User:The Eggo55/Nintendo Classics
Nintendo Classics (Formerly titled "Nintendo Switch Online") is a service for subscribers to the Nintendo Switch Online service on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 to allow players to play a selection of past Nintendo games.
The service was announced launched alongside the Nintendo Switch Online service on September 19, 2018, with 20 Nintendo Entertainment System games initially available, with the Super NES and Game Boy consoles being added for base-tier Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on September 6, 2019 and February 9, 2023 respectively. Alongside the launch of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack tier on October 26, 2021, games from the Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis began to be added to the service, with the Game Boy Advance being added on February 9, 2023.
Coinciding with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025, Nintendo GameCube games began to be added exclusively to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers with the Nintendo Switch 2, as well as officially renaming the service to "Nintendo Classics", a change that would retroactively be added to each existing app as it received game updates, with the Nintendo 64 app receiving it first on June 4, 2025[1] and the NES and Game Boy apps being the most recent to receive it on November 26, 2025.[2] Virtual Boy games began to be added to for Expansion Pack subscribers on February 17, 2026, supported on both the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, but requiring the purchase of a separate VR replica of the Virtual Boy, or its equivalent cardboard model to play.
Each system allows players to create four Restore Points, which can be created or returned to at any time. The NES, Super NES, Nintendo 64, and Nintendo GameCube apps allow players to enable a CRT filter to overlay the game screen, though this feature is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 on the Nintendo 64 apps. Similarly, the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance apps allows players to overlay a screen filter mimicking the original systems' screens, as well as shrinking the game screen to further resemble the original systems. Each system aside from the Nintendo 64 (if played on a Nintendo Switch) and Nintendo GameCube apps also allow players to rewind their games by a select amount. Each system, aside from the Virtual Boy, is available to play multiplayer online - sharing a screen for consoles and emulating a Game Link Cable for handhelds, locally - with a similar system to online, or on the same system for consoles.
Nintendo Classics was preceeded by the Virtual Console, a series of classic games available for purchase on the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS series of systems. Pokémon games available on Nintendo Classics are unable to connect to their Virtual Console counterparts, Pokémon HOME, original game releases (such as those on the Game Boy), or the Nintendo Switch releases of Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version.
Pokémon games
| Title | Genre | Nintendo Classics app | Original release | Nintendo Classics release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pokémon Snap | First-person rail shooter | Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Classics | 1999 | June 24, 2022 |
| Pokémon Puzzle League | Puzzle | Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Classics | 2000 | July 15, 2022 |
| Pokémon Stadium | Battle Simulation | Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Classics | 1999 / 2000 | April 12, 2023 |
| Pokémon Stadium 2 | Battle Simulation | Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Classics | 2000 / 2001 | August 8, 2023 |
| Pokémon Trading Card Game | Strategy | Game Boy - Nintendo Classics | 1998 / 2000 | August 8, 2023 |
| Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team | Roguelite | Game Boy Advance - Nintendo Classics | 2005 | August 9, 2024 |
| Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness | RPG | Nintendo GameCube - Nintendo Classics | 2005 | March 17, 2026 |
| Pokémon Colosseum | RPG | Nintendo GameCube - Nintendo Classics | 2003 / 2004 | To be announced |
Differences from original games
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This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: it can be assumed that each difference is identical to past VC releases, but double check these, as well as each other game included |
Pokémon Snap
The Nintendo Classics release changes Jynx's complexion from black to purple, matching the change seen in the Wii Virtual Console release.
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The Nintendo Classics version of Pokémon Trading Card Game uses Jynx's changed skin palette from the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console version. Unlike the Virtual Console release, the Card Pop! feature is emulated. Multiplayer functionality is also supported, though all Game Boy Printer features are left disabled. As the game is emulated in Game Boy Color mode, monochrome Game Boy mode and the Super Game Boy palettes and borders are inaccessible.
External links
- Official website
- Nintendo Classics on Wikipedia
- List of Nintendo Classics on NintendoWiki
- Nintendo Classics on Super Mario Wiki
References
- ↑ Doolan, L. (June 4, 2025). Surprise! The N64 App Is Also Getting Some Enhancements On Switch 2. Nintendo Life. Retrieved March 22, 2026
- ↑ Doolan, L. (November 25, 2025). PSA: You Can Now Remap 'Nintendo Classics' NES And Game Boy Controls. Nintendo Life. Retrieved March 22, 2026