Available now
- by Liam Doolan
As we enter February, Nintendo has today announced two more titles for the Switch Online’s Game Boy library.
Following the recent Super Mario Galaxy Movie Yoshi reveal, Nintendo seems to be continuing the Yoshi celebrations with the release of the 1991/92 puzzle-themed Game Boy title Yoshi. Alongside this, Nintendo has locally released the 1990/91 platformer Balloon Kid.
Here are the official Nintendo descriptions for both titles and you can check out the trailer above.
Yoshi™
Yoshi is an action/puzzle game starring Mario’s trusty buddy Yoshi, who has been imprisoned in an egg. Now it’s raining Goombas, Bloopers, and Boo Buddies, and you have to help Mario stop the airborne invasion. As the critters fall, catch them on trays. Stack two of a kind and they both disappear, or capture the whole bunch in between eggshells. When the eggshells match, out hatches Yoshi and up goes your score! The action heats up as the characters fall faster and faster. To save the day, switch and shuffle, and don’t let your piles get too high!
Balloon Kid™
In the little town of Pencilvania, there lived a brother and sister who loved to play with balloons. Alice and her younger brother Jim would spend countless days filling the skies with their balloons. One day, Jim filled all of his balloons and tied them together to make a beautiful balloon rainbow across the sky. But suddenly, a strong wind came and carried Jim away.
As Alice, you must save your brother from peril. Float through eight different stages as you follow Jim’s trail of balloons. Collect as many balloons as possible to earn bonuses. Test your piloting skills to avoid enemies, or let go of your balloons to face enemies on the ground. In BALLOON TRIP mode, compete for the highest score and move up the ranks. Take a big gulp of courage and give Alice a hand as she searches for her missing brother!
And in case you’re wondering, Japan is getting Yoshi and Balloon Fight GB this week. The second game, released exclusively in Japan in the year 2000, is a Game Boy Color version with some updates such as a world map and the ability to save. You can see it in action in the trailer below:
This title is an action game for the Game Boy Color released in 2000 on the Nintendo Power game rewriting system. You control Alice, who flies while holding on to a balloon, and chase after her younger brother who has been blown away by the wind. Clues to her brother’s whereabouts are balloons left all over the stage. You will progress while avoiding various obstacles, including birds with sharp beaks and flying fish that appear from the sea. Sometimes you can even let go of the balloon and explore on land. In “Balloon Trip” mode, you can challenge yourself to see how long you can fly without hitting an obstacle.
If you want to revisit these titles on Nintendo’s digital Game Boy library, you’ll need to have an active Switch Online subscription.
What do you think about the latest Game Boy releases for the Switch Online service? What other titles would you like to see added? Let us know in the comments.
Liam is a news writer and reviewer across Hookshot Media. He’s been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of many iconic video game characters.