When I bought my Nintendo Switch 2 around five months ago, one of the main reasons was to dive into Nintendo classics and retro titles. Lately, I’ve been playing them a lot more, properly digging into some of these older games rather than just dipping in and out occasionally. I think I may be a little addicted to retro games currently that include:
Donkey Kong: Available in a couple of versions, including the Game Boy and NES originals.
Donkey Kong Junior: Still holds up and is pretty decent.
BurgerTime: A big favourite of mine that instantly brings back memories of playing it years ago on my Commodore 64.
The great thing about the Nintendo classics range on the Switch 2 is the sheer range of console generations covered, which includes consoles and handhelds from the NES generation time right through to the GameCube period. Handy display settings let you enhance the visuals and tweak them to your liking, and it’s brilliant being able to enjoy these retro games on a larger modern portable screen or TV.
As a lifelong Nintendo fan, I naturally started off with the Game & Watch titles, playing them at school. The Game & Watch Gallery in the classics range offers a fantastic selection, and I particularly enjoy Turtle Bridge, one I actually owned many years ago.
Super Mario Land also brings back loads of nostalgia. I remember buying it while on holiday in the US, playing it for hours, and it’s a joy to revisit. Similarly, while I didn’t pick up an N64 until long after its initial release, jumping back into GoldenEye is still immense fun.
The trouble with the classics library is that there are simply so many games available; it’s almost impossible to play them all! However, they all run smoothly, and considering these games come included with your Nintendo Online subscription, it represents brilliant value.
I’m hoping to work my way through a lot more of the catalogue. I need to explore the GameCube side of things more too, and hopefully, more titles will drop soon. Super Mario Sunshine and Luigi’s Mansion are particular standouts, they look amazing running on the hardware and load incredibly fast.
There are also rumours that Nintendo might add Wii games in the future. Given the massive library that console had, that would be quite the bonus.
For anyone who loves Nintendo classics from the 80s onwards, you really can’t beat this range. Just keep in mind that while the selection is generous, it’s a curated library rather than a complete archive.
After the gallery, find a list of some of the other games also available.
1. Nintendo GameCube (Switch 2 Exclusive Tier)
Includes standout enhanced titles like:
Luigi’s Mansion
Super Mario Sunshine
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
Soulcalibur
Super Mario Strikers
2. Nintendo 64 & Mature 17+
Super Mario 64
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time & Majora’s Mask
GoldenEye 007
Mario Kart 64 & Mario Party
Star Fox 64
Pokémon Stadium 2
Harvest Moon 64
3. Game Boy & Game Boy Advance (GBA)
Super Mario Land / Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Donkey Kong (Game Boy version)
Game & Watch Gallery
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX & Oracle of Ages/Seasons
Metroid Fusion & Zero Mission
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Golden Sun & Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
4. NES & Super NES (SNES)
Super Mario Bros. (1, 2, 3, and The Lost Levels)
Super Mario World
Donkey Kong Country (1, 2, and 3)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Super Metroid
EarthBound
Super Mario Kart
5. Sega Genesis & Virtual Boy
Sega Genesis: Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Streets of Rage 2, Castlevania Bloodlines, Golden Axe, etc.
Virtual Boy: Select stereoscopic 3D titles (such as Mario’s Tennis and Teleroboxer via the specific hardware accessory).
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