and GBC on NSO on the recent podcast...so even his speculation gets treated as if it's major news that needs to be reported.

If true, I won't be buying any new games for quite some time 😂 Game Boy is my favourite system of all time

No one asked for GB and GBC games. We wanted GBA and n64 games. Why doesn't Nintendo ever do what fans want? Most GB games are garbage now, especially games not made by Nintendo. It's like they never, ever understand what fans really want.

@Funneefox I completely agree! This service is so horrible. And to me they’re going backwards as I’d much rather see N64 and GameCube games announced for the service not these handhelds. Then, the slap in the face is no GBA?? Ridiculous

Temper expectations by remembering that Nate was also one of the main people insisting a Switch Pro with DLSS technology would be announced BEFORE E3.

I don't think Nate is necessarily a liar, but he speculates a LOT, and fans and other outlets have a weird way of taking his speculation in particular very seriously even though he makes bad predictions all the time. I have no doubt he does have some insider info but he very clearly doesn't see the whole picture and anyone covering his rumors needs to remember that. It really doesn't help that he loves the attention and deliberately words his predictions in a way that implies he knows something even when he doesn't.

@Chamver I am a fan and I am happy if GB and GBC games come to Switch online! I would love to know where this magical forum is where Nintendo hear fans wants/desires and then ignore them lol

No GBA no interest. Simple as that.

Even if it happened, I doubt they'd give us Pokémon games, maybe at best spin-offs. If we're lucky we'll be able to play the 3DS versions on Switch for another $9.99 each.

Would be a nice little addition, but yeah without an actual Pokemon game it most likely won't be worth checking out. Although I would probably go for some Pokemon Pinball.

It feels more like a matter of WHEN rather than IF. It is worth noting that Nintendo already decided to release one GB game already - Link's Awakening. If they did that on the anniversary Game & Watch, no doubt they'd being GB games to the Switch.

@ShadowWeaver421 why would Game Freak do that when they could sell them for $15 to $20 separately on the e-shop?

Not GBA, so I don't care. I could already play these on 3DS.

I want GBA and N64. Stuff not already available on their last handheld. Why is it so much to ask to play Golden Sun on a modern portable?

On a scale of 1 to 10, this makes me a 5.

Go home nintendo you're drunk.

Oh, what a surprise. More bare minimum from Nintendo, more dust on my Switch.

@Bucky I just bought Zero Mission on my WiiU yesterday. While it’s really fun, I’d love for it to be free and portable

While it would be neat I can’t say I’d really care to play those boney old games anymore. It’s weird to see how virtual console gotten ever more worse since the Wii

Would like to see the Pokemon games included in this!

September will be an exciting month, for me at least.

There are a ton of Game Boy Color titles that I have never gotten the chance to play. The only question is, which ones are actually feasible to come to the service.

**cough**I should have a Retroid Pocket 2 by then **cough**. I mean, this is great news! 👀

As with the Switch Pro speculation, I'll believe it when I see it.

Wake me up when it's GBA games

So, here's my wish list.

Avenging Spirit, Trip World, All the Mega Man/Rockman GB games (including Xtreme 1/2), Operation C, Contra: The Alien Wars, All the Puyo games, All Nemesis/Gradius games (including Parodius), Pop'n Twinbee, SMB Deluxe, the GBC (Special Colo(u)r Editions) of Pac-Man, and Ms. Pac-Man, Quarth, and all versions of Konami GB Collection (The Japan one with SGB support, and the Europe one with GBC support).

I'd rather have N64 games next tbh, but I'm fine with GB games coming into the fold.

Four and a half years this system has been out. If this rumor is true It is truly absurd that it took this long to get friggin Gameboy games up and running on Switch. Honestly, why now? Why even bother at this point?

It’s getting harder and harder to like Nintendo.

@KBuckley27 true true

@RupeeClock As long as I get some Wario Land action, I’m good lol. (Nah, I want Donkey Kong 94 and several others... pretty good chances for these I suppose.)

@Damo Ofcourse I know that plans change. I never said that wasn't the case. I honestly believe that Nintendo somewhere was working on a Switch Pro. Heck, I know they are already working on the next gen Nintendo System. They usually start development right after the current gen is released.

For instance they started developing the Wii by adding motion control to a GameCube. They started developing the Wii U by combining 2 WiiMotes and a touchscreen. Ofcourse they could have starte developing a Switch successor by making a more powerful Switch.

But THAT is research and development. It does NOT PROVE that Nintendo WILL release a Switch Pro. Making ANY rumour about a Switch Pro false. So no, you are wrong.

Switch "Pro" rumors started with a more powerful SoC in a Switch Pro, weeks after the Switch was teased back in late 2016. This didn't happen.

What did was in 2019 we got the "red box" Switch and Switch lite. That both have the newer SoC, but only use it to improve battery life. These Switches are the "Switch Pro" from 2016.

Then they started again with a Switch Pro with 4K output and later an OLED screen.

And guess what, only 50% of that happened. And it's not called a Switch "Pro" but a Switch "OLED". For MONTHS you could read about once per week about these "Switch Pro rumours" on this site. NONE of them are true.

I absolutely HATE rumors like these. In the BEST case they spoil a good annoucement. In the middle people complain about not getting what was rumored (Switch OLED) and in the worst they keep complaining that it hasn't happend yet (Metroid Prime HD collection, Pikmin 4, etc).

Give me Gba or give me death- Abraham Lincoln

Compared to PlayStation and Xbox, Nintendo Online is complete joke. The Gameboy Advance is technically level with SNES and it doesn't even look like we will get that.

Unless we see N64 games added or some sort of other worthwhile improvement, I won't be buying the online service out of general principle.

@GameManAdvance

Very true, but all the while people keep throwing money at Nintendo for making zero effort why will they ever bother.

@Damo
True, but my point here is that even if you have a source from Miyamoto himself, mentioning you got a source but never elaborating really makes it seem bad on your part. It's like saying "my uncle works at nintendo and he gave me this, but you can't see it". No matter how true it is, if there is nothing to show then you'll end up looking pretty suspicious for bringing it up in the first place. I'm not doubting the validity of your source, but I believe there should be a minute to consider the average readers point of view when they see a bold claim and nothing else. Sometimes you'll seem more credible if you only mention the things that you can show

Although there are tons of great games on GB I’m fairly sure we won’t get two of the most important titles: Tetris and Pokemon Red/Blue, which pretty much were the killer apps that bookended the og Game Boy’s run. I have both on cart and 3DS anyway but without them it’s not really the full experience…

So, we'll get a gem or two, a handful of good for 3mins games and a bunch of other obscure stuff most everyone will never play.

If you are into the Gameboy announcement, might want to watch this video: https://youtu.be/jwGRWdcE2d4

😝

I’d flippin’ love for Game Boy games to appear on Switch Online… But concede that we’d be given simpler, older games like Alleyway, Tennis and Radar Mission. (I doubt we’d even get Super Mario Land, given that Nintendo have spent a long time pretending it doesn’t exist.)

@Tyranexx Yea... it's lookin really likely that they'll hold back that GBA library D: Though, I really don't understand why they never just continued the Virtual Console and just chose to charge for it regardless.

If this is true, one game that needs to be on there is Donkey Kong 94, and Heiyankyo Alien(probably won’t happen but I can still dream).

First, they will bring us some the classics we want, like Tetris, Super Mario Land 2, Zelda Link's Awakening, Metroid II, Kirby's Dream Land...

But then, they will start giving games that no one cares, and are often also bad, they won't even give us bad games we care about like Castlevania: The Adventure.

Then, people will start asking for N64 or Game Boy Advance, not realizing it's just a band-aid in the general problem, Nintendo doesn't care about making this service good, there are still dozens of good NES and SNES games missing, these games are coming too slow, and they aren't giving us the games we want.

@RupeeClock And people will soon ask for N64, GameCube and Game Boy Advance games, not realizing the real problem is games coming too slow, and the best classics are not coming.

Nintendo, how about talking to Disney, Warner, Viacom, Universal and even Sony Pictures, to make sure hundreds of videogames based on licenses like Mickey, Looney Tunes, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Nicktoons, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters and Back to The Future, can come back to Nintendo Switch Online, and will never leave?

Most of these licensed games suck, but some are good, even then, videogame history needs to be preserved, but much of it is stuck in a legal limbo where companies don't want to renew their licenses, if only they paid for a permanent license in the 1980s and 1990s, and they still pay for temporary licenses now.

@Angelic_Lapras_King good list! I hope you’re right. I wouldn’t mind playing super Mario land again

Could it be a GBC emulator (which would also run GB games) and a GBA emulator?

Let me guess, it will be full of game I already paid for on 3DS Virtual Console.

I'd all but given up on Nintendo giving us GBA games so I just started emulating last week. I'm trying to be quasi above board so I only downloaded roms for games that are tucked away in storage in my childhood home somewhere 😂

This is long overdue. I expected game boy games already last september.

Gameboy Advance with it's Pokemon Titles? Yes please!

Words can't really effectively describe how underwhelmed I am by this rumor.

Already bought a modded GBA, and downloaded all the GB, GBC, and GBA games I wanted onto a Falashas cart. Cost me $300 but whatever.

If this is true then it’s too little too late.

Let’s be honest it’s a joke that Wii and Wii U had awesome VC then new switch which actually sells amazing and is beloved has trash for old titles. I mean why not just keep same VC ? Or launch it again ppl still pay for it. I’m down for free games, but I’d rather have wide selection of old VC then only free ones.

@Tyranexx Ahh i see what you mean. Yea, it would be alright to have both. Why not? I mean, I just feel like that it should be easy money for Nintendo, and that having the VC just gave us options ya know?

Game Boy? Okay but I'd rather have N64 games.

I’m sick of old games, I’ve played them to death over the years on various consoles

@Funneefox So you think you are better off literaly stealing than either A. Getting a game boy or B. Waiting for GB support? Also I find it intesesting that you say this after you have 20 some likes.

@Jeronan I see zero chance in GameFreak allowing Pokémon games to be emulated on the Switch.

@sanderev Gens 1 and 2 are on 3DS as VC games

@Mando44646 yes. But Gen 1 is on the Switch as the Let's Go games. And I think we'll see a Let's Go Johto before the end of the Switch life. Also it would be difficult to connect them to Pokémon Home.

Can they hurry up and confirm this? My annual subscription ends soon and this is the only thing that might convince me to renew it...

The occasional bit of SNES, Tetris and Mario Kart isn't worth the price alone

@Kimyonaakuma Letting your NSO run out is voting with your wallet. Just subscribe again if they offer new NSO games. Perhaps that's already your plan.

@dbeiler0814 I am all for buying games instead of emulating some ROMs you found on the Internet. However, buying a GameBoy and GameBoy games does nothing for the developers. You will not only overpay compared to the retail price back in the day you will also put that money into some stranger's pocket instead of supporting the developers who worked on the game. It's hard to call that "stealing" at this point. Now, if these games are available to purchase digitally that's another story.

Lol I keep missing the “rumour” part and start getting really excited

For 10 quid a YEAR, this subscription is so worth it. It's like being able to go to an arcade and having a dabble on loads of cool stuff!

No Gameboy Advance I don't care

I feel like Eurogamer and NL are off by one. The third anniversary doesn’t mean the third console. It launched with NES (year 0). So if they followed a console a year, we should be on the fourth console (but they didn’t add one last year — the focus was on Mario).

I have no reason to sign up for the online service. I liked the Virtual Console on the 3DS, where you paid and you actually owned a copy of the game. The online service is like rental, which I don't like. When I like a game, I want to play once a year or so, which means I have to own a copy.

I can't imagine the clamor for gameboy games is louder than 64 or GC. Happy for those that want this. C'est la vie

Reminds me that I need to get back to my SMB2 (USA) game play (All Stars version).

Inreally dig this news.
I bever owned a gameboy, so I enjoyed their games years later though emulation...
It will be nice to experience them in a official console.

Other retro platforms?

My guess: Game&Watch or cdi-Zeldas

Wow, the modern Switch will be able to emulate a whopping 3 whole 80s/90s consoles!

@Aurumonado glad I wasnt the only one

Am I the only one who is not excited?? Never really got into the GB or its games. I think GBA would be a better selection. But just my opinion.

Funny how people make up stuff and get supported.and funny how people mod their stuff because they are to cheap to play the actual game lol losers lol

Can't wait for them to stick on classics like Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Pokemon Silver, and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial Digital Companion...

(and yes, that ET "game" is real. I own it. You just... input your personal data for reasons)

That's real neat and all.....but does anybody really care? I think Nintendo is overestimating the value of their retro catalogue. Once the Playstation generation really comes into their own, there's going to be a lot less desire for NES and GB games.

Cool...I can't wait to play at least 5 games released for the thing. Why not just release the Gameboy as a series console launch which includes the color and GBA as well?

This would be a welcome bonus as NSO is already offering exceptional value for money.

I think it's easy for us to forget that Nintendo have struck gold with every aspect of Switch - hardware sales, first party software, 3rd party support, eShop sales, indie support, online subscriptions... it's all bringing in plenty of money for them.

Could things be optimised better? Undoubtedly so. Does it need the optimisation though? No it does not.

I agree that they are leaving a lot of money on the table with NSO and eShop in particular, but fact remains, both of these services are making them huge amounts of profit. So why should they care?

Would not excite me.

DO IT. Though what are we thinking for the first round of titles? Tetris, mario land, links awakening, tennis, yoshis cookie or something, Pokémon red/blue? If they put gold/silver on there I’m all over it

Good, there's still a chance for Sega Genesis, Turbo Grafx-16, GBA, and Dreamcast coming to NSO.

TG-16? Hope this is Nintendo leaking this to test the waters.

Switch Lite 4K! Switch Lite 4k! Did that came out...??

Annoyed judge Judy slamming the table and her watch meme. WHEN?!!!!!!

@PBandSmelly whose gonna get fired for the sake of a Gameboy rumor?

@SPM I'm glad someone's mentioning burnout with the metroid series, I've played every 2d game in the series now and I'm not gonna touch the series again until Dread Because it took me a while to actually play the next one

@Paulo im not sure if links awakening is out of the question for the service because it's already been released and it offers enough (and unfortunately take some steps back too) that they may release it on the service. I hope they do, because I'd love to play both versions of the game but my preference is for the Gameboy colour version

I would be all over it if they shoved some Sega on there.

Well I hope they have something better planed then 30 year old black and white games to save their online service because this ain't it

what really needs to happen is Nintendo needs to drop this subscription crap (at least as far as playing singleplayer games) and bring back the option to buy the game. It's cheaper that way (which is why now EVERYONE is trying to do subscriptions) and when you buy it, then it's yours for forever (in theory anyways). Instead of a couple of years down the road "oh, we are shutting this down, so.... you won't have access to it anymore, sorry, thank you for paying 2-4 times the price that the games would normally be if we let you just buy them, sucks to be you"

I honestly reckon we will see PC-Engine games too. It's a much loved console in Japan.

Honestly after all the "Switch Pro" reports and corroborations only for it to be some minor upgrade, I'm not taking anything as gospel until it comes from the horses mouth. This "on the cards" bit about other retro systems seems vague and uncertain. Almost like a fail-safe phrase in case it doesn't come true and you say "well we only said it was on the cards"

Sorry to be negative.

@Darlinfan @MajinSoul I find it interesting that you think you are above the law, just because you "don't care" doesn't mean you don't have to follow it.

I hope so but not holding my breath.. Rather wait and see what happens

I want two filters for Game Boy games - dot matrix and Super Game Boy. I liked seeing how Game Boy games were displayed on the Contra, Castlevania and Mana collections, but I also want the Super Game Boy as well.

@dbeiler0814 And I find it interesting you are so fixated on a crime that literally does no harm to the industry or developers and only harms a bunch of people who are trying to make a fortune out of overpricing a bunch of GB games that cannot be purchased on recent hardware on ebay. Maybe you are one of those people? That would at least explain it.

TG-16 please! And some PC Engine classics for good measure.

@Scapetti since the Zelda franchise belongs to Nintendo they can do what ever they want with it. Capcom got their cut already. 👍

@Scrubicius
Actually.....the situation between Nintendo and Capcom is a little bit more complicated than most other outsourced Nintendo games. For starters, Nintendo has never been able to use the music from any of the Capcom Zelda games are concerts due to legal reasons - obviously, that means Capcom still maintains some ownership of those specific games. Super Smash Bros. also lacks music from the Capcom games, and Hyrule Warriors just never had any Capcom content to begin with.

Of course, Nintendo would still be allowed to re-release those games and they have been granted permission to make an enhanced port of Four Swords, but for the most part, there are still some niche restrictions here and there between Nintendo and Capcom.

@ModdedInkling
Are you referring to this:
https://www.google.de/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/truezelda/comments/6anfem/why_did_capcom_make_a_few_zelda_games_in_the/

I think if Nintendo wants to publish it they will lol!

my uncle , who works for Nintendo , confirms it

Lol, Nintendo online is a joke 😂😂😂😂

Thank you Nintendo. Grace to that I’ll save money and won’t subscribe to switch online

Considering there are no official news about it yet, wake me up when September ends.

The GB rumors are 100% true. I have it on good authority that they will launch a week after Persona 5 hits the Switch and a week before the release of the Switch pro.

@Scrubicius
Yes, those are the games I'm talking about. Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons, Four Swords, and The Minish Cap (Nintendo developed Four Swords Adventures, strangely enough). Nintendo is allowed to release those games as much as they would like, but any sort of enhanced port, remaster, or remake would probably have to go through Capcom first.

@Ambassador_Kong
Oh boy, can't wait to get into THAT discussion again.....

That would be awesome

About time. People in the know have been trying to convince me that this was gonna happen last year but Covid hit.

Personally I can’t wait. There are too many good game boy games. Would be nice if they translate that Frog tolls game too. I already have a fan translated one on a special USB game boy cart so it plays as the real thing.

Other retro platforms would be an interesting wildcard...

Come on leakers where is this direct tomorrow is the 8th.and this is why I don't believe everything I read unlike some people