Nintendo Switch Online: Game Boy / Game Boy Color

[Julius]

Well, it's about time! And a shadow-drop!

Just announced in today's Direct, will update later with games and more details 

Quote

Available at launch (8th February 2022)

• Tetris®    

• Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins    

• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX

• GARGOYLE'S QUEST    

• Game & Watch Gallery 3    

• Alone in the Dark - The New Nightmare

• Metroid II - Return of Samus    

• Wario Land 3    

• Kirby's Dream Land

Announced as upcoming

• Kirby's Tilt 'N Tumble    

• Pokémon Trading Card Game    

• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

• The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons    

Other details          

Easy to pick up and play
You can jump into the action whenever you have a few minutes – wherever you happen to be. Save your progress at any time!

Rewind your game
You can rewind your game by pressing and holding ZL + ZR if you make a mistake or just want to retry a section.

Play together
Connect with friends via local wireless or online for two-player co-op and competitive play in compatible games. Easily communicate with friends online using voice chat via the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app*. You can even pause the game and share screens with each other!

Screen filters
Experience games the way you remember with Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color screen filters.

Play the European versions
Choose between North American and European versions with localised text in select titles.

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by Julius

[Dcubed]

Kirby's Tilt N' Tumble you say...

Well, well well! Looks like we're getting support for the special cartridges as well! Means that we should also get the likes of Boktai and Wario Ware Twisted on GBA NSO too!

[Dcubed]

Hmm... I don't think I like the colour filter they're using on GBC games here... It's too aggressive IMO, makes games look too washed out, blacks end up just looking like blue/grey as a result.  Would be nice if you could tweak it a bit (or even have the option for the raw video output).

DMG games look REAL nice though!

BTW, Japan's initial lineup is the same as ours, minus Alone in The Dark but plus Yakuman.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Dcubed

[Ronnie]

Can't wait to play the Oracle games again, it's been so long since I played them they'll pretty much feel like brand new games.

Also excited to give Kuru Kuru Kururin another go on the GBA, loved that game growing up.

Sounds like there's more for NSO in the pipeline too from what Takahashi was suggesting.

[Jonnas]

Well, well, well... You finally convinced me, Nintendo. This will surely convince me to get the subscription... as soon as I find time to game

When I do, I'm interested in Alone in the Dark and Kirby. I'm also very happy with Wario Land 3 getting priority, impeccable game. Pokémon TCG was also a cracking surprise, it's such a good one. Finally, they're going to add best Fire Emblem for a wider audience to play, so I'm very happy with this initial roster.

[Ashley]

Tell you what would be nice (but unlikely), if they released the Pokémon TGC sequel in the west for the first time. 

[darksnowman]

7 hours ago, Ronnie said:

Can't wait to play the Oracle games again, it's been so long since I played them they'll pretty much feel like brand new games.

Went through them again in recent years and, imo, they aren't all that so I'd recommend tempering your expectations appropriately.

7 hours ago, Jonnas said:

I'm also very happy with Wario Land 3 getting priority, impeccable game. 

I have 1 (childhood cart + 3DS VC!), 2, 4, the Shake Dimension but 3 has been a gap for me so I'm looking forward to getting into it at last. 

[Sheikah]

The Oracle games are great! Completely disagree with you there.

[darksnowman]

20 minutes ago, Sheikah said:

The Oracle games are great! Completely disagree with you there.

You should probably replay them too.  

They're fine. A long, long way off Link's Awakening, imo.

[Glen-i]

10 hours ago, Sheikah said:

The Oracle games are great! Completely disagree with you there.

For once, I agree with you. Completely solid 2D Zelda's.

Pro tip for those new to it: Play Ages first, it'll make the final bits of a linked game easier.

[Jonnas]

2 hours ago, Glen-i said:

Pro tip for those new to it: Play Ages first, it'll make the final bits of a linked game easier.

I'd say it's fine to start with either one. Though I do think OoA has a more straightforward type of progression anyway, might be easier to get into.

[Glen-i]

1 hour ago, Jonnas said:

I'd say it's fine to start with either one. Though I do think OoA has a more straightforward type of progression anyway, might be easier to get into.

Nah mate, the final two dungeon items in Seasons are way too useful to not have for the last bit. Going to the Ages versions afterwards is a straight downgrade in comparison.

[darksnowman]

So much to unlearn from Tetris 99. 

[darksnowman]

16 hours ago, Glen-i said:

On 09/02/2023 at 9:05 AM, Sheikah said:

The Oracle games are great! Completely disagree with you there.

For once, I agree with you. Completely solid 2D Zelda's.

He said they're great, I said they're fine, you said they're solid.

[Glen-i]

I think they're better then Minish Cap. Also better then Zelda 1 and 2. And Phantom Hourglass, but not Spirit Tracks.

They're thoroughly average 2D Zeldas, which makes them great games, because 2D Zelda is such a consistently high bar.

[Dcubed]

No.  Minish Cap is much better than either of the Oracles games, I ain’t having that @Glen-i.

They’re fine enough Zelda games, but Minish Cap is definitely a solid tier above them.  And Spirit Tracks is a solid tier above Minish Cap itself at that.

You are right about all Zelda games being great though.  except BOTW.  BOTW sucks

Edited February 10, 2023 by Dcubed

[WackerJr]

I loaded this up because I can finally play those extra Super Mario 3 levels that were originally e-Reader ones.  I’ve played the first few and enjoying them.  Having a slightly smaller screen area take a little getting used to, but this was a great little bonus.

Loved the Oracle games and how they linked up, so looking forward to revisiting those.

[Sheikah]

You should probably replay them too. [emoji3]  They're fine. A long, long way off Link's Awakening, imo.

I played Oracle of Seasons maybe a couple of years ago. They're great.

 

I was not overly fond of Minish Cap, something about it was a bit off. I think the equipment wasn't as exciting and the stupid talking bird hat didn't help. One thing I liked about the handheld games up to that point was they they usually didn't try to throw in too much dialogue and interruption, which Minish Cap went against.

[darksnowman]

On 10/02/2023 at 6:45 PM, WackerJr said:

I loaded this up because I can finally play those extra Super Mario 3 levels that were originally e-Reader ones.  I’ve played the first few and enjoying them.  Having a slightly smaller screen area take a little getting used to, but this was a great little bonus.

It's nice to have them, isn't it? The Para Beetle Challenge and No Time to Dawdle to name two that strike a good balance between difficulty and that need to have one more go. Also cool to see things from other games like Mario 2 and Mario World 1 + 2 incorporated into the Mario 3 style.

14 hours ago, Sheikah said:

I played Oracle of Seasons maybe a couple of years ago. They're great.

I was not overly fond of Minish Cap, something about it was a bit off. I think the equipment wasn't as exciting and the stupid talking bird hat didn't help. One thing I liked about the handheld games up to that point was they they usually didn't try to throw in too much dialogue and interruption, which Minish Cap went against.

Fair enough if you've replayed them recently and your views on them hold true in the modern day. Last time for me was summer 2021, during Zelda's 35th-anniversary celebrations. Like, there's good things about them (e.g. the island part, the music in the area that tests your season changing expertise) but overall I think they're both just middling Zelda games. I'll admit that coming out at a time when I'd moved onto the GBA didn't help their case back in the day, but that I didn't come around on them in later years or even when I was riding high on Zelda nostalgia the other year tells it's own story. Funny to read my 2021 comments back because I can barely remember any of those details.  Reckon the Oracle games could do with the Link's Awakening Remake treatment, some tweaks, and a good dollop of the secret sauce they oh-so lack. 

I have Minish Cap in a similar bracket. I mentioned the kinstones, and I like what they do, but for some reason them being random drops doesn't sit well with me! Would have been better, imo, if they were specifically placed pick-ups like heart pieces. Plus the capsule machine and the final boss was a bit of a pain too (I think?). Seem to remember restarting the game because I got stuck somewhere on my first file? I don't mean a glitch. Is there a point of no return at Vaati? These things probably don't even register with other gamers yet for me they counterbalance all the colourful charm that little game is brimming with. 

First time I played Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga, I ended up starting a new file from the final boss too because I hadn't been taking care of my levels or inventory at all. Could be my fault for expecting Nintendo games to be gimmes with no final difficulty spike and then when one comes, it's too late and I'm snookered. Did a lot of dying and retrying at the final boss in Paper Mario 64 as well as I didn't want to start a new file so I crossed all my fingers and toes and ended up scraping through by the skin of my teeth... years later.  

Not to muddy this thread with NSO GBA Expansion Pack chat...  

[EEVILMURRAY]

On 2/9/2023 at 9:27 AM, darksnowman said:

You should probably replay them too.  

They're fine. A long, long way off Link's Awakening, imo.

I replayed them last year when I got them again with my remaining DS e-shop monies. Great games, although heart goes to Ages more. For some reason the secret codes weren't working for me when I tried starting a new game. Looking at some FAQs some areas were meant to be different after the code, but when I got there, they were the same. Small meh's which didn't need to be put in anyway. So I forgive them.

I'm going through Minish Cap again now, it feels like a new game because I'd forgotten all about it. I can tell afterwards I'm going to forget about it also, it's good whilst you're in the moment, but nothing really stands out (apart from some of the music) that I know will be something that will stay with me. Except for the giant fuck you they did with the Goddesses getting a house in Hyrule Town.

Fuck Kinstones though. 

 

Excited to see Golden Sun on the big screen, probably the RPG I have completed the most along with Tales of Symphonia (which I'm currently not getting the "remastered" because it's a shitty port of a PC version)

[Glen-i]

21 hours ago, EEVILMURRAY said:

Except for the giant fuck you they did with the Goddesses getting a house in Hyrule Town.

That's your big grievance? That's positively mild compared to something else in Minish Cap. As long as you give Farore a house, you'll be fine. She's the only useful one anyway, if I remember right.

There's something way worse. A certain item upgrade that is gone forever if you wait too long to do a certain side quest.

For the love of all that is holy, make sure you fuse Kinstones with the man in the yellow roof house on the west side of Hyrule Town! And then immediately do the thing that it takes you to!

[EEVILMURRAY]

1 hour ago, Glen-i said:

That's your big grievance? That's positively mild compared to something else in Minish Cap. As long as you give Farore a house, you'll be fine. She's the only useful one anyway, if I remember right.

I mean it was a fuck you in a good way, Farore did get a house, she was the only one I could offer one to from the off. Second went to Nayru, then I realised Din would be slumming it for life.

1 hour ago, Glen-i said:

There's something way worse. A certain item upgrade that is gone forever if you wait too long to do a certain side quest.

For the love of all that is holy, make sure you fuse Kinstones with the man in the yellow roof house on the west side of Hyrule Town! And then immediately do the thing that it takes you to!

I'll see what I can do, I've just been put into Dark Hyrule Castle, so I'm thinking I've past the point of no return. And I never got enough Gorons in that cave either  

[Glen-i]

3 hours ago, EEVILMURRAY said:

I'll see what I can do, I've just been put into Dark Hyrule Castle, so I'm thinking I've past the point of no return. And I never got enough Gorons in that cave either  

Yeah, that's too late.

You can finish the Goron cave though.

[EEVILMURRAY]

4 hours ago, Glen-i said:

Yeah, that's too late.

You can finish the Goron cave though.

I'm one goron off, and I can't be arsed to look for mysterious walls anymore, I've got 3 bottles anyway. The black darknut nearly handed me my arse, then they spawned more so I left to recover, did a few more fusions, got remote bombs. I'll head back in tomorrow 

[darksnowman]

Wario Golf needs to be a standalone eShop game.