With the Switch 2 on the way, Nintendo fans are looking to the future, but the Switch is still making room for Nintendo’s past. Nintendo Switch Online just added two Game Boy classics, one of which is a surprise sequel in the guise of an arcade port that classic platformer players need to check out.
Nintendo Switch Online’s March update adds Mario’s Picross and Donkey Kong for the Game Boy. The first of those is exactly what it sounds like. It’s Picross. With Mario. The Nintendo Switch already has plenty of good Picross games, many of which are honestly doing more interesting things with the format with Mario’s Picross. The new addition is charming nonetheless, filled with puzzles centered on recreating iconic images from the Mario series, from super stars to, um, the letter L. You know, for Luigi. Mario’s Picross is notable for being the first of Nintendo’s Picross games, and as a free addition to your Switch Online subscription, it’s hard to argue with.
But the real star of this month’s Switch Online update is Donkey Kong. I know a port of one of Nintendo’s earliest arcade games might not sound too exciting, but there’s actually a lot more going on here. Donkey Kong ‘94, as it’s often referred to by fans, offers a lot more than the traditional arcade experience, though it might not look like it right away.
When you first start Donkey Kong, it looks just like the original arcade release (only more green, because it’s a Game Boy game). The first four levels of the game are right out of the arcade, with Mario ascending a definitely not OSHA-approved building site to rescue damsel in distress Pauline from Donkey Kong. While the levels are the same, players who mess around with the controls a bit may notice that Mario already has some new moves, like the ability to perform a handstand and kick away obstacles with his feet, or do a backflip that gives his jumps a boost.
Things really start changing once you complete the first four levels. After Donkey Kong is defeated by Mario, instead of giving up, he once again grabs Pauline and runs away. This is the point where Donkey Kong reveals itself to be not a port but a sequel. This version of Donkey Kong has 97 all-new levels, divided up among nine worlds. Each world has its own map screen, much like what’s seen in Super Mario Bros. 3, rather than automatically advancing through levels as happens with the original four stages.
These new levels also function much differently from the game’s intro. Rather than straight vertical levels for Mario to climb, the remainder of the game is much more like a traditional Mario platformer. Your goal is still generally to make it to the top of the screen, but the levels themselves are much more complex, with platforms arranged to test players’ jumping skills and roaming enemies to defeat. These new levels make use of all of Mario’s new powers and require more puzzle solving and the use of items to finish. Each world in Donkey Kong is capped off by a boss fight against the titular ape, which combine platforming and puzzles, requiring perfect timing and a bit of thought to complete.
Donkey Kong is a huge surprise if you go in just expecting to replay the classic arcade game, but even if you know what’s coming, it’s a stand-out Game Boy title. It’s full of satisfying platforming and cleverly designed levels, and despite the technical limitations of the Game Boy, it’s still compelling to play through today. Mario’s Picross and Donkey Kong are both welcome additions to Nintendo Switch Online, and Donkey Kong in particular is worth making time for.
