If you’re a fan of the more frustrating side of Mario gaming, then one game that you’ve likely dived into at least once is Mario Golf. Originally released on Nintendo 64 back in 1999, it’s also available on Nintendo Switch as long?? as you have the right subscriptions. 

You’ll need a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online that includes the Expansion Pack content, which comes in a $49.99 for a years subscription per individual, or $79.99 for a family of up to 8 gamers. If you’ve got that, you can once again dive into the incredibly annoying yet enjoyable game that is Mario Golf. 

Whether you’re playing on a Nintendo Switch, or going old-school and playing on your classic? N64, you’ll be happy to know that there are a few cheats and secrets that can be accessed. Of course, you could play the game the “right�?way, but that does come with the? issue of having to actually win, which is easier said than done in this case.

Mario Golf cheats on Nintendo Switch

There’s only one cheat that works for Mario Golf on the Nintendo Switch, but you’ll be happy to know that it’s the “almost everything??�?cheat. Usually, you’d need to take on each character one-on-on (and actuall??y win) to be able to play as them, but this cheat unlocks most of the possible player characters in the game, as well as most of the courses. 

It’s worth noting that this cheat wi??ll not unlock the four Transfer Pak character??s, or the Mario’s Star course. Other than that, you’ll unlock every character and course by pressing the following buttons:

D-pad

• Down, Down
• Left, Left, Left
• Right, Right, Right

C buttons

• C-Down, C-Down (ZR + B x2)
• C-Left, C-Left, C-Left (ZR + Y x2)
• C-Right, C-Right, C-Right (ZR + A x3)

While the Nintendo Switch doesn’t have designated C-Buttons, you can use the X, Y, A, and B buttons while holding down ZR in order to effectively turn them into the needed directional C-Buttons. When you’ve input the code correctly, you’ll hear a chime, and have almost everything available to suffer through??. Sorry, I mean enjoy. 

Mario Golf cheats on Nintendo 64

While there aren’t too many cheats that? work on Nintendo 64 but not Nintendo Switch, it’s still always good to know all of your options. 

“Almost everything�?/h3>

The “Almost everything�?cheat has always worked on the Nintendo 64, arguably better because you don’t have the hassle of trying to convert Switch buttons into N64 C-buttons. To use this Mario Golf cheat on Nintendo 64, just use the sam??e code laid out in the previous section. 

Promotional Tournament Passwords

If you have the North American version of Mario Golf, then you have access to three cheat codes?? that will unlock new tournament cou?rses. To get to the screen where you can input the codes, you’ll need to follow the following instructions:

1. Highlight “Clubhouse�?/li>

2. Hold down Z and R, and press A on the N64 controller
3. Enter one of the codes below into the “Code Entry�?menu

Note that even though a couple of these course are called “Camp Hyrule�?they aren’t Zelda inspired courses. Camp Hyrule was a ??forum that graced the internet with its presence back in the 1990s, and this is where the codes were given out, hence the name. 

Secrets in Mario Golf

Okay so these aren’t what you could label cheats, but there are a few little secrets hidden around the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Golf, and they’ve ??carried over to the ??game on Nintendo Switch:

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In 1995, Nintendo and Rare released Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest for the Super Nintendo, and it quickly became one of the best platformers on the console. This is du?e to several reasons, but one of the biggest ones is composer David Wise's b?eautiful soundtrack.

Fortunately, longtime fans of the series can now finally listen to this groundbreaking score in an official manner. Some people on social media websites like Reddit or Twitter/X quickly noticed that Nintendo just added the entire Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest to its new music app, Nintendo Music. In case you missed it, the gaming giant announced and relea?sed this ap?p less than a week ago, and the first Donkey Kong Country's soundtrack was already on its catal??og from the ge??t-go.

This is an excellent deal because it means that Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can now listen to one of the best video game soundtracks on their phones. Curiously enough, it seems that today is a special day for this classic game, because the company also added official Donkey Kong Country 2 user icons to the Nintendo Switch Online service. The only question now is: Is Nintendo going to add music from Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble to Nintendo Music next week?

Does Donkey Kong Country 2 really have one of the best video game soundtracks?

The video game industry is brimming with high quality music scores created by some of the most talented and brilliant music artists in the world, so saying that a game like Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest has one of the best soundtracks feels like quite a tall claim. Nevertheless, many Nintendo fans consider this to be true, and for good reason.

The key word related to David Wise's amazing DKC2 soundtrack is "versatility": The title screen theme, K. Rool Returns, is mysterious and intriguing, the early pirate-themed levels have a lighthearted tune in them titled Klomp's Romp, later on there's a challenging but charming disco-themed on-rails level that features a catchy song fittingly titled Disco Train and, of course, we can't forget about Stickerbrush Symphony, one of the most ??breathtakingly beautiful and magical songs ever?? put in a video game.

And that's not all, because this game has one incredible music track after another, like Crocodile Cacophony, Forest Interlude, Hot-Head Bop, In a Snow-Bound Land and much more. Do yourself a favor today and open your Nintendo Music app in order to give some of these amazing tunes a listen. Or, alternatively, you can also experience Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest b?y yourself on the SNES catalog of the Nintendo Switch Online service.

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If you’ve been into gaming for a few decades, you’ll have fond memories of Saturday mornings diving into the latest releases on Nintendo 64. While the likelihood of you having a Nintendo 64 still available to play is slim, the Switch offers a limited number of titles from the iconic console.?? 

It’s been 28 years since the Nintendo 64 first hit TV units across the world, and 22 years since the final game was released for the console in North America (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, for t??hose interested). That’s a long time to go without playing some of the classics that were available during the console’s six-year tenure. 

However, if you’ve got a Nintendo Switch Online+ Expansion Pack membership, there are a few of those classics available to play. While some of th??em are definitely more niche, here are 10 of the best titles available to play. Apologies in advance if this list reminds you that we're aging up a little too fast...

Super Mario 64

I can’t begin this list without mentioning Super Mario 64. It was one of two games that were released alongside the launch of the N64 in North America (alongside Pilotwings 64), so it’s one of the first games that springs to mind when I think back to queuing outside ??my local video game store to get the console on launch day in 1996. 

I don’t feel like I need to explain Super Mario 64 too much, but just in case you’ve b?een living under a rock for the last 39 years, let me give you the TL??DR (which goes for most of the games): Mario is invited to visit Princess Peach, only to find Bowser has infiltrated and kidnapped her. Cue a mad dash across the realm to locate and rescue the Princess, and take down Bowser. 

Pokémon Snap

If you want an updated version of this classic 1999 Pokémon title, then you can get New Pokémon Snap, which was released specifically for the Switch back in 2021. However, nothing quite touches the original in terms of nos??talgia an??d classic design. There’s something really special about curling up and snapping shots of Pokémon as remembered from childhood. 

What tips the original over the successor, personally, is the lack of pressure to complete tasks. Admittedly there isn’t much in the new one either, but i??f you face a lot of pressure on a daily basis, being able to simply focus on taking photos rather than needing a reason to is actually really nice. 

Paper Mario

First reaching North America in 2001, Paper Mario is the first in a series of six games (or seven, if you count Paper Jam) to feature Mario and associated characters in their �?.5D�?forms. Again, the plot is familiar to all Mario fans - Bowser has Prince??ss Peach, and Mario must battle through th??e Mushroom Kingdom to get her back and kick some overgrown turtle butt. 

What makes the Paper Mario series incredibly special, and especially the first, is not only the art style but the puzzles and cooperation with other characters as well. The RPG elements and turn-based co??mbat moments are tense, but not overly so. 

GoldenEye 007

GoldenEye 007 is an absolutely guaranteed memory for anyone who grew up in the 90s, whether you actually played or simply knew other people who did and desperately wanted to but your parents thought it was too graphic. The idea of the latter is laughable now, considering the current gaming graphics we’ve be??come so u??sed to, but the 90s were a different time. 

Regardless, the cover art of GoldenEye 007 is enough to trigger some childhood memories for most, featuring Pierce Brosnan as Bond and Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova. It’s based on the story from 1995’s GoldenEye, and as Bond, it’s up to the player to take dow??n a criminal syndicate and prevent them?? from using a satellite weapon. It also had multiplayer options, which would usually result in an argument or two. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Released in 1998, Ocarina of Time was the first of the Zelda game series to feature 3D graphics. It is, arguably, among the best and most iconic video games of all time, and at the time of release, it rec??eived far more pre-orders than any other game before it. 

As with most other Zelda titles, you take the role of Link and have all of his usual weapons in your arsenal, including the iconic sword and shield. The story is hard to explain if you’ve never played, but in short, Link must awaken the five Sages, defeat Ganondorf, and protect?? the kingdom of Hy?rule. 

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards was released in 2000, and as with the previous Ocarina of Time, The Crystal Shards was the first Kirby title to have 3D graphics. For most people of a certain age, Kirby is one of those games that invokes a huge amount of ??nostalgia and has come to many platforms in the time since it was first released, including the Wii, Wii U, a??nd now the Nintendo Switch. 

The story of The Crystal Shards involves Kirby having to reassemble a sacred crystal that has been shattered by Dark Matter. If you’ve ever played a Kirby game, you’ll know what to expect - explore 2.5D levels and devour your enemies to gain their powers. However, The Crystal Shards also introduced Power Combos, allowing you to mix and match powers to create new and much more powerful o??nes. 

Banjo-Kazooie

As far as platformers go, Banjo-Kazooie borders on being wildly underappreciated. The first in a line of five titles, Banjo-Kazooie was released back in 1998. Banjo, the honey bear in fetching yellow shorts and always in possession of his trusty backpack, was first introduced in 1997 as part of the cast of Diddy Kong Racing. Kazooie, the Breegull who ca??n be found sheltering inside the aforementioned backpack, was introduced in this game and the pair became a beloved duo. 

Together, Banjo and Kazooie must track down ?Banjo’s kidnapped sister, Tooty, who has been kidnapped by the evil witch Gruntilda. Gameplay is a mix of delightful (although often frustrating) platform levels, puzzles, and boss fights. There’s something incredibly satisfying ab?out collecting music notes and Jiggies that open doors to new worlds. 

Yoshi’s Story

Yoshi’s Story was released in North America in 1998, and is a fruit-eating joy to play regardless of age. While most of the other titles on this list are adventuring games with someone to rescue, Yoshi’s Story provides something different: the endless frustration of?? trying to be better than you we?re before. There is an element of adventure and storytelling, but it arguably takes a back seat to beating your own high score.

There are two modes in Yoshi’s Story: Story Mode and Trial Mo?de. To unlock new levels in Trial Mode, you must first com??plete the levels in Story Mode, and completing them requires the apparently simple task of eating 30 fruits. But of course, it’s not that simple. Each type of fruit is worth a different amount of points, with Melons giving the most, and there are also Lucky Fruits that offer a bonus. 

Perfect Dark

Perfect Dark is described as a “spiritual successor�?to GoldenEye 007, runs on an upgraded version of the same game engine, and was developed and released three years later in 2000. Perfect Dark came not only with a solo campaign mode but also multiplayer options such as co-operative and deathmatch modes. It's making a comeback as well, but it remains to be seen whet??her a remake can touch the nostalgia of the ori?ginal.

As Joanna Dark, you must complete objectives while avoiding or eliminating opponents to eventually stop an extraterrestrial conspiracy by a corporation known as dataDyne. As wi?th GoldenEye, there are many weapons to choose from, but now these weapons all have additional useful features. The K7 Avenger, for instance, will detect threats such as nearby explosives. 

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Released two years after Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask hit shelves and TV screens in 2000 and features the same 3D graphics that premiered in the previous title. Majora’s Mask is�??Confusing, to say the least. The gameplay involves a 3-day cycle that must be replayed, using kn??owledge learned from previous cycles to perform better during subsequent ones. 

One of the best features of Majora’s Mask?? is the transformations provided by the core masks that Link can use - a Deku Scrub, a Goron, and a Zora. Each transformation provides Link with different, incredibly useful abilities, and you’ll need to think carefully about which form you take to complete puzzles and quests throughout the story. And did I mention that Link can control time and the moon is enough? to give any kid nightmares for weeks?

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Banjo-Tooie is the critically acclaimed sequel to Banjo-Kazooie, and most people regard them as some of the best 3D collect-a-thon platformers in the Nintend??o 64, a console where the genre thrived more than ever. After many years, fans of this classic can re-experience it on their Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo recently posted a trailer that confirms the addition of Banjo-Tooie to the Nintendo 64 catalog of its Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service next week, on October 25. This was long overdue, because Banjo-Kazooie has been available on the service since 2022.

However, the most interesting aspect of this new version of Banjo-Tooie is the addition of widescreen mode, something that is not quite common on Nintendo Switch Online releases. This not only makes the game look great, but it most likely means that Microsoft decided to use the version of the game that it's also available in the 2015 collection, Rare Replay.

This Banjo-Tooie port shows us how much the relationship between Nintendo and Microsoft has improved

Fans are quite excited about Banjo-Tooie's addition to the Nintendo Switch Online service, not only because of the high quality of this fun platforming adventure but also because of the significance this game and its predecessor had for the Nintendo 64. The bear and bird duo starred in two of the best titles in the system, no?t to mention that they solidified the close relationship between their developer,? Rare, and their publisher, Nintendo.

However, as most fans already know, Microsoft bought Rare in 2002, which gave the rights to the Banjo-Kazooie IP to one of Nintendo's biggest competitors. After a long absence, the bear and bird duo finally returned to the Nintendo family in 2019, when the company added both of them to Super Smash Bros Ultimate as DLC fighters. This marked the beginning of a fresh new amicable relationship between Microsoft and Nintendo, which led to the inclusion of Banjo-Kazooie and other classic Nintendo 64 games by Rare on Nintendo Switch Online and culminated with this new port of Banjo-Tooie. Nevertheless, fans are still hoping that both companies will continue adding some of the studio's other titles to the service in the near future, like Conker's Bad Fur Day or Donkey Kong 64.

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Nintendo has announced that the Game Boy Advance classic Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team will be coming to Nintendo Switch Online on August 9, 2024. This is a great excuse for those of us who never had a chance to play ??this spin-off series to dive in like it's launch day.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team was the last Pokémon game to be released for the Game Boy Advance. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team was its counterpart on the Nintendo DS, but the only differences outside of hardware were six exclusive Pokémon on each version. The game focuses on the turn-based combat elements of the series and pits you against groups of enemy Pokémon as y??ou work your way through randomized dungeons, trying to complete jobs for clients an?d rescue those trapped inside.

A dungeon-crawling Pokémon adventure

Nintendo announced that Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team would be coming to Nintendo Switch Online with a post on Twitter. The post itself doesn't give us much to go on other than a release date, but you really don't need more th?an that with a game that came out between 2005 and 2007. Yes, it's retro enough that it had a staggered release date across various regions.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team, you're a human who is turned into one of sixteen Pokémon. Your transformation is determined by a personality test and other factors linked to the Pokémon you become, keeping every playthrough fresh.

Once you're a Pokémon, your job is to pick up jobs from a local board to delve into dungeons and complete jobs on behalf of clients. This includes locating items, rescuing people, and battling everything you encounter. What always intrigued me about this game and its DS counterpart is that you are a Pokémon who can converse with other Pokémon. It looks completely bonkers but is also really special because most Pokémon games leave?? you gues??sing as to what your Pokémon are saying.

Unless you have a modded Game Boy Advance or a retro handheld device with a decent screen, there haven't been any options for playing Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team on anything close to modern hardware until now.

As I mentioned, I missed out on this game the first time around because I had moved on from Pokémon games and was playing strange DS titles like The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Hotel Dusk: Room 215. I felt like I was missing out at the time, though, which is why I'll be loading up Nintendo Switch Online come launch day to jump in alongside other newcomers and returning fans alik?e.

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Nintendo has made an interesting addition to the Nintendo Switch Online GBA catalog. The first three Densetsu no Starfy games have been added to the service, whi??c?h makes it the first time they’ve been available outside of Japan.

If Starfy sounds familiar to you, it might be because one game from the series was localized. That would be 2008’s The Legendary Starfy for DS, which is the fifth game of the series. The??re were four before that one.

The Starfy games were made by Tose and published by Nintendo. They’re cute platformers in a similar vein as the Kirby series. While I don’t really have a more compelling way to describe them, they are rather beloved games. While only having one game reach outside of Japan, the serie??s has cultivated a fanba??se in other territories.

There is one caveat here. The games are still in Japanese. Nintendo released the games as is without bothering to translate the text. That’s not really anything new, since the company has been filling out the NSO catalogs for many of its consoles with Japanese games, it’s just a bit disappointing that they don’t go the extra mile. It means most of these games will remain a curiosity when they could have a better chance at reaching a new audience.

With that in mind, the Densetsu no Starfy games are platformers and can be enjoyed without understanding the story. You??’re just not getting the ful??l story, and that’s unfortunate.

Densetsu no Starfy, Densetsu no Starfy 2, and Densetsu no Starfy 3 are all availabl?e on? the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack GBA service. 

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Nintendo has added seven new games to their NES channel on their Nintendo Switch Online subscription. While some?? of these are expected first-party games, there are a few in the mix that are rather surprising.

Here’s the full list:

• Urban Champion
• Golf
• Donkey Kong Jr. Math
• Mach Rider
• The Mystery of Atlantis
• SOLAR JETMAN
• COBRA TRIANGLE

The one that stands out is Mystery of Atlantis, which was never released in North America. Mystery of Atlantis isn’t even the name on its birth certificate; it's Atlantis no Nazo (which really does translate to Mystery of Atlantis), a questionably challenging game from Sunsoft. It features 100 levels, but they’re not sequential. Figuring out how they connect, discovering bizarre secrets to find new exits, and eventually reaching the end is where most of the fun lies. And when I say bizarre secrets, there are instances where you have to jump into what is normally a bottomless pit and another where you have to blow yourself up in a specific spot. It’s not for everyone.

On top of that, we also have the also-questionable Urban Champion, an early fighting game. There’s Donkey Kong Jr. Math if you need to brush up on your arithmetic. Mach Rider and Golf round out the first-party offerings. Then there is also Solar Jetman and Cobra Triangle from Rare’s early days.

It's not exactly the most top-shelf selection of games from the console, but most of them are worth trying out. Maybe not Donkey Kong Jr. Math if you’re out of your grade school years.

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During the newest Nintendo Direct, four fan-favourite classics were confirmed to be coming to the Nintendo Switch's on??line se??rvice. And best of all, they're dropping later today.

The first two are a pair of Game Boy Advance games: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Four Swords and Metroid: Zero Mission for Game Boy Advance. The former is a compilation title that includes a GBA remake of the beloved SNES game A Link to the Past, and a multiplayer spin-off that sees f??our Links team up and explore randomised dungeons. This will allow for? online co-op.

As for Metroid: Zero Mission, it's a GBA remake of the very first Metroid game, letting you experience an updated re-telling of Samus' first adventure. It may not be as fancy looking as Metroid Prime 4, but it's still worth playing.

The other two additions are a pair of Nintendo 64 games: Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Rare's original Perfect Dark. Both of these are first-person shooters, with Turok being all about, well, hunting dinosaurs, while Perfect Dark is set in an alternate future where agent Joanna Dark goes on a mission to thwart an evil corporation. Perfect Dark will also f??eature online multiplayer. These two will be exclusive to Nintendo's new catalogue of mature rated titles.

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As part of today’s Nintendo Direct, the company announce?d?? that five titles from former partner Rare’s back catalog are releasing on their Nintendo Switch Online service.

The first couple are for NES: 1990’s Snake, Rattle & Roll, and 1988’s R.C. Pro-Am. For the SNES, we have 1993’s Battletoads in Battlemaniacs and 1995’s Killer Instinct. And on N64 is 1997’s Blast Corps, which requires the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion ?Pack to access??.

It’s no Rare Replay, but it’s�?no Rare Replay.

Of the bunch, I’m excited to see Blast Corps on here. It’s a creative title that just smells like early N64. It’s all about demolishing buildings with a plethora of weird vehicles. A truck carrying nuclear devices has lost control and is very slowly moving through populated areas. The only solution, obviously, is to knock down everything in its path. And for bonus points, knock down everything that isn’t in its path, as well.

Snake, Rattle & Roll is fine. R.C. Pro-Am is a bit of an NES staple. Battletoads in Battlemaniacs is not the best nor worst game in the series. Killer Instinct is a pre?tty big departure f?rom the much flashier 1994 arcade release.

Still, it’s a great bunch of games for the service. But it would have been cooler to see Rare Replay go multi-platform.

This buffet of Rare titles will hit the NSO chann??els today.

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For some of us, it's a good day to subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online as Mother 3 heads to the service for users in Japan.

As announced today in Japan's Nintendo Direct Partnership Showcase, Mother 3 is now available to the online ser??vice as part of Nintendo's Gameboy Advance collection. Of course, you can always buy the RPG outside of the region. That is if you don't mind playing in Japanese and adding an additional NSO app to your Nintendo Switch.

Unfortunately, it's not the best news for those of us itching to see the classic series completely localized. Mother 3 launched almost two de??cad?es ago, back in 2006, but never saw an official translation outside of Japan.

Those that came before, Mother and Mother 2, did, however, see international releases in one way or another. The second game, you may know as EarthBound, launched in North America in 1995, a year after its initial release in Japan. Eventually, the series debut game, just plain ole' Mother, hit the North American Wii U Virtual ??Con?sole service in 2015.

This is a lot to say, you're still out of luck, for now, if you're hoping for Mother 3 available outside of its original Japanese language script. However, you can still play EarthBound Beginnings (Mother) and EarthBound (Mother 2) via the Nintendo Switch Online service. That's?? not confusing at all. I'm off to kick roc?ks.

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Nintendo has announced that Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age will be added to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansio?n Pack service on Janua?ry 17.

Back in the Game Boy Advance days, I was so into Golden Sun. It was released in 2001 �?the same year that the Game Boy Advance was launched. I was still getting used to having such a powerful (for the time) handheld, and Golden Sun just felt li?ke a massive production with some really impressive-loo??king graphics. I remember listening to the theme repeatedly with headphones in, just soaking in the grandeur.

I enjoyed The Lost Age even better, as you can use a password to carry over your progress from the first game. ??It’s a direct continuation of the narrative, but the whole game is just so much more massive and impressive. Not knowing what I was getting into at the time, I got absolutely sucked in. Much of the g??ame is just a blur to me now, which implies to me that I completed it in a very short period of time.

I never really played the third game on the DS, though.

Sinc?e then, I haven’t had the gumption to play through the first game again. The?? introduction to that game is just so painfully long. It takes quite some time before you’re really let off the leash to do anything of substance. I know it gets better as it proceeds, but I just haven’t been able to get over that initial climb.

Will I finally be able to play through it again now that it's on Switch? I’m not sure. I’d like to, but there’s so much precedent for me to g??ive up early on. Maybe I’ll at least try.

Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age will be added to the?? Game Boy Advance service of ?the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack on January 17.

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In one of the most substantial update?s to the Nintendo Switch’s N64 library, Nintendo has announced three new games are available now as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack service. Man, how did this one slip me by until ??now?

Oh, right, this news broke during The Game Awards.

Well, even if you’re feeling tired from a marathon of game trailers and celebrity appearances, these classic games are still well worth checking out. Also, the trailer for the update features more than a few ??seconds of gameplay from each game, unlike most of what we saw during The Game Awards. Oh, did I j??ust say that out loud!

Let's talk about these new old games

Passive aggressive snark aside, I like this spread of games. 1080 Snowboarding is the big nostalgic pick for me. Extreme sports games were all the rage back in the 90s, and I�?was not good at them. It took me until Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 to really get into and love the genre. 1080, however, was a very fun game to be bad at. Racing down mountains in the snow was a good time, and the music is Buck Bumble levels of �?a href="//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMQcv4k7h0Q" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer n??oopener">this is stuck in my head for no reason.�?/p>

I still can’t believe that 1080 Snowboarding is a first-party Nintendo game. I await the day that Ricky Winterborn becomes a playable Super Smash Bros. character.

Harvest Moon 64 is next on the list, which I have zero attachment to whatsoever. Even with the rise of cozy and farming games, the genre just never clicked with me. That said, I do recognize that Harvest Moon 64 is a significant entry in the series and remains a fan favorite. With how much love Stardew Valley has (rightfully) gotten, it’s been great seeing classic Harvest Moon become available once again. I hope f??arm??ing sim fans get a kick out of this one.

Finally, we have Jet Force Gemini. Rare was on a roll for Nintendo during the SNES and N64 eras, to the point that notable games like Jet Force Gemini get forgotten next to Banjo-Kazooie and Conker’s Bad Fur Day. I’m not going to say Jet Force Gemini is a hidden g?em or anything. However, it's certainly a notable part of the system’s history that deserves to be remembered. This was another one that wasn’t necessarily my jam, but the Nintendo fans? in my family absolutely loved this game back in the day.

That said, I dipped into this briefly via the Nint??endo Switch, and uh�?the controls may need a bit of customization nowadays. The game makes use of all the C-Buttons, but not to control the camera. We were still a few years out from universally recognizing how shooters control with twin-sticks, after all. So this one may be a tough sell if you didn’t grow up with it. I still recommend dipping into it just to appreciate the atmosphere and retro 3D visuals.

Here's to more N64 games

Overall, it’s nice to see a collection of games like this hit the Nintendo Switch Online service. Typically, Nintendo takes a drip feed approach. Either you’ll see one game at a time or a collection of left-field picks. But regardless of how these three games in particular have aged, they’re all significant pillars?? of the N64 library. They’re well worth having on hand.

Additionally, it’s not like we’re out of significant N64 games to add to the service either. Off the top of my head, Mischief Makers, Body Harvest, Ogre Battle 64, and the Bomberman games would all serve as notable additions to the N64 library. And that’s not getting into the rest of Rare’s classics or ports like Mega Man 64. I’m personally more of a Game Boy Advance guy myself, but it’s been fun seeing which retro ??games will get a seco?nd wind on the Switch. Hopefully we can still enjoy all these titles on whatever Nintendo’s next system is.

The Nintendo Sw??itch Online Expansion Pack update is available now.

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It's not time to barrel roll; instead, you should be celebrating by eating a Swiss roll as Ninte?ndo Switch Online has added a bunch of adorable Holiday profile icons. You can use your silver coins on the service's dedicated app to get them.

The Happy Holidays section of the Missions & Rewards tab has a bunch of festive Mario icons, as well as characters like Link, Isabelle, a Splatoon Inkling, and Pikmin for 10 Platinum Points each. Icons aren't the only gift?s available on t??his tab. You can get some lovely holiday backgrounds with festive colors and patterns.

You'll want to be quick, however. These sea?sonal rewards will only last until December 25 at 4:59 p.m. Pacific. Make sure you get on the Nintendo Switch Online app and redeem them before it's too late.

Take advantage of the Switch eShop holiday sale, too

Beyond these holiday profile icons, there's also a winter sale going on in the Nintendo eShop. Until December 3, you can get a 33% discount on games like Luigi's Mansion 3 and Super Mario Odyssey. Bayonetta 3's 30% off too. One of my favorite Nintendo games of the year Fire Emblem Engage (yes, it d?id come out in 2023!) has a 30% discount as well.

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Nintendo has unveiled the next games getting added to the Switch Online Service. The NES service gets The Mysterious Murasame Castle (Nazo no Murasame-Jou) and Devil World, while the Game Boy gets Castlevania: Legends.

This is a fantastic set of games, even if you maybe haven’t heard of some of them. I’ve even written in-depth features of two of them here on De??structoid, and have mentione?d the remaining one a few times.

The first (and best) of the bunch is The Mysterious Murasame Castle which was initially released in 1986 for the Famicom Disk System as part of the launch lineup alongside Metroid and The Legend of Zelda. Being shoulder to shoulder with those releases should have guaranteed it immortality, but Nintendo never released it outside of Japan until 2014 on the 3DS Virtual Console. It’s perhaps not as inventive as Metroid or Zelda, but it’s still a very fun retro romp.

Devil World gets talked about a bit more, as it includes Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, and Kōji Kondō. It was released in 1984 for Famicom, and despite the cast of legends behind the development, it never got released in North America. This is largely because Nintendo of America at the time had a strict policy against religious imagery. Aside from the obvious Devil who dances on the top of the screen, there’s also a Bible. That’s okay, however. Devil World is largely a maze game in the style of Pac-Man, and personally, I don�??�t think it’s all tha??t great.

Castlevania: Legends is definitely not all that great. I wrote this up as part of my kusoge column, but I also said in that article that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. One of the main reasons for its bad reputation is that Koji Igarashi, who helmed the series after Castlevania: Symphony of the Night booted it from canon because it contradicted some things in that game. Otherwise, I don’t see how it’s any worse than the other Castlevania Game Boy titles.

So, while I’m sure many gamers out there are wondering how these games got priority over the ultimate classic Bubsy, if you haven’t tried these games, I urge you to take them for a spin. All of them are rough-cut gems ?that deserve a better legacy.

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Thinking about renewing your Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership? It’s that time of year when many yearlong memberships lapse, so Nintendo has strategically announced that Mario Party 3 will be?come playable for Nintendo Switch owners around the world this week.

Mario Party 3 is the culmination of the original Mario Party trilogy on Nintendo’s 64-bit console. In many ways, it offered more of what the ?previous two entries did. There were more boards to play on, more minigames to ruin your thumbstick with, and more random elements to ruin your friendships. That said, I can’t lie; I really liked this one back in the day. Even today, I still hear many consider this one the best in the ser??ies.

With that in mind, I can sort of see why Nintendo might tempt Switch owners into another year of their subscription service with this announcement. I mean, I don’t know ?how many people actually use the online play feature of the service. But for those that do (and make it work without lag), this could make for a solid game night.

The best Mario Party?

Mario Party is one of those series that, back in the day, I didn’t get for the longest time. Don’t get me wrong; I had friends, I definitely had friends, no one can say that I did not have friends. But on the rare occasions that I played Mario Party 1 or 2 with friends or family members, I found myself getting bored before a single game was over. Mario Party 3 was the first entry to?? really grab me??, and I still have my physical copy.

The Duel Mode of Mario Party 3 is what really sold me on the game. This was a 1v1 mode that had each player grinding coins, hiring classic Mario enemies as party members, and using them to fight the other player whenever you crossed paths. It was?n’t that complex, but that slight RPG flavor of building a party captivated me. Plus, I almost never had more than one friend over at my house at once to play video games. Duel Mode offered just about everything I wanted from the series, even if it had some balance issues.

I honestly fell off the series after this point. I’ve since heard that Mario Party 6 is a standout entry, but by that point I had moved on to playing stuff like TimeSplitters 2 with friends. I was too edgy of a teenager to return to something family friendly like Mario Party. My loss, probably. Feel free to let me know if Mario Party 3 isn't actually the best game in the series.

Anyway, if you’re looking for some multiplayer nostalgia, check out Mario Party 3 when it launches on the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack service on October 27. Friends n?ot included.

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Own a Nintendo Switch, but have nothing to do this weekend? Well do we have news for you. From September 28 to October 3, anyone subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online service can take the action/adventure RPG Eastward for a spin. 

Eastward, developed by Pixpil Games and published by Chucklefish, is an RPG where players must find a way to escape an underground society that is on its way towards devastation. Here’s a full synopsis of Eastward from its dedicated website:

“In the near-future, society is fast hurtling down the path of destruction. An unknown, toxic presence has spread and poisoned the air. Those who could escape flocked to villages underground to start a new life, and as new generations were forged, they soon forgot all memories of the blue skies above. But for a hardworking miner and a mysterious young girl, the hope of a thriving outside world beckons�?/p>

Escape the tyrannical clutches of subterranean society and join Eastward’s unlikely duo, Sam and John, on an exciting adventure to the land above! Travel across the world by rail to uncover the mystery of Sam’s powers, and the truth behind the deadly miasma.�?/p>

A full-game trial

As usual with these promotions, those who purchase the game after playing?? this trial can carry over their progress. Additionally, the full game is discounted 50% through October 10, meaning you can nab this normally $24.99 game for $12.49. 

Participants of the Game T??rial can also acquire 100 My Nintendo Platinum Points. To earn these points, check out Missions & Rewards in the Nintendo Switch Online app on your console.

Eastward launched on September 16, 2021. In our review of the game, Eric Van Allen gave it an 8/10, saying �?em>Eastward is something a fan of pixel art and good music, with a weakness for video game nostalgia, deserves to check out. It’s just also a journey that left me wanting a little more.�?/p>

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When Nintendo announced that Game Boy Advance games would appear on the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack service, I felt a tinge of excitement in my soul. Not because I love Game Boy Advance games, though that is certainly true. Rather, because I could never wrangle together the peripherals and people needed to make many of the system’s unique multiplayer experiences work. So when I saw this morning that Kirby & The Amazing Mirror?? would be coming to Nintendo’s subscript??ion service next week, I couldn’t help but smile.

For the uninitiated, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror is a unique curiosity of a game. On one hand, it is as much a Kirby platformer as any. It has all the copy abilities and cute characters you could ask for. But instead of the traditional level-by-level structure, it veers towards a Metroidvania format. Maybe nowadays that’s an overdone concept, but for 2004, that was pretty awesome! And moreover, it? has full four-player co-op. I could never organi?ze a multiplayer run through this game back in the day, but when this update launches next week, I might finally have that chance.

More multiplayer Game Boy Advance games, please!

As much as I love seeing strong single-player games like Fire Emblem hit the Switch Online service, I really hope we see more multiplayer games like Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. Those experiences are so hard to preserve these days, so having the ability to set them up so easily brings a ton of value to Switch Online as a service. I know that, technically, you could already play Mario Bros. or Mario Kart Super Circuit to this point. But co-op games? Now that’s my j??am.

There are so many gems to unearth on this system that would be great fits for Switch Online. Shining Soul 1 and 2 were hack-and-slash RPGs built around multiplayer co-op. Sonic Advance 3 was experimenting with multiplayer almost two decades before Sega would revisit the concept with Sonic Superstars. And then there's The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, which�?I mean, it’s The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords.

Did I take this news story just as an excuse to talk about multiplayer Game Boy Advance games? Maybe. This is just a moment in gaming history that I just thought was gone for so many years, so I'm happy to see ??it again.

Regardless, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror is a great addition for those who sprung for the Expansion?? Pack add-on. Subscribers can experience this game on September 29.

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Typically, Nintendo Switch Online game updates come in two flavors. There are the exciting updates that bring all-time classic titles to the service. And then there are the weird updates that add a mix of obscure titles that seem to exist as curiosities at best. This month's update maybe veers closer to that second camp, but it’s such a cr?azy? mix of games that I mostly feel confusion over any kind of disappointment.

Across the?? Game Boy, NES, and SNES apps, Switch Online owners can now access three Japan-exclusiv?e titles and, weirdest of all, an obscure licensed game. Here’s the rundown:

• Kirby Star Stacker (SNES)
• Quest for Camelot (Game Boy Color)
• Downtown Nekketsu March: Super-Awesome Field Day! (NES)
• Joy Mech Fight (NES)

I really cannot get over seeing Quest for Camelot on that list. It was one of those movies that was in the pop culture conversation so briefly that I only really remembered its signature song. I have no idea how the game holds up, but seeing the Titus logo on it doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence. The Wikipedia page for the game states under �?�Recept?ion�?that “Adam Cleveland of IGN summarized the game as ‘bad,’�?which, hey, who am I to argue with Adam Cleveland of IGN?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDB_vr-0KJs

A good time for Japanese games

Meanwhile, it does appear that the other titles on this list have some merit. Downtown Nekketsu March is part of the Kunio-kun series, best known in the United States for River City Ransom. Additionally, Joy Mech Fight was famously one of the ten Nintendo titles that Destructoid’s Zoey “I’m gonna play it�?Handley said should be localized. I can’t believe Nintendo reads Destructoid. There is literally no other explanation for this that? I am willing to listen to.

You’ll probably want to look up guides to help navigate some of the menus in these titles. I mashed the A button in each to get into gameplay, but that's not the best way to enjoy games. This fortunately isn’t a problem you’ll have with Quest for Camelot though. You’ll only have to contend with the fact that the game is - in the word of Adam Cleveland of IGN - “bad.�?/p>

All four game??s are available now for Nin?tendo Switch Online subscribers.

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Nintendo has announced that the next game joining the Nintendo Switch Online (Expansion Pack) line-up. Excitebike 64 will be arriving on August 30.

Excitebike 64 is generally remembered as being a better-than-expected motocross game. It was a rather strange title where, if you looked past the rather generic visuals and excess of dirt, you’d be rewarded with a lot of strangeness. This includes a soccer mini-game that the internet likes to call the original version of Rocket League and an endless desert.

It also got an unexpectedly awesome trailer:

//youtu.be/mVHhNyEQeio?feature=shared

I rented Excitebike 64 back in the da??y and loved it. When I reunited with it years later, I couldn’t find that same spark. I pick it up every now and then, trying to remember why I loved it so much??, and still can’t do it. There’s too much dirt. Too much bike. Not enough excite. Still, remember when Nintendo had its own line of sports games that didn’t involve Mario? I prefer Mario sports games over real ones, but I also love variety.

This is the fourth of five games Nintendo promised us for 2023. Many have been pointing out that somehow Mario Party 3 is currently the one left out. Considering the first two Mario Party games were released in 2022, it’s kind of strange that they are?n’t in more of a hurry to complete the tr??ilogy.

It would also be nice if they added more non-Nintendo titles. The Star Wars games, maybe? The Goemon games? Hybrid Heaven? It doesn’t really matter to me, personally, since I have an extensive N64 collection. However, there’s more to experien?ce on the console than just Nintendo’s contributions.

Excitebike 64 will be arriving on the Nintendo Switch?? Online N64 app on ?August 30.

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During the August 8 Pokemon Presents, The Pokemon Company announced two classic Pokemon titles are coming to Nintendo Switch Online. First up is the Pokemon Trading Card Game which came out on Gameboy Color in 1998. The second is Pokemon Stadium 2 which hit N64 in 2000.

Both titles are coming to the Nintendo Switch Online service today, August 8. While it appears Pokemon TCG will be available on the base NSO service, Pokemon Stadium 2 requires the Expansion Pack.

While Pokemon TCG certainly isn't one of the traditional Pokemon games like Red, Blue, Yellow, etc., it's still fantastic. In fact, I remember playing it after those titles and thinking it was such a unique take on Pokemon. Instead of choosing a Pokemon at the start, players choose from one of three different TCG decks and begin their adventure to b??ecome the world's greatest TCG player. Similar to traditional games, you head out to defeat the eight Club Masters and ea??rn their Medals, comparable to Badges.

Pokemon Stadium 2 is a sequel to the original which is actually the first time we saw Generation II Pokemon in full 3D. Back in 2000, the popular sequel was also the only Pokemon title to use the N64 Expansion Pak. In Pokemon Stadium 2, players focused more on Pokemon battles rather than c??atching them a??ll.

Overall these are two great Pokemon titles being added to the service. Hopefully, this will also pave the way for the more traditional Pokemon GBC titles to come later.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QiLe4pTHAE

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We've already had one legendary Legend of Zelda game released in 2023, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for more. Starting today, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons are now available for the Nintendo Sw?itch Online service. Like with other classic Game Boy and Game Boy? Color titles, you only need the standard NSO subscription to access these two bizarre and wonderful games.

If you missed out on the Oracle titles, the games are the product of a developer known as Flagship, which released several high-profile titles and ports between 1998 and 2006. It developed four Zelda games for portable consoles during that time, including the original Four Swords and Minish Cap. The Oracle games marked the company's first shot at ??the franchise, and it did not disappoint.

Released less than a month before the arrival of the Game Boy Advance in North America, both titles take place far away from the well-known lands of Hyrule. Link is thrust into adventures that have him traveling through time or manipulating the seasons for his advantage. While each game comes with its own final boss (something I talked about earlier this year during Zelda week), players who purchased and beat both games could link their save?? data to unlock the true villain behind?? it all.

Spoiler alert: you already know who it is.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBbd_ttqlpA

As you can see from the trailer above, you will be able to access that extra bit of post-game content with Nintendo Switch Online. I can only imagine Nintendo is cooking up an SP version of these titles that'll launch players straight into that final battle. Meanwhile, I'm still here twiddling my thumbs for an SP cut of Earthbound Beginnings.

With this, there are only two more previously announced Game Boy games heading to NSO, including the likely Japan-only The Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls and the delightful Pokémon Trading Card Game. After that, it's anyone's guess, but I hope Nintendo and Capcom find a way to bring Mega Man V to the service.

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Pocket Plumbing

As previously announced, Nintendo has brought three classics of the Game Boy Advance era to the Nintendo Switch Online archives. As of today, Expansion Pack subscribers can revisit the Super Mario Advance trilogy, consisting of Super Mario Advance (2001), Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (2001) and Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3 (2002).

For those yet to experience these pint-sized classics, they are essentially revamped editions of some classic Super Mario Bros. titles, namely Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario World, and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. T??hey feature all of the worlds, stages, and shenanigans of their original releases, complete with additional features, characters, and secrets. Upon launch, they were the first-ever official portable option for these classic adventures, and as such were incredibly popular GBA releases.

//www.youtube.com??/watch?v=nRyFVwRqUKI&embeds_referring_euri=??https%3A%2F%2Fwww.videogameschronicle.com%2Fnews%2Fthe-whole-super-mario-advance-series-is-now-available-on-switch-online%2F&feature=emb_title

The fourth title in the series, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, is already available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online archives, having arrived alongside the service's debut back in the fall of 2018. All four titles are most assuredly worth a revisit, and it's cool to have the quartet of cla??ssics avail??able to hand as some of the most timeless releases in platform gaming history.

The Super Mario Advance series is now available to play for all Nintendo S?witch ??Online + Expansion Pack subscribers.

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Wave 2 is available until May 25, 2023

Tears of the Kingdom is taking the world by storm, and you might want to rep it via the Nintendo Switch Online system. That's where icons come in! Following the release of Wave 1 last week, Nintendo just dropped Wave 2 of its My Nintendo Switch icon rewards this past weekend, and you have a few more days to pick them up (until May 25 at 5:59 PM PT, to be exact).

//twitter.c?om/NintendoAmerica/status/1656826529811144706

Wave 2 of the Tears of the Kingdom icon suite includes (all icons are priced at 10 Platinum Points):

• Riju (Gerudo)
• Sidon (Zora)
• Tulin (Rito)
• Ganondorf

Also, there are a few more icons that are still available in the general pool:

• Link kneeling on a sky island
• Link sheathing his sword
• A Zonai
• A horde of enemies
• The Master Sword (no background)
• A silhouette of the Master Sword (black background)

Here's the full visual suite for Wave 2, including backgrounds and frames:

[gallery link="fi?le" columns="2" size="large" ids="380847,38??0848"]

Need Platinum Points?

As a reminder, if you want physical rewards, you can find our full Platinum Point guide here, which has been updated with details on weekly missions: bookmark it for when you need quick points for a reward. A handful of points is incredibly easy to get, as that’s basically just 15 minutes with Super Mario Run, or a quick sign-on to the 3DS or Wii U 3Shop. Also remember that an??y shipments are bundled together, so you can pay a flat rate for multiple items instead of paying it each time. Just know that items go out of stock on My Nintendo frequently, and some are never restocked.

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Yahoooooo?

So, how about those May 2023 Switch Online offerings? With Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom taking the world by storm, it would make sense if Nintendo completely forgot about them, but late last night we did indeed get an update: and we're getting not one, not two, but three Mario GBA games for the Switch Online + Expansion Pack catalog.

This isn't much of a surprise, as Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 was released in February for Expansion Pack subscribers, so this is just completing the set. According to Nintendo??, all three games are due out on May 26, and?? it seems like this is what we're getting for the month.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRyFVwRqUKI

Are these Mario GBA games worth playing?

As someone who ??owned all three on the GBA wh??en they came out: kinda!

Mario Advance 1 is likely going to be one of the more popular picks, as it transforms Super Mario Bros. 2 quite a bit: remixing the game's layouts in clever ways while adding challenges. But the art and audio styles are polarizing, and ultimately, as the game goes on, you notice less and less of?? those stark changes: to the point where?? some people just prefer to play the original (which is on Switch via the NES app).

That sentiment also applies to Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island, which ??are both on the SNES Switch app, but there are plenty of GBA-version fans out there who might sway you on those.

Yeah but can we get any version of Four Swords on Switch though?

This is a perfect opportunity for Nintendo to re-release Four Swords on the Switch: which arrived back in 2002 thanks to the "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords" GBA release. We'll also settle for the Four Swords Anniversary edition that came to the DS in 2011 (and the 3DS in 2013), and if they can spare the time; a remaster/remake of Four Swords Adventures from the GameCube, which would play nice with the multi-sy??st?em local play nature of the Switch.

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It's Ghost

Nintendo has announced that it will be delisting Bandai Namco's fun Paccle Royale, (no, it doesn't work, does it?), title Pac-Man 99 this fall. Currently available from the Nintendo eShop as a benefit to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, the game will be unable to downlo??ad from October 8.

Players who own either paid edition of the game �?em> Pac-Man 99 Deluxe Pack or Pac-Man 99 Mode Unlock �?will still be able to access CPU Battle, Time Attack, and Blind Score Attack in an offline capacity. Additionally, all purchased themes and cosmetic items will still be available. All online services for the title are to be suspended, however, which is pretty frustrating given that this is the foundation of the Pac-Man 99 gimmick.

No reason was given for the decision because Nintendo gon' Nintendo, but the title hasn't seen quite the same level of success as its sibling, Tetris 99, which launched back in the fall of 2019. There could also be an expiring license issue, given the pill-popper's torrid legacy with red tape. Or, Nintendo coul??d simply be do??ing it because why not? It be that way sometimes.

Pac-Man 99 is available now on Nintendo Switch, players wishing to enjoy the offline modes after delisting will need to pick up the Pac-Man 99 Deluxe Pack or Pac-Man 99 Mode Unlock.

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I've lost count of how many times I let Ganon return

[Note: This piece was originally published in 2021. We're bumping it now, as part of our Zelda Week coverage in May 2023, in the lead-up to Tears of the Kingdom. Enjoy!]

Thirty-one years ago, The Legend of Zelda became the first video game I ever beat. A year later, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link became the first video game I ever quit.

To be fair, I didn't finish too many games in my elementary school days. We owned ma??ybe five titles total for our NES, and everything else was rented. So most games I played in the early '90s were returned before I got the chance to see the credits roll.

But that's not what happened with Zelda II. Sure, it was a rental to keep me occupied for another stormy Western Washington weekend, but I gave up on it long before we had to take it back to the rental shop. As captivated as I was with everything Zelda following my victory over Ganon in the first game, attempting to play through The Adventure of Link made m?e w??ant to cry like the little sissy boy I was and mostly still am.

Perhaps the game isn't designed to be beaten by six-year-olds, but I also couldn't beat it when I was 18 and it re-released on The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition bonus disc, ?when I was 22 and bought it for the Wii's Virtual Console, when I was 26 and got it for free as a part of the 3DS Ambassador's Program, when I was 31 and tried to beat it in time for the franchise's 30 anniversary, and four years ago when I set out to conquer it on my NES Classic Edition. This game has been destroying me my entire life, but this year, I finally found a way to see it through to the end.

I cheated my ass off.

To be clear, I tried for years to beat Zelda II legitimately. I never made it past the second dungeon back on the NES, but on my GameCube, I gave it the old college try. Without having to worry about returning the game to the rental shop, I knew I could take my time with it and fully dedicate myself to mastering it the same way I'd mastered the original and A Link to the Past. I even printed up a guide from GameFAQs to point me in the right direction. And while it help??ed me get further than ever before, one thing it couldn't do was get me past Rebonack.

For the unfamiliar, Rebonack is the dungeon boss of the Island Palace. On paper, it sounds like a pretty easy fight. H?e starts out mounted on floating horse armor, charging at you from left and right. You need to jump over him with a downward thrust as he passes by to wh??ittle away his energy. However, halfway through the fight, he'll jump off his horse, recover all his health, and come at you as a Blue Iron Knuckle. This is part that has given me trouble throughout my life.

As much as I admire Nintendo for not resting on its laurels when creating a sequel to The Legend of Zelda, the move to side-scrolling action combat introduced a host of issues prevalent to NES games of the era that the original was able to avoid. Anyone who's played Ninja Gaiden has probably lost a life or twenty t?o a bird that appeared out of nowhere to hit you mid-jump over a?? pit.

That's something Link had to contend with on his second outing, though in his case, it's the flying eyeball Moas darting out of the left or right side of the screen to knock him into lava. It's cheap, frustrating nonsense. You have to have amazing reflexes and hand-eye coordination to make it through The Adventure of Link because the enem??ies you'll face are almost supernatural in their responses to your actions. Your foes can turn on a dime to hit you, and Iron Knuckles and their ilk are so adept at blocking your attacks that it would be comical if it weren't so exacerbating.

This is why I could never beat Rebonack. As soon as he switched to his second form, I had to deal with an enemy who could easily block all my attacks, who could attack me almost nonstop, and who could be pushed off the screen where I couldn't reach them, but they could still hit me. Regular Iron Knuckles and the lizard Gerus are frustrating enough when they have walls or pits you can knock them into. But one that can simply le?ave the screen while still dealing out damage will turn your hair gray.

So yeah, when I was 18, I said fuck it and quit?? at Rebonack. When I played it again on Virtual Console, I said fuck it and quit at Rebonack. On the 3DS? You guessed it. I said fuck it and quit at Rebonack. Then on my NES Classic, I made it past the Island Palace, and hea—I'm just kidding. I said fuck it and quit at Rebonack.

For more than 15 years, that bastard was the bane of my existence. I'm sure, had I stuck it out, I would have eventually made it past him and realized the difficulty of bosses is all downhill from there. But after fighting so many Iron Knu??ckles throughout my quest and knowing the journey ahead of me would be dotted with even more, having to challenge one as a boss battle immediately exhausted me, as if my soul threw its hands up and exclaimed, "Not this shit again."

For years, that's been my prevalent opinion of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It's an exhausting game, one seemingly designed to ensure players spend dozens of hours trying to make their way through it by pitting them against frustratingly fast and strong enemies. I didn't hate the game. I didn't even think it was a bad game, it was just more of a hassle than I would have liked it to be, like playing through EarthBound Beginnings.

I mean, did you know you lose XP when certain enemies hit you, and they take away far more than they give when you kill them? It's like the game is trying to be as much of a dick toward players as possible. If not for ??the fact you keep the tools and levels you unlock throughout your numerous attempts, it might be the most antagonistic game Nintendo has ever created.

With some alterations, I don't think The Adventure of Link would be the black sheep of the series it is today. But after 30-some-odd years, the only noticeable change has been the elimination of the blinking screen when Ganon returns upon your death. It's just as difficult today as when I still wore Velcro shoes because shoelaces intimidated me. The only difference is today, I have the rewind feature of the Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online.

I probably could have cheated my way through it back on the NES as we did have a functional Game Genie. The only problem is we didn't have a book of working codes, and honestly, I didn't really like the idea of breaking a game so I could beat it. Hints were fine as I needed a lot of help to find my way around Hyrule in the first game, and we did have a few NES Max controllers lying around, but Game Genie codes always came across as a curio to me rather than a legitimate means to an end. It's one thing to enable Moon Jump in Super Mario Bros, it's another to?? give yourself permanent star power.

But that was dumb, six-year-old me. Soon-to-be 36-year-old me is okay with cheating, or at the very least, cheesing the system to my advantage. And there is no better way to cheese your way through The Adventure of Link than abusing Switch Online's rewind feature.

To be honest, I didn't even realize it had a rewind feature when I first started it up. I set a goal for myself to beat the game for the anniversary so I could write this post, and at ??the beginning, I went through it just as I had before. I beat the first dungeon with ease, died a lot reaching the second dungeon, died a lot findi?ng the hammer, and finally starting to kick ass after I unlocked the downward thrust. Then I hit Rebonack and the game immediately started to grate my nerves.

Just as I readied myself to quit, it dawned on me I had completely ignored the Switch Online interface to this point. That's when I saw t?he rewind feature. I figured I might as well give it a shot, so I rewound my fight with Rebonack and challenged him again.

He beat me, but I did better this time. So I rewound again and did even better. On my fourth rewind, I nearly beat him. Then I started rewinding every time he hit me, and soon enough, like the samurai from Katana Zero, I had rewound my way into a perfect run against my arch-nemesis. A few hours later, I managed a perfect run to revive the sleeping Princess Zelda. A great big smile stretched across my face as I watched the credits roll. I had finally beat a game that had been giving me grief all my life, even? if I needed a little help to do it.

??In hindsight, I?? realize the rewind feature is a substitute for what I've really been missing all these years: patience. I'm simply not a patient enough person to deal with this game's bullshit.

If you're someone who beat Zelda II: The Adventure of Link without any technological assistance, I tip my hat to you. You're a better gamer than I. But if you're like me, a person who has wanted for years to cross this title off their backlog, don't feel bad using all the help you can get. Rewind the game, go with the SP version that maxes Link out at the start of his adventure, do whatever it takes because Zelda II is a bitch of a game, but one with significant ideas that ??were way ahe??ad of its time.

And once you?? do beat it, you can sleep easy kno?wing that now that you've conquered it, you never have to fucking think about it again.

The post My 30-year quest to beat Zelda II:?? The Advent??ure of Link appeared first on Destructoid.

Shut Up and (Mega) Drive

Nintendo has added a handful of Sega Mega Dri??ve/Genesis releases to its ever-expanding retro library, which is available to all Nintend?o Switch Online subscribers. The new 16-bit hits are available to download onto your Switch hardware from today.

First up is the Sega Mega Drive port of Capcom's Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition. Released over a year after the SNES port had dominated the market, Sega's take on the biggest game of the day was a fair port of the coin-op classic, and necessitated the development of the Sega Mega Drive six-button controller for anybody who wanted to play the fighter with any degree of compatibility. While still not a patch on the SNES edition of Street Fighter II Turbo, Mega Drive fans were incredibly grateful to finally receive the Capcom hit on their platfor??m of choice.

The second release in the line-up is another arcade port, albeit one of a much older release. Flicky is the home edition of Sega's own 1984 arcade release, in which a mother bird must gather up all of her chicks and lead them to safety, while staying one step ahead of a sinister kitty cat, as well as dodging various environmental hazards. Flicky was Sega's effort to enter the "dot eating" market, and was loosely designed after Namco's similar hit, Mappy.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_oWkNienwo&?;ab??_channel=NintendoofAmerica

The third title is the totally-tubular-dood platformer Kid Chameleon, which was released as a Sega Mega Drive exclusive in the day-glo days of 1992. Players guide rad kid Casey, sucked into a video game world, who must battle through an array of different zones and titles in order to rescue his friends and return to the real world. Upon release, Kid Chameleon was praised for its varied environments and cha?racters, and was considered one of the better-conceived releases of the post-Mario platforming boom.

The final title in the new update is GameFreak's latter-day adventure Pulseman, which launched on Sega Mega Drive in 1994 and only found its way west via the short-lived but pioneering Sega Channel. In Pulseman, players guide a Mega Man-esque "future boy", conceived of a love between a human and an A.I. (no, really). Pulseman is understandably rare, given its lim?ited release, so this Nintendo Online edition will give many players their first chance to check out this anomaly.

All? four titles are available to download now for all Ni??ntendo Switch Online subscribers.

The post Nintendo Switch Online adds Sega classics St?reet Fighter?? II, Flicky, Pulseman, and Kid Chameleon appeared first on Destructoid.

Traumatic pre-order flashbacks

Nintendo has announced that the legendary N64 release Pokemon Stadium will be the next classic title joining the Nintendo Switch Online library �?Subscriber??s to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pa??ck service will be available to download the 2000-released adventure from Wednesday, April 12.

Released for the N64 at the height of the original Pokemon mania, Pokemon Stadium saw the cutesy critters from Game Boy releases Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, and Pokemon Yellow come together to battle it out in trainer-on-trainer action. A single-player campaign sa?w players?? battle throughout a range of stadiums set within the Pokeverse, while multiplayer action allowed up to four trainers to compete in head-to-head throwdown �?all clamoring to be the very best, like no one ever was.

//w???ww.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd8P2QJwbrM&ab_channel=NintendoUK

And, when the dust has settled, then players can chill out with a series of fun and silly mini-games �?such as Sushi-Go-Round a??nd Magikarp's Splash �?located in the oddly titled "Kid's Club". The Nintendo Switch Online version will feature all of the modes from the original release. Unfortunately, the implementation of the Gam??e Boy releases is not a part of this version, though hopefully this can be rectified down the line.

I've bored y'all with this story before, but I was working in games retail when Pokemon Stadium dropped, and there is no other title that I remember being so fervently sought after more. We had people offering to pay double if we could promise a copy, pre-orders that weren't being fulfilled for weeks, and a situation where we had to keep all stock off the showfloor as peop??le would ra??bidly attempt to bargain us to sell people's reserves to them.

"Can you call me when it comes back in?"

"No, we cannot."

Pokemon Stadium joins Nintendo Switch Online on April 12.

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Cute pink ball in the side pocket

Nintendo Switch Online has updated its library of old-school releases, offering up hours of '80s/'90s entertainment for its subscribers �?The March release, which is live right now, includes titles from the NES, SNES, and Game Boy libraries, and includes an appearance from your favorite pink? pal, Kirby!

NES

From the 8-bit console's enormous back catalog of releases, we are offered the NES port of Atari's iconic 1982 shmup Xevious. Titled Xevious The Avenger, this vertically scrolling shmup was initially released on the Japanese Famicom in 1984, and was, at the time, one of the very first third-party titles in Nintendo history. It was incredibly successful on release?, which lead to a stock shortage within its launch week!

SNES

For the 16-bit counterpart, we're taking to the table for a spot of pool with Data East's Side Pocket, a top-down billiards simulator based upon the 1986 arcade of the same name. The home version offers more modes and revised gameplay, as well as a bevy of rad, 16-bit portraits as well as photo-style portraits of the player characters and various "babes", which were designed to give the home edition an edgy, The Color of Money vibe.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBZVeqD3nRc&ab_cha??nnel=NintendoofAmerica

Game Boy

This month's Game Boy offerings feature two gaming icons. The first, BurgerTime Deluxe, is a handheld edition of Data East's classic 1982 arcade, and sees a chef negotiate a maze of platforms in order to make the perfect burger �?fending off attacking foodstuffs with his trusty pepper. The second Game Boy addition is Kirby's Dream Land 2, the sequel to the legendary and highly acclaimed 1992 release, Kirby's Dream Land. This adventure sees our ever-hun??gry friend attempt to recover the stolen Rainbow Bridges from King Dedede, possessed by an evil phenomen??on known as "Dark Matter".

Xevious The Avenger, Side Pocket, BurgerTime Deluxe, and Kirby's Dream Land 2 are all available ??now via the Nin??tendo Switch Online service.

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He was a SA-X man from the state of Tennessee

The Metroid franchise is having something of a moment right now. With the recent release of the highly praised Metroid Prime Remastered, I feel like the internet has been abuzz about the adventure of Samus Aran. I haven't heard this much chatter about gaming's favorite galactic bounty hunter since Metroid Dread dropped to widespread praise in 2021. Metroid has long been my favorite franchise from Nintendo (depending on the day of the week you as me) so the more I get to talk about it, the better.

For anyone who has missed out on the earlier games in the series, there is some good news. Metroid Fusion is coming to Nintendo Switch next week.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o-1bhvB1qk

Originally released for the Game Boy Advance–on the same day Metroid Prime released for the GameCube�?em>Metroid Fusion is the sequel to the critically lauded SNES masterpiece Super Metroid. The game finds Samus fighting for her life after being attacked by a parasite known as X. To save her life, doctors inject Samus with Metroid DNA, officially fusing her with the creature she once hunted to near extinction. But her recovery is cut short when she discovers a doppelganger known as? SA-X is wreaking havoc on a Biologic Space Laboratories ship.

Play the other games too

Metroid Fusion will become available on Nintendo Switch on March 9 through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription plan. If you're a complete newbie to the franchise, the first three games in the series�?a href="//www.nintendo.com/store/products/nintendo-entertainment-system-nintendo-switch-online-switch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Metroid, Metroid II: The Return of Samus, and Super Metroid—are also available on Nintendo Switch Online.

For those who'd rather own a copy of Metroid Fusion rather than rent one through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription, there is still time to buy the game on the Wii U Virtual Console before it gets taken offline later this month. You do still have your Wii U, don't you?

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