Nintendo Switch Online Adds Game Boy Classic

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 4, 2024 3 Views 5 Min Read
Nintendo Switch Online Adds Game Boy Classic

Key Takeaways

  • Donkey Kong Land 3 has been added to Nintendo Switch Online.
  • The service only received the 1997 Game Boy original rather than the updated 2000 version for the Game Boy Color.
  • The entire Donkey Kong Land trilogy is now available on Nintendo Switch Online.



Nintendo Switch Online has added Donkey Kong Land 3. Thanks to the arrival of this Game Boy classic, which just turned 27 back in October 2024, Nintendo Switch Online now offers all the Donkey Kong Land titles.

The Donkey Kong Land subseries consists of three games that Rare developed in its pre-Microsoft era. The titles were released on an annual basis between 1995 and 1997. The first Donkey Kong Land entry was added to the Nintendo Switch Online library on November 22, whereas its direct sequel arrived four days later.

donkey kong country switch games

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Donkey Kong Land 3 has now followed suit, debuting as part of the NSO catalog on Wednesday, December 4. As is the case with all Game Boy classics on Nintendo Switch Online, this newest addition is available across both tiers of the subscription service. The game is not to be confused with Donkey Kong Country 3, a former SNES exclusive that was added to Nintendo Switch Online back in December 2020.



NSO Didn’t Get the Best Version of Donkey Kong Land 3

One caveat with this release is that Nintendo Switch Online members didn’t get access to the best version of Donkey Kong Land 3, which would be its Game Boy Color port from 2000. Instead, the NSO library received the original Game Boy version from 1997, which uses a monochrome palette rather than vibrant color visuals. This is presumably because the GBC port was never released outside of Japan, so bringing it to the West now would require localization. Nintendo does occasionally localize classics, like when it brought F-Zero: GP Legend and F-Zero Climax to NSO back in October 2024, but it does so infrequently.


Nintendo Isn’t Done With Bringing Donkey Kong Games to the Switch

The arrival of DKL3 further strengthens the Switch’s reputation as an excellent Donkey Kong machine. Nintendo Switch Online alone currently offers access to 10 entries from the long-running franchise, ranging from Donkey Kong Country and DK3 to Donkey Kong Jr. and DK Jr. Math. The Switch has also received a DKC: Tropical Freeze port and Mario vs. Donkey Kong remake in May 2018 and February 2024, respectively. Meanwhile, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is set to be released for Nintendo’s hybrid console on January 16, 2025.

Donkey Kong Land 3 is the first new title to reach the NSO library in December 2024, but it won’t be the last. The NES version of Tetris is also coming to Nintendo Switch Online, being scheduled to arrive next Thursday, December 12. Its debut could mark the final addition to the NSO content catalog for 2024.

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