During the Nintendo Direct presentation for September 2025, Nintendo had a surprising reveal that long-time Nintendo fans did not expect to see. The library of Virtual Boy games is being added to the Switch Online service as Virtual Boy Classics that can be played on the Nintendo Switch 2. In addition, an accessory that recreates the experience of playing Virtual Boy titles is being released in conjunction with the games being added to the service. For many people, the Virtual Boy was one of the few major failures for the company back in 1995. Although support for the system came to an abrupt end in 1996, it has become part of the company's legacy in various ways over the years.
Many people have a strong sense of nostalgia about the games that were released for the Virtual Boy. And while the list of titles for the system isn't very big, there are a few solid games that were limited in their release by being locked onto the system. But not every Virtual Boy title was made equally, as most of the game's library isn't as fondly remembered by gamers who were around during the system's release. Here are the only Virtual Boy games that you'll need to play once the Virtual Boy Classics are live for Nintendo Switch 2.
Mario Clash
3D reimagining of a classic
Most people don't always remember that Mario had appeared in multiple games prior to the release of Super Mario Bros. for the NES. One such title was the original Mario Bros. from 1983 made for arcades, which had Mario and Luigi battling turtles coming out of pipes in the sewers. The game was also brought to the Famicom/NES and became a hit for Nintendo, despite Super Mario Bros. being the more well-known game that brought the series to new heights. Mario Clash is a re-imagining of that original game that tries to take advantage of the 3D theme for the Virtual Boy, adding in new elements to the original game to make it feel fresh and a little different.
Teleroboxer
The sweet science on Virtual Boy
Boxing games and Nintendo have a real deep history. One of the most famous boxing-related games to come out for a Nintendo platform was Punch-Out for the NES. But the company had a number of other boxing titles that had varying degrees of success over the years. One unique boxing game that was on the Virtual Boy was Teleroboxer, a title released for the system in 1995. The game has players fighting against robot boxers in a setting where robot fights have become very popular. Like other Virtual Boy games, it uses parallax scrolling to give the illusion of 3D visuals, which makes the action a lot more dynamic.
With the Virtual Boy accessory coming out for the Nintendo Switch 2, Teleroboxer may be one of the few games from the titles being added to Switch Online that justifies using it. The original release of the game took advantage of the first-person perspective more than most other Virtual Boy titles, so looking through the system made a lot of sense. Whether people decide to get the cardboard version or the full plastic unit, playing Teleroboxer may feel like the closest type of experience to what it was like using the Virtual Boy back in the mid-90s. The game may not have been as popular as Punch-Out back in the day, but Teleroboxer was definitely trying something different and interesting for boxing games.
Mario's Tennis
Retro 3D sports action
The Mario Tennis series has grown into a big part of Nintendo's library of Mario-related titles. And while a new Mario Tennis is coming out for the Nintendo Switch 2, as Mario Tennis Fever in 2026, Nintendo fans will also be able to go back to a classic entry in the series that was a pack-in title for the Virtual Boy. Mario's Tennis is the first installment of the series to put Mario on the tennis court with many of his friends. The game has multiple modes that can be played, including variations of singles and doubles tennis matches. Originally, Mario's Tennis was going to have a two-player mode that could see two Virtual Boy systems connected for multiplayer gameplay, but it was never implemented by the time the game was out, since the cable required to connect the systems was never officially released by Nintendo.
Gameplay in Mario's Tennis is the foundation that the rest of the series was built upon. There are seven playable characters in the game besides Mario and Luigi, including characters like Yoshi, Princess Peach, and Toad. But in addition to them, the game also includes a Koopa Trooper and Donkey Kong Jr. on the roster. Every character has differences in stats like power and speed, which affect the way they move on the court and hit the tennis ball at opponents. Aspects of this would be expanded upon in future sequels, as well as increasing the roster of playable characters from throughout the Super Mario series.
Virtual Boy Wario Land
Getting greedy in 3D
The gameplay of Virtual Boy Wario Land is very similar to Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 for the Game Boy. However, the plot and context of events in the game is very different, making it its own entry in Wario's legacy of titles. The story finds Wario taking a vacation in the Awazon, where he encounters strange creatures entering a cave behind a waterfall. He follows them and discovers treasures that he wants to claim, but a collapse of the cave sends him underground, forcing him to find a way back to the surface while gathering more treasure. It's a very goofy story that fits right in line with the rest of the series, and is consistent with what would be a trademark of the character going forward.
Playing the classics on Virtual Boy
Seeing the Virtual Boy library of games being added to Switch Online is very surprising for a lot of people. Although not every Virtual Boy game is being added to the collection when it arrives in 2026 for the Switch 2, there are multiple games that people may not have played when the system was around. It will definitely pique their curiosity. But if you want to see the best that the Virtual Boy had to offer back then, then these are the only games you'll need to play on the Nintendo Switch 2 when they are finally live.
