Nintendo has announced that starting today, Switch Online service subscribers can enjoy a selection of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games on their Switch console. The Game Boy games are open to all subscribers, while the Advance games are exclusive to subscribers who pay for the expansion pack, a subscription that costs $49.99 a year.
As you remember, the original Game Boy was Nintendo’s first portable console that hit the market in 1989 with a 4 MHz processor and a monochromatic screen with a resolution of 160×144 pixels. In 1998 it got an improved and colorful model called Game Boy Color, and in 2001 Nintendo launched the Game Boy Advance which was an upgraded model in every respect. Each of the models became a hit and was sold throughout its life in tens of millions of units.
The game catalog available to Switch players includes 15 classic games including the original Tetris, Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Metroid 2, Mario Kart Super Circuit and WarioWare Inc Mega Microgames. Later this year, Nintendo is expected to add more games to the service, including Fire Emblem, F-Zero Maximum Velocity and the Pokemon Trading Card Game.
The games remain mostly faithful to the original version, without graphics improvements. They did get one significant upgrade: in games where you can play with friends, Nintendo added a wireless connection option. In the original version, a cable connection between the consoles is required.