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As of February 4th, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can now play two more Game Boy games on Nintendo Switch. The new additions include the 1990 platformer, Balloon Kid, as well as 1991’s Yoshi. Both are considered pretty solid installments from the Game Boy era and are well worth revisiting if you enjoy retro platformers. But the timing for Yoshi is extra perfect, since the green dinosaur has a new game headed our way this year.
Balloon Kid and Yoshi Arrive in the Nintendo Switch Online Classics Library
Balloon Kid originally released back in 1990, and later received a Hello Kitty-themed glow-up. As the title suggests, the side-scroller uses a balloon-float mechanic to navigate its platforming levels. Of course, you’ll also need to dodge enemies and defeat bosses. The game also has a 2-player mode, where you can participate in balloon-collecting battles against a friend. It’s a solid nostalgic addition to the Game Boy Classics library, but many Nintendo fans are no doubt more interested in this month’s other new addition.
Released in 1991, Yoshi is a puzzle game that stars the beloved green dinosaur first introduced in the Super Mario series. Though not Yoshi’s debut as a character, this Game Boy title was the first game to focus on Yoshi as the star. As a puzzle game, it’s pretty different from the platformer-style titles we see today, but is nevertheless a key part of Yoshi’s history.
Putting Yoshi out on Nintendo Switch Online makes a lot of sense, given that we’re supposed to get a new Yoshi game for Switch 2 sometime this year. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book doesn’t yet have a specific release date, but is expected in Spring 2026. Putting Yoshi’s very first solo game back at the front of mind for fans isn’t a bad idea to slow launch the marketing for one of the biggest Switch 2 titles we know about for the year so far.
