Nintendo Switch Online's Best Retro Collection

One of the best additions to Nintendo Switch Online is the various retro collections that compile games from older consoles and handhelds. These collections allow new generations to experience classic games from the past, while giving longtime Nintendo fans another way to play their favorite childhood titles.

These retro collections have been released incrementally throughout the Switch's lifespan. That said, some have a lot more games than others. However, it's not just the quantity of games included in each collection that matters, but also their quality. Simply put, some of these retro collections make an NSO subscription more valuable than others, even though they all offer a certain level of value to the service.

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game boy

Now play on portable power

The Game Boy single-handedly started the portable gaming revolution, showing how fun it could be to play games when not connected to a TV or computer. But while the little gray brick will certainly have a robust library of games over its nearly 15-year lifespan, not many of those games are present in the Nintendo Switch Online Collection.

Of course, there are plenty of classic Game Boy games here, including Super Mario Land, Tetris, the Game Boy Zelda trio, and the system's Mega Man titles. However, due to a lack of meaningful Pokémon games and an abundance of filler titles, the Game Boy NSO collection is currently the least historically relevant.

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Game Boy Advance

An advanced collection of classic handheld games

The Game Boy Advance collection is currently the smallest on Nintendo Switch Online, but it relies almost exclusively on hits to make up for the relative lack of titles. Here you'll find many of the GBA's best games, from the system's excellent Metroid titles to the best portable RPGs developed in the Golden Sun duology.

Similar to the Game Boy collection, this compilation will certainly benefit from the GBA's main Pokémon games as well as some third-party content. But every service that lets you play Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Microgames is worth every penny.

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nintendo entertainment system

Go back to where it all began

There are endless ways to play Nintendo Entertainment System games these days, but the system's NSO Collection is nonetheless committed to making deeper cuts that are just as accessible as iconic titles. There's something undeniably cool about being able to play Journey to Silius or Crystalis in the same collection as Super Mario Bros or The Legend of Zelda.

That said, some of these deeper cuts are perhaps too deep, and while it's nice to see these lesser-known NES games preserved for the new generation, some fall more into the “forgettable filler” category. “Hidden gem”. Nonetheless, special challenges allow you to play some of the system's best-known games in quirky new ways and add more value to an experience that's already been around for decades.

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sega mega drive

Absolute Explosion (Processing)

You can play many of these classic Sega Mega Drive games very easily through other means of fitting into your NES collection. This isn't to diminish the greatness of games like Phantasy Star 4, Shinobi 3, or Sonic titles, but it just means you can easily access them without a Nintendo Switch Online subscription.

Where the NSO Collection on the Sega Mega Drive really soars is how it unearths truly great titles that haven't enjoyed the same re-release process as the system's most beloved classic games. Crusader of Centy is probably one of the best Zelda clones you've ever played, and Mega Man: The Wily Wars may contain the best version of the first three games in the series. The only non-Nintendo retro collection from NSO, this collection of Sega Mega Drive games certainly holds its own.

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nintendo 64

A rare event worth celebrating

When it was announced that Nintendo 64 games were coming to NSO, there was a lot of anticipation among Nintendo fans of a certain age, but there was also a fair amount of fear. After all, much of that console's legacy comes from games developed by Rare, and there was no guarantee that Microsoft would play nice and allow these classic titles to appear.

Thankfully, there was really no cause for alarm, as this collection included iconic Rare titles like Goldeneye 007 and Jet Force Gemini, along with other Nintendo 64 heavyweights like Super Mario 64 and the Zelda games. A great collection of games for this beloved system.

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Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Super All the Way

Despite missing some great third-party games from this particular lineup (look at Square Enix), NSO's Super Nintendo collection has plenty of top-notch games for you to get lost in. The 16-bit era is often remembered fondly by gaming historians, and with games like Super Metroid, A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, the Donkey Kong Country trilogy, and Earthbound, it's easy to see why.

Even the deeper cuts in this collection like Demon Crest and Breath of Fire are well worth your time. A majestic symphony of excellent design, gorgeous pixel art, and endless replayability permeates countless games, further proving why the SNES will always hold a special place for countless gamers.