Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
We are officially about a week away from one of the best holidays of the year for gamers: Mario Day! You know it, you love it, March 10th (MAR10) is almost here. But Nintendo isn't waiting until the actual day to start dropping the goods. They have already announced 3 classic games that they are officially bringing to the Nintendo Switch Online service. To say I am excited about the new additions would be an understatement, but at the same time, one of these choices has left the Nintendo community with a lot of questions. Let's break down the three games coming to the Nintendo Classics library next week, what it means for the Switch and Switch 2, and why some of Nintendo's release decisions are genuinely baffling.
Up first is a title I absolutely cannot wait to dive back into, and that is Mario Clash on the Virtual Boy, available through the new Virtual Boy app on the Nintendo Classics side of things. If you have never played Mario Clash, you are in for a treat. It is essentially a 3D reimagining of the original Mario Bros. arcade game. Back in 1995, it was designed to show off the stereoscopic 3D capabilities of the Virtual Boy. Being able to finally play this fast-paced, high-score-chasing action game on a modern screen—without the neck pain and headache-inducing red-and-black visor of the original hardware—is a massive win for game preservation and retro fans.
Continuing the Virtual Boy love, we are also getting Mario's Tennis. (Just a quick, friendly correction if you're searching for it later: it is officially titled Mario's Tennis for the VB, not to be confused with the later Mario Tennis on the N64!). This game holds a special place in history because it was the actual pack-in game that came with the Virtual Boy console when it launched in North America. It is a remarkably solid, fun sports game that actually plays incredibly well. Having these two titles available is a fantastic way to go ahead and get started with the Virtual Boy library if you have never had the chance to experience these weird, obscure pieces of Nintendo history before.
Now, we get to the third addition. It's another great game, but one that has a lot of people confused, slightly upset, and wondering exactly what is going on behind the scenes at Nintendo. That game is the original Game Boy Advance version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Here is the thing: they recently re-released this as a gorgeous, ground-up remastered version on the original Nintendo Switch just a couple of years ago. The remake is an incredibly great game. It looks fantastic, it plays wonderfully, and it brought some awesome quality-of-life updates to the puzzle-platforming formula. So, the community is rightfully asking: if you are going to release the GBA original on the Nintendo Switch Classics line, why do the remaster at all? Why go through all that work and development cost if you were just going to basically give the original version away as part of the Switch Online subscription? It is a great addition, but it definitely makes you question Nintendo's long-term strategy for their legacy content.
And speaking of bizarre Nintendo decisions, we have to talk about the current state of the GameCube library. It is absolutely amazing that we finally have GameCube games available to be played on the Nintendo Switch 2 via Nintendo Switch Online. It's something fans have been begging for over a decade. But with Mario Day right around the corner, where in the world is Super Mario Sunshine? It is nowhere to be seen on the service! It seems like an absolute no-brainer to drop Sunshine onto the app to celebrate Mario's 40th anniversary and the MAR10 festivities, but for now, we are left waiting on Isle Delfino to make its grand return.
Now I want to turn it over to all of you. Like I said, the two Virtual Boy games are fantastic, and the GBA addition is great despite the confusing release strategy. But what do you think? Let me know down in the comments: what are some of your all-time favorite Mario games, and what do you think of this specific trio of games hitting the Nintendo Switch Online service this March 10th? Do you think we will ever see Super Mario Sunshine on the Switch 2's GameCube app? Drop a comment below!
Hashtags
#MarioDay #MAR10 #NintendoSwitch2 #NintendoSwitchOnline #RetroGaming #VirtualBoy #SuperMario #NintendoNews #MarioVsDonkeyKong #GameboyAdvance
We are officially about a week away from one of the best holidays of the year for gamers: Mario Day! You know it, you love it, March 10th (MAR10) is almost here. But Nintendo isn't waiting until the actual day to start dropping the goods. They have already announced 3 classic games that they are officially bringing to the Nintendo Switch Online service. To say I am excited about the new additions would be an understatement, but at the same time, one of these choices has left the Nintendo community with a lot of questions. Let's break down the three games coming to the Nintendo Classics library next week, what it means for the Switch and Switch 2, and why some of Nintendo's release decisions are genuinely baffling.
Up first is a title I absolutely cannot wait to dive back into, and that is Mario Clash on the Virtual Boy, available through the new Virtual Boy app on the Nintendo Classics side of things. If you have never played Mario Clash, you are in for a treat. It is essentially a 3D reimagining of the original Mario Bros. arcade game. Back in 1995, it was designed to show off the stereoscopic 3D capabilities of the Virtual Boy. Being able to finally play this fast-paced, high-score-chasing action game on a modern screen—without the neck pain and headache-inducing red-and-black visor of the original hardware—is a massive win for game preservation and retro fans.
Continuing the Virtual Boy love, we are also getting Mario's Tennis. (Just a quick, friendly correction if you're searching for it later: it is officially titled Mario's Tennis for the VB, not to be confused with the later Mario Tennis on the N64!). This game holds a special place in history because it was the actual pack-in game that came with the Virtual Boy console when it launched in North America. It is a remarkably solid, fun sports game that actually plays incredibly well. Having these two titles available is a fantastic way to go ahead and get started with the Virtual Boy library if you have never had the chance to experience these weird, obscure pieces of Nintendo history before.
Now, we get to the third addition. It's another great game, but one that has a lot of people confused, slightly upset, and wondering exactly what is going on behind the scenes at Nintendo. That game is the original Game Boy Advance version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Here is the thing: they recently re-released this as a gorgeous, ground-up remastered version on the original Nintendo Switch just a couple of years ago. The remake is an incredibly great game. It looks fantastic, it plays wonderfully, and it brought some awesome quality-of-life updates to the puzzle-platforming formula. So, the community is rightfully asking: if you are going to release the GBA original on the Nintendo Switch Classics line, why do the remaster at all? Why go through all that work and development cost if you were just going to basically give the original version away as part of the Switch Online subscription? It is a great addition, but it definitely makes you question Nintendo's long-term strategy for their legacy content.
And speaking of bizarre Nintendo decisions, we have to talk about the current state of the GameCube library. It is absolutely amazing that we finally have GameCube games available to be played on the Nintendo Switch 2 via Nintendo Switch Online. It's something fans have been begging for over a decade. But with Mario Day right around the corner, where in the world is Super Mario Sunshine? It is nowhere to be seen on the service! It seems like an absolute no-brainer to drop Sunshine onto the app to celebrate Mario's 40th anniversary and the MAR10 festivities, but for now, we are left waiting on Isle Delfino to make its grand return.
Now I want to turn it over to all of you. Like I said, the two Virtual Boy games are fantastic, and the GBA addition is great despite the confusing release strategy. But what do you think? Let me know down in the comments: what are some of your all-time favorite Mario games, and what do you think of this specific trio of games hitting the Nintendo Switch Online service this March 10th? Do you think we will ever see Super Mario Sunshine on the Switch 2's GameCube app? Drop a comment below!
Hashtags
#MarioDay #MAR10 #NintendoSwitch2 #NintendoSwitchOnline #RetroGaming #VirtualBoy #SuperMario #NintendoNews #MarioVsDonkeyKong #GameboyAdvance
