We now know the launch line-up for the Virtual Boy - Nintendo Classics service, coming to Nintendo Switch Online on 17th February 2026. And while it's all worth getting excited over, there are two never-before-released games coming out later in the year that Nintendo enthusiasts should be particularly excited about.
Right at the end of the brand new overview trailer (at around 3:07), Nintendo showed off footage from two cancelled Virtual Boy games that will be playable for the first time ever via Nintendo Switch Online — Zero Racers and D-Hopper (also known as Dragon Hopper). Both of these will be coming to the service sometime in 2026.
Zero Racers a pretty big deal for long-time Nintendo fans — this is a cancelled F-Zero spin-off that was apparently shown off at E3 1996, but was cancelled due to the failure of the Virtual Boy. A few years ago, a former Nintendo of America localiser said that the game "was done" (as in complete), and this release seems to confirm that.
The latter game, D-Hopper, is from Intelligent Systems, who we know best for developing the Fire Emblem and Paper Mario games. D-Hopper is very much its own thing, and was also playable at E3 1996 — it's a top-down adventure game where you have to adventure through maze-like maps and fight enemies in order to rescue your girlfriend. A little Zelda-esque, perhaps?
Both of these games are fantastic additions to the service, and we're excited to check them out for the first time ever later in the year. The Virtual Boy might not be well-loved, but it's got an eclectic library of games and spin-offs.
The launch line-up is pretty solid too, with Golf, Wario Land, and 3D Tetris all part of the package day-one.
Are you excited for Zero Racers and D-Hopper later in the year? Let us know in the comments.