There’s been a big hole in the Game Boy portion of the Nintendo Switch Online library for quite some time. Since launch until now, the service has NEVER carried Donkey Kong for Game Boy, most popularly known as Donkey Kong 94 — one of the handheld’s all-time best games. Today was the day that was finally corrected. About time!
The genius of the game is how it takes the addictive but simple mechanics of the arcade original and expands them into a fully realized world with new abilities, tougher puzzles and deeper challenges. It is basically the definitive version of classic Donkey Kong — we could call it Super Donkey Kong if that wasn’t already the name Donkey Kong Country went by in Japan. The only downside here is that, like all Game Boy NSO games, this has no Super Game Boy mode.
The Game Boy version of the classic arcade game returns!
Donkey Kong has once again kidnapped Pauline!
Challenged by many perils, Mario must reach his archrival in order to save our damsel in distress. As Mario makes his way through a series of platforms while jumping and dodging obstacles, he will also need to gather disappearing keys to unlock doors to hidden rooms.
Donkey Kong will stop at nothing to confuse and trap our hero. Help guide Mario as he journeys to the top! With 10 stages and 100 tricky levels to solve, it is a long trek to the final confrontation!
On this same day, Nintendo has also added Mario’s Picross — a different kind of game entirely, but just as addictive. The goal is to reveal pictures by filling in tiles using clues given by numbered rows. It’s kinda related to sudoku but works a bit differently. Since picross isn’t as flashy as the action-oriented gameplay of Donkey Kong 94, it wasn’t as big a hit over here, but now you can try them both.
Use logic to reveal mysterious hidden pictures! Help Mario unlock the mystery of Picross. The secrets lie in the numeric codes at the top and on the left side of each window. Decipher these numbers and uncover a hidden picture in every mind-bending puzzle. It will take quick wits and a speedy pace to solve the clues before the clock runs out. Chisel away boxes strategically and reveal the hidden image in record time. But be careful—every mistake will cost you precious minutes! There are more than 250 brain-bending puzzles to solve in all, with different levels of difficulty to provide mind-melting puzzle action for players of any skill level.
Donkey Kong 94 and Mario’s Picross are available now on NSO’s basic tier.