A new leak has emerged seemingly revealing a GameBoy Advance emulation for Nintendo Switch Online.
Nintendo's way of preserving games has been questionable over the years. Shutting down their older online stores, removing third-party emulations, and compiling ports of older games into pricey packages are just a few ways in which players have been unable to access Nintendo's huge catalog of older games.
One way in which players have been able to access some older games on the Nintendo Switch is through the system's online service - Nintendo Switch Online and its Expansion Pack. So far, players have been able to access a select few games from previous consoles such as the SNES and N64, for a fee. Games such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, and Banjo-Kazooie have all been made accessible via the service's Expansion Pack (available for $49.99).
Now, according to a recent leak, the service is gearing up to add emulations of GBA games as well.
GBA Games Could be Heading to Nintendo Switch Online, According to Leaks
As told in an article written by Nintendo Everything, a number of files had popped up on the forum site 4chan detailing information about a Game Boy emulator in development by Nintendo Europe Research & Development.
Twitter user @trashbandatcoot gave the post a bit more context, saying, "4 files were leaked so far onto 4chan: 2 NSP's with a 7z archive that has loose NCA's. The 2 NSP's is a Nintendo developed GBA emulator called Sloop, and the 7z archive is called Hiyoko, which is a Game Boy emulator, with all Game Boy games being separate applications."
"These emulators are developed by NERD (Nintendo Europe Research & Development), and are both functional, albeit with a few bugs."
As for which games are said to be heading to the service, another Twitter user @Mondo_Mega provided a list of supposedly tested games. While this doesn't guarantee that the games will make their way into the service, a number of popular titles can be found, including:
- Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
- Astro Boy: Omega Factor
- Mario Kart: Super Circuit
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong
- Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team
- Metroid Fusion
At the time of writing, there's no telling when GBA games will be implemented into the Nintendo Switch Online service. Additionally, any game that has been rumored to have been tested is not guaranteed to make it to the final rollout.
Until official confirmation arrives from Nintendo, fans should adjust their expectations accordingly.