Nintendo Switch Online adds Wario Land and other retro titles for July
Nintendo has expanded its classic game library with a new batch of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles, headlined by Wario Land.
Nintendo Switch Online adds Wario Land and other retro titles for July
Nintendo has expanded its classic game catalogue for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on July 7, 2026, introducing a selection of titles from the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. The update is available now on both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
The addition of Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 serves as the primary highlight of the July update. Originally released for the Game Boy in 1994, the title is a threequel to Super Mario Land. However, the game barely features Mario, instead focusing on his greedy rival, Wario. The title establishes Wario as a star in his own right, featuring side-scrolling levels where the antihero searches for gold and treasures. According to Nintendo Wire, the availability of this title makes the Nintendo Switch 2 the console with the most games starring Wario.
Alongside the Wario classic, two other Game Boy titles have joined the Nintendo Classics library:
- The Sword of Hope II: Described as a traditional dungeon crawler RPG played from a first-person perspective, which IGN characterized as a so-so JRPG from Kemco.
- Fortified Zone: A top-down shooter from Jaleco. Nintendo Wire noted that the gameplay resembles a combination of a top-down Legend of Zelda and a shooter like Smash TV, while IGN described the title as okay.
Subscribers to the more expensive Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack tier have access to an additional release: Dr. Mario & Puzzle League. This Game Boy Advance title provides two puzzle games in one package. These are not straight ports but were uniquely made for the GBA, featuring colorful gameplay and spritework.
Regional differences exist for the July update. Subscribers in Japan received an additional GBA title, Tomato Adventure, developed by AlphaDream. This game is a predecessor RPG to the Mario & Luigi series. According to GoNintendo, users in other regions can access this specific title by creating a Japanese account and downloading the Japanese GBA app.
This update follows a period of inactivity for the service; the previous addition to the library was Donkey Kong 64 at the end of May, according to Nintendo Everything.
The current batch of handheld-focused titles is live immediately. Because July is still young, there is a possibility of further additions to the Nintendo Switch Online service later in the month.
