Hold My Yoshi Egg: Nintendo Switch Online Just Threw in Some GBA Gems and a Couple of Virtual Boy Headaches for Mario Day
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers are getting three new games on Mario Day (March 10th): the excellent GBA puzzle-platformer Mario vs. Donkey Kong, alongside two Virtual Boy curiosities, Mario's Tennis and Mario Clash, adding a hefty dose of both quality retro and bizarre history to the service.
Alright, gather 'round, you digital adventurers and pixel-peeping wizards! It's Mario Day soon (March 10th, for those of you whose calendars are perpetually stuck on 'Game Release Day'), and you know what that means: Nintendo's rolling out some fresh content for their Switch Online subscribers. Now, a recent scoop from Game Rant, penned by James Ratcliff, has just lifted the lid on what’s coming, and fair dinkum, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. A glorious bag, mind, but definitely mixed.
For those of us rocking the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack – because, let's be honest, who *isn't* chasing that sweet retro hit? – we're getting three new titles. And while one of them is an absolute banger, the other two… well, they come from a console that holds a rather unique, slightly cursed place in gaming history. Yep, we're talking about the Virtual Boy.
Let's get the good stuff out of the way first, shall we? Because mate, this one's a cracker. Coming to the Game Boy Advance app is none other than **Mario vs. Donkey Kong**. Now, this isn't just some forgotten relic; this is a genuinely fantastic puzzle platformer that first graced our GBA screens back in 2004. It brilliantly blended the classic Donkey Kong arcade vibe with Mario's puzzle-solving prowess, tasking you with finding keys, avoiding traps, and generally outsmarting the big ape himself. It got a swanky remake on the Switch just last year, so having the original available on NSO is a perfect little historical counterpoint. It's like finding the original spellbook that inspired the latest enchantment – always a treat to see where it all began. This one's a solid win, a proper gem for anyone who enjoys clever level design and a bit of brain-tickling action.
But now, for the main event, the digital elephant in the room: the Virtual Boy. Good heavens, Nintendo, are you *really* doing this? Hot on the heels of the Virtual Boy app's somewhat… *unexpected* launch in February, we're getting two more titles for it: **Mario's Tennis** and **Mario Clash**. Now, if you're under 30, you might be wondering what the bloody hell a 'Virtual Boy' even is. Imagine if someone tried to make VR in the mid-90s with only red LEDs, a headache-inducing monochrome display, and a general air of impending doom. That, my friends, was the Virtual Boy. It was a console so ahead of its time, it actually ended up behind it.
And yet, here we are, in 2026, with Nintendo bravely (or perhaps, mischievously) adding to its digital library. **Mario's Tennis** was actually a launch title for the VB back in '95, predating the much more famous *Mario Tennis* franchise by half a decade. It featured singles and doubles, seven characters – all in glorious, eye-searing red and black. Then there's **Mario Clash**, a 2D platformer that took inspiration from the original *Mario Bros.* arcade game. You'd throw Koopa shells at enemies, using the foreground and background elements to your advantage, flinging those shells through pipes to hit foes. It sounds… interesting. In a very abstract, 'what if Mario smoked too much digital pipe' kind of way.
Now, I'm a naturally curious wizard, always wondering what happens if you poke the sleeping dragon. So, while my initial reaction to the Virtual Boy's resurrection was a gentle shudder, I'm also morbidly fascinated. Is Nintendo testing the waters? Are they slowly trying to normalise the experience of playing a console that was, by all accounts, an ergonomic nightmare? Or are they simply embracing the glorious absurdity of their own history? The Virtual Boy's library now stands at nine games on NSO – that's a commitment, mate. A red, blurry commitment.
What does this mean for us, the actual players? Well, on the one hand, more games are always good, right? It fills out the NSO Expansion Pack's promise of a growing catalogue. On the other, it makes you pause and think about that $50 a year price tag. Are we paying for nostalgic hits like *Mario vs. Donkey Kong*, or are we subsidising Nintendo's daring expedition into the murky waters of niche historical preservation? It's a genuine question, and one I reckon every Expansion Pack subscriber quietly ponders when they see a new wave of, shall we say, *historically significant* titles.
And let's not forget, the Mario Day celebration isn't the only thing cooking this March. Pokemon trainers will be pleased to know that **Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness** is also slated to hit the Nintendo GameCube app sometime this month. That's a huge deal for fans of the Colosseum sequel – a proper RPG, diving into Shadow Pokemon and a darker storyline. It’s a stark contrast to the Virtual Boy additions, highlighting Nintendo’s strategy of giving us a bit of everything: the genuinely great, the obscurely fascinating, and the wonderfully bizarre.
With the Switch 2 (or whatever wondrous moniker Nintendo chooses) cruising into its second year on the market, rumours of even more classic consoles joining the NSO lineup are buzzing louder than a confused digital bee. Sega Genesis already made the cut, showing Nintendo isn't afraid to invite other digital deities to the party. These new additions, while eyebrow-raising in places, are another step in building out what Nintendo clearly wants to be a comprehensive digital archive, not just a service.
So, on March 10th, grab your joy-cons (and maybe an aspirin if you're diving into the Virtual Boy titles). You'll get a cracking GBA puzzle game and a chance to experience a truly unique piece of Nintendo history. It's chaotic, it's optimistic, and it's quintessentially Nintendo. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
*Original reporting by James Ratcliff for Game Rant.*
Tags: Nintendo Switch Online, Mario Day, Virtual Boy, Game Boy Advance, Retro Gaming
Original article: Game Rant