Nintendo Switch Online Dropped 4 Classic Game Boy Gems

Nintendo seems to be hitting the nostalgia button hard—and there are four classic Game Boy games now available exclusively to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. Survival Kids, Gradius The Interstellar Assault, Kirby’s Star Stacker, and The Sword of Hope have all entered the roster, and thus player-warped back into a whirlpool of retro awesomeness. The Internet had its *thoughts*—some hype, lots of salt, and much Kirby screaming.

Looking at the line-up, Survival Kids is a survival RPG ahead of its time: you know basically scavenge, craft, and not die on a deserted island. Gradius The Interstellar Assault is a side-scrolling shoot-em-up that puts your reflexes (and patience) to the test. Kirby’s Star Stacker is cute, but it’s rather addictive as a puzzle game, and The Sword of Hope is a tactical RPG from way back when, for anyone that wants to keep his dungeon crawler skills sharp. So, not a bad line-up, one would say.

With the exception of some who were displeased. Fans like @BobbyTOTK outright questioned, “So many good games still missing and this is what you continue to drip feed us with?” Ouch. Others such as @umbreon3000 wished they could buy Survival Kids and Sword of Hope, rather than enter into a subscription for the opportunity. Fair point.

The Kirby fandom into the picture, then. User @_HoshiNoAxo went absolutely berserk with caps lock spamming KIRBY STAR STACKER!!!!!! for dear life, whereas @TropixifyLeaks called it “actually pretty solid,” and coming from that leakster account, that is kind of a big compliment.

The Gradius clans? No way. @anarchyKaos666 threw shade on @Lord_Wompus with, “There are better ways to play Gradius, drone.” @Lord_Wompus blandly countered with, “No taste, no class. As usual.” Classic Twitter beef, nothing gets gamers so riled up like debating the ‘right way’ to play a 30-year-old shooter.

Then there is spotting the distinction—are these ROMs or not? @LPNintendoITA had to school @Gellyzer0 with “By definition those are ROMs from the console themselves. Read Only Memories. What do you want them to do? Use CPUs?” The internet should get its tech logic in a hurry sometimes.

Survival Kids for the win. “@TimoN11126461 Dudes how could I sleep over Survival Kids? Wasn’t it out in Europe? I know nobody who played it, but it seemed to be ahead of its time back in 1999.” Ask me, the same. That game was low-key revolutionary.

Of course, the Nintendo announcement would not be complete without someone sending for something else. @HargrowII21479 went with, “No Kirby Pinball or Block Ball?” Sorry, dude. Maybe another day.

All in all, that drop is a powerful amalgamation of deep cuts and fan favorites. Where each stands in the noisy debate-from hype for Kirby, Gradius debates, or diving into childhood memories-there’s something here for everybody. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a high score to knock out on Kirby’s Star Stacker. Good luck out there, gamers.