Nintendo Classics is a line of

emulated In computing, an emulator is hardware or software that enables one computer system (called the ''host'') to behave like another computer system (called the ''guest''). An emulator typically enables the host system to run software or use perip ...

retro games distributed by

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

for the

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

family of systems and

Nintendo Switch 2 The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo, released in most regions on June5, 2025. Like the original Nintendo Switch, Switch, it can be used as a Handheld game console, handheld, as a Tablet computer, tablet, or connected via ...

. Subscribers of the

Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) is an online subscription service operated by Nintendo for its video game consoles, the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The service is Nintendo's third-generation online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connect ...

service have access to games for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

(NES),

Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...

(SNES),

Game Boy The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...

(GB) and

Game Boy Color The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...

(GBC). At the more expensive subscription tier, titled "Expansion Pack", players can also access

Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...

(N64),

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Sys ...

(GEN), and

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...

(GBA) games, with

GameCube The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...

(GCN) exclusively available on Nintendo Switch 2. Each console's library is accessed through a dedicated app, with the Nintendo 64 library having a second app for games rated Z by the

Computer Entertainment Rating Organization The () is a Japanese entertainment rating organization based in Tokyo that rates video game content in console games with levels of ratings that inform the customer of the nature of the product and what age group it is suitable for. It was e ...

or M by the

Entertainment Software Rating Board The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings to consumer video games in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The ESRB was established in 1994 by the Entertainment Soft ...

. During its first year, Nintendo Classics provided a new batch of NES games on a monthly basis. As of the addition of SNES titles in September 2019, releases are no longer regularly scheduled. In October 2021, Nintendo added a subscription tier called "Expansion Pack" which includes access to Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games. In February 2023, Game Boy and Game Boy Color games were added to the base subscription tier, and Game Boy Advance (GBA) games were added to the Expansion Pack. GameCube games are also playable only on Nintendo Switch 2, and launched for the Expansion Pack alongside that system in June 2025. Games are accessible as long as the user has an active subscription, and a user must connect to the internet at least once a week to continue to access services while offline. The Nintendo Classics emulators include online multiplayer support, allowing players to play local multiplayer games remotely with friends. The emulators also support

save state A saved game (also called a game save, savegame, savefile, save point, or simply save) is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a video game. From the earliest games in the 1970s onward, game platform hardw ...

s, with most consoles also allowing players to rewind gameplay. Some NES and SNES games also have an alternative version labeled "SP" ("Extra" in some regions) which alters the game in some way, typically unlocking additional modes, starting the player with additional items or levels, or starting the player midway through the game. Nintendo Classics features numerous titles that were not available on Nintendo's

Virtual Console The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...

. Some games saw their first re-release in any form since their original debut including ''

Pro Wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

'', '' Vice: Project Doom'' and ''

Pilotwings 64 is a 1996 flight simulation video game developed by Nintendo and Paradigm Entertainment, Paradigm Simulation and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was one of three launch game, launch titles for the Nintendo 64 in Japan as well as Eu ...

''. The Nintendo Classics service marks the first release in North America for some games, such as ''

Pop'n TwinBee is a top-view shoot-'em-up game originally released in 1993 by Konami for the Super Famicom in Japan. The game was also released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in the PAL region. It is the sixth game in the ''TwinBee'' series and a ...

'', ''

Smash Tennis ''Smash Tennis'' is a 1993 tennis video game developed and published by Namco for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in Japan as It is a follow-up to ''Family Tennis'', originally published in 1987 for the Family Computer. ...

'' and ''

Mario's Super Picross is a Super Famicom sequel to '' Mario's Picross''. The game is compatible with the Super Famicom Mouse. It is developed by Jupiter and Ape and published by Nintendo. After the failure of '' Mario's Picross'' in North America, Nintendo decide ...

''.

Standard subscription

Nintendo Entertainment System

With the launch of the Nintendo Switch Online service on September 19, 2018, NES games were made available with 20 titles available at launch. , there are 90 games and 20 "SP" variations available, including the following:

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Announced in a

Nintendo Direct Nintendo Direct is a series of online presentations or live shows produced by Nintendo, where information regarding the company's upcoming content or franchises is presented, such as information about games and consoles. The presentations began ...

on September 4, 2019, SNES games were added to the service worldwide with 20 titles on September 5, 2019. They are available in a separate app from NES games. , there are 81 games and seven "SP" variations available, including the following:

Game Boy and Game Boy Color

Announced in a Nintendo Direct on February 8, 2023, Game Boy and Game Boy Color games were added to the service worldwide with 10 games the same day. The Game Boy emulator includes multiple display settings that recreate the visual appearance and color palettes of the original Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, or Game Boy Color.

Super Game Boy The is a peripheral that allows Game Boy cartridges to be played on a Super Nintendo Entertainment System console. Released in June 1994, it retailed for in the United States and in the United Kingdom. In South Korea, it is called the Supe ...

features are not emulated. , there are 41 games available, including the following:

Expansion Pack

Nintendo 64

Announced in a Nintendo Direct on September 23, 2021, Nintendo 64 games were added to the service worldwide with nine titles on October 25, 2021. Games are based on the

NTSC NTSC (from National Television System Committee) is the first American standard for analog television, published and adopted in 1941. In 1961, it was assigned the designation System M. It is also known as EIA standard 170. In 1953, a second ...

releases using 60 Hz timing; select games also have the option to play the European versions which run at their original

PAL Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a color encoding system for analog television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25 ...

50 Hz speed, including those that support multiple languages. Games that received a Z rating from the Japanese CERO rating board or an M rating from the

ESRB The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings to consumer video games in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The ESRB was established in 1994 by the Entertainment Softw ...

are available as part of a separate "18+" application in Japan or "Mature 17+" application in western regions. An update on June 5, 2025 update added the ability to remap each game's control scheme. Players on the Nintendo Switch 2 are also able to rewind gameplay and apply a CRT filter. , there are 41 games available, including the following:

Sega Genesis / Mega Drive

Announced in a Nintendo Direct on September 23, 2021, Sega Genesis games were added to the service worldwide with 15 titles on October 25, 2021. , there are 51 games available, including the following:

Game Boy Advance

Announced in a Nintendo Direct on February 8, 2023, Game Boy Advance games were added to the service worldwide with six titles the same day. , there are 27 games available, including the following:

GameCube

Announced in the Nintendo Direct for Nintendo Switch 2,

was added to the service with three games alongside the Nintendo Switch 2's launch on June 5, 2025. GameCube games are only available on Nintendo Switch 2. The emulator allows players to reassign buttons and customize controls for each game. Players are also able to control the games using original

GameCube controller The GameCube controller is the standard game controller for the GameCube video game console, manufactured by Nintendo and launched in 2001. As the successor to the Nintendo 64 controller, it is the progression of Nintendo's controller design in ...

s via the GameCube Controller Adapter. , there are 3 games available, including the following:

Notes

References

External links

* {{Nintendo Switch 2 Game Boy Advance emulators Game Boy emulators GameCube emulators Nintendo 64 emulators Nintendo Entertainment System emulators Switch Online games Nintendo services Online video game services Sega Genesis emulators Super Nintendo Entertainment System emulators Video game platform emulators Nintendo Switch Online games Lists of Nintendo Switch games