Nintendo Switch Online adds 5 classic games for May
▼ Summary
– Nintendo has announced five Virtual Boy games coming to the Switch Online + Expansion Pass in May.
– The new titles include V-Tetris, Jack Bros., Space Invaders Virtual Collection, Virtual Bowling, and Vertical Force.
– Jack Bros. is a maze-based Megami Tensei spin-off, while Vertical Force is a vertical-scrolling shooter from Hudson Soft.
– Players need Nintendo’s recently released Virtual Boy peripheral, available in plastic (£70) or cardboard (£17), to play these games.
– Tom Orry described the plastic Virtual Boy replica as “kind of love the whole thing despite itself” in a February review.
Nintendo is digging into its archives once again, rolling out the next wave of retro titles for Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers this May. This month’s lineup is a special treat for fans of the Virtual Boy ,though you will need the company’s bulky red headset to actually play them.
The latest update adds five games to the service, all originally released for Nintendo’s famously short-lived Virtual Boy console:
- V-TetrisFor someone like me who could only dream (and often did) of owning that big red face-stand back in the day, these additions are mostly unfamiliar territory. I have a solid grasp on what Tetris and Space Invaders are, but the others required a quick dive into internet lore. It turns out Jack Bros. is a maze-based Megami Tensei spin-off, while Vertical Force is a vertical-scrolling shooter from Hudson Soft. And Virtual Bowling? It is exactly what the name suggests.Now, you won’t need to scour eBay to play these games, but you will need to purchase Nintendo’s recently released Virtual Boy peripheral. It comes in two versions: a plastic model for £70 and a cardboard variant for £17.Is either one worth your money? Back in February, Tom Orry strapped on the plastic replica and wrote, “I kind of love the whole thing despite itself.” Meanwhile, if you are curious about the original hardware, Alex Donaldson managed to track down a real Virtual Boy console during last year’s Switch 2 pre-release frenzy.
