Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Whether you are rocking the original Nintendo Switch, the Switch Lite, or you’ve officially upgraded to the Nintendo Switch 2, it is time to fire up those systems and check for a firmware update! Nintendo has just expanded the NES & Famicom library on the Nintendo Switch Online service with three classic titles from Namco and Game Freak. That's right, today is the day that Nintendo chose to add 3 games to the NES Classics on Switch Online, but is only 1 any good?
It is always a great day when the library grows, especially when we get a mix of household names and some deeper cuts that many players in the West might have missed the first time around. We’re diving into The Tower of Druaga, Mendel Palace, and the legendary Pac-Man. Let's break down what’s new and whether these classics are worth your play time!
🏰 The Tower of Druaga
First up is a title I’ve actually owned on the original Famicom for quite a while, but I have to be honest—I’ve never been a huge fan of this one. The Tower of Druaga is a classic Namco maze-crawler that was massive in Japan but can be incredibly cryptic for newcomers. You play as the hero Gil, trying to scale the tower, but the game is famous for its hidden items that require very specific (and often confusing) actions to reveal. While it’s a legendary piece of gaming history, the gameplay loop has always been a bit of a struggle for me. If you love a challenge that requires a guide or a lot of trial and error, this might be right up your alley!
🃏 Mendel Palace (Quinty)
Now, here is a real treat! Mendel Palace (known as Quinty in Japan) was actually the very first game developed by Game Freak—long before they became a household name with Pokémon. I’ll admit, I hadn't spent much time with this one before, and jumping in today was an experience!
The gameplay feels almost like a puzzle-memory game hybrid. You move around a grid and "flip" floor tiles to shove enemies into the walls to defeat them. It took me a minute to find my rhythm, but once you realize the goal is to use the environment to ram the other players into the edge, it gets pretty addictive. It’s a unique piece of history that shows the early creativity of the Game Freak team, and it’s definitely the hidden gem of this update.
🟡 Pac-Man (Namco Version)
Finally, we have the king of the arcades himself: Pac-Man. Specifically, this is the official Namco port for the NES, as opposed to the Tengen version some might remember. It is exactly what you expect—pure, unadulterated Pac-Man.
This version plays remarkably well on the NES hardware, and it translates perfectly to the Switch and Switch 2. Having a solid, responsive port of Pac-Man available through the NSO service is a huge win. It’s the perfect game to jump into for a quick five-minute session or a high-score chase. Seeing this officially added to the lineup across all Switch consoles is a great addition for any retro fan.
🌏 Accessing the Japanese Famicom Library
If you want to see what our friends in Japan got, the lineup is the same but with the original titles like Quinty. A quick pro-tip: you can actually access the Japanese Famicom app on your North American or European console! All you need to do is set up a separate Nintendo account associated with a Japanese email address. Once that’s linked to your system, you can download the Japanese version of the NSO apps from their eShop and enjoy the original Famicom art and titles.
👇 NOW I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: Which of these three games are you diving into first? Are you a fan of the cryptic puzzles in Tower of Druaga, or are you sticking with the classic arcade vibes of Pac-Man? And did you know Mendel Palace was the start of Game Freak? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!
#NintendoSwitchOnline #NES #Famicom #NintendoSwitch2 #PacMan #MendelPalace #GameFreak #TowerOfDruaga #RetroGaming #NintendoSwitch #GamingNews #Quinty #Namco #ClassicGaming
Whether you are rocking the original Nintendo Switch, the Switch Lite, or you’ve officially upgraded to the Nintendo Switch 2, it is time to fire up those systems and check for a firmware update! Nintendo has just expanded the NES & Famicom library on the Nintendo Switch Online service with three classic titles from Namco and Game Freak. That's right, today is the day that Nintendo chose to add 3 games to the NES Classics on Switch Online, but is only 1 any good?
It is always a great day when the library grows, especially when we get a mix of household names and some deeper cuts that many players in the West might have missed the first time around. We’re diving into The Tower of Druaga, Mendel Palace, and the legendary Pac-Man. Let's break down what’s new and whether these classics are worth your play time!
🏰 The Tower of Druaga
First up is a title I’ve actually owned on the original Famicom for quite a while, but I have to be honest—I’ve never been a huge fan of this one. The Tower of Druaga is a classic Namco maze-crawler that was massive in Japan but can be incredibly cryptic for newcomers. You play as the hero Gil, trying to scale the tower, but the game is famous for its hidden items that require very specific (and often confusing) actions to reveal. While it’s a legendary piece of gaming history, the gameplay loop has always been a bit of a struggle for me. If you love a challenge that requires a guide or a lot of trial and error, this might be right up your alley!
🃏 Mendel Palace (Quinty)
Now, here is a real treat! Mendel Palace (known as Quinty in Japan) was actually the very first game developed by Game Freak—long before they became a household name with Pokémon. I’ll admit, I hadn't spent much time with this one before, and jumping in today was an experience!
The gameplay feels almost like a puzzle-memory game hybrid. You move around a grid and "flip" floor tiles to shove enemies into the walls to defeat them. It took me a minute to find my rhythm, but once you realize the goal is to use the environment to ram the other players into the edge, it gets pretty addictive. It’s a unique piece of history that shows the early creativity of the Game Freak team, and it’s definitely the hidden gem of this update.
🟡 Pac-Man (Namco Version)
Finally, we have the king of the arcades himself: Pac-Man. Specifically, this is the official Namco port for the NES, as opposed to the Tengen version some might remember. It is exactly what you expect—pure, unadulterated Pac-Man.
This version plays remarkably well on the NES hardware, and it translates perfectly to the Switch and Switch 2. Having a solid, responsive port of Pac-Man available through the NSO service is a huge win. It’s the perfect game to jump into for a quick five-minute session or a high-score chase. Seeing this officially added to the lineup across all Switch consoles is a great addition for any retro fan.
🌏 Accessing the Japanese Famicom Library
If you want to see what our friends in Japan got, the lineup is the same but with the original titles like Quinty. A quick pro-tip: you can actually access the Japanese Famicom app on your North American or European console! All you need to do is set up a separate Nintendo account associated with a Japanese email address. Once that’s linked to your system, you can download the Japanese version of the NSO apps from their eShop and enjoy the original Famicom art and titles.
👇 NOW I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: Which of these three games are you diving into first? Are you a fan of the cryptic puzzles in Tower of Druaga, or are you sticking with the classic arcade vibes of Pac-Man? And did you know Mendel Palace was the start of Game Freak? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!
#NintendoSwitchOnline #NES #Famicom #NintendoSwitch2 #PacMan #MendelPalace #GameFreak #TowerOfDruaga #RetroGaming #NintendoSwitch #GamingNews #Quinty #Namco #ClassicGaming
