It’s a bit of a bumper month for retro games on the Switch, as six new titles from the SNES and NES will make their way to the console in December.
All six titles will arrive on December 12, and as per usual, you’ll need a Switch Online subscription to play them.
The most interesting of the games available is Star Fox 2 – notable because it never actually received a release on the original console. Shelved for being too close to the launch of the N64, it got its first official release with the Classic Mini SNES back in 2017.
Related: Best Switch games
Next up is Kirby Super Star: another title that reappeared on the Mini SNES, as well as getting an enhanced Nintendo DS remake 11 years ago. Super Punch-Out!! follows, along with Capcom’s Breath of Fire 2 RPG, bringing the total number of SNES games to 24.
The NES selection is even more fully stocked, with run-and-gun shooter Journey to Silius and SNK’s action-RPG Crystalis joining the service. That takes the library of NES games to an impressive 50 titles.
Related: Best upcoming Switch games
The steady stream of retro games certainly makes it worth keeping a Switch Online account active, but for some it’s a nice little bonus on top of the main functionality: allowing multiplayer Mario Kart 8, Smash Bros. Ultimate and Splatoon 2 sessions. Plus, it remains the only way to back up saved games for the moment – which is quite a big deal if you’ve ploughed hundreds of hours into Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Skyrim.
We’re still holding out for more recent gems from the Nintendo catalogue. We know that Super Mario Galaxy is playable on similar hardware, thanks to it being ported to the Nvidia Shield in China. We’re hoping it’s just a matter of time before Nintendo decides to print some money by republishing that and other more recent hits.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
