Throughout the history of Nintendo’s reign over the handheld market, they have produced a staggering amount of great games featuring their mascots and legendary characters. Across the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance, we got new Zelda titles, classic outings for Mario, along with appearances from Mega Man and Samus.

With Nintendo Switch Online, you can play a great deal of these classic bangers for free. It might be daunting to see all these games and not know which are the stand-out highlights, particularly if you’re a younger player looking to experience the history of these terrific franchises. We’ve picked five games from Game Boy and five games from the life of the Game Boy Advance that you can play, and love, today on your Nintendo Switch.

Pokémon Trading Card Game

Nintendo

There aren’t many Pokémon games on Nintendo’s subscription service but one of the best is here in the form of Pokémon Trading Card Game, which brought the successful TCG to handheld. Of course, all the rules and cards are very old, but the core of the card game is here and it’s as engaging as it has ever been. This is also a great way to learn the basic rules if you’re interested in playing the card game in other ways. There’s a great deal of nostalgia and sentimentality in this title, particularly in the pixelated graphics showcasing each card. It’s like stepping into a warm and cosy time machine.

Super Mario Land 2

Nintendo

There are several reasons to play Super Mario land 2 and one of those is the introduction of Wario, who went on to become a staple in Nintendo’s titles going forward. Then, of course, there’s the fact that the game doesn’t take place in the Mushroom Kingdom, which gives the game a very different feel. You’ll spot a few familiar enemies, but overall the vibes are different. Of course, it still feels like a Mario game, but this felt like Nintendo stretching their muscles and exploring outside the box that was so expertly crafted before.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracles of Ages/Seasons

Nintendo

While this could be considered two games in one entry, they are very similar in so many ways. Of course, this comes from the much-loved top-down view and the recognisable elements of The Legend of Zelda games that came before. These two Zelda games overlap and connect in some very special moments that make the world, and its events, feel bigger than the just one game. Some may prefer the time-based puzzles of ‘Ages’ while others will lean towards the more action-packed adventure in ‘Seasons,’ both of these games deserve to be played as an important part of the franchise.

Mega Man V

Nintendo

Some say that Mega Man V is the pinnacle of the series, at least as part of the mainline games. It felt incredibly polished and, for the time, it broke away from the tried and tested formula of the previous Mega Man games to excite players more than ever. Taking us to different planets - and bosses named after them - with an interesting and dramatic story, this outing for Mega Man felt surreal and weird in the best way possible. By the fifth entry, the action felt smoother than ever and the level design was popping off. It’s still a tough game to play, as many of the Mega Man games are, but it’s worth your time.

Donkey Kong Land

Nintendo

A new entry to the subscription service, Donkey Kong Land, was the only way to experience the brilliance of Donkey Kong Country from the SNES in a handheld. It condensed that adventure down, but didn’t really take away from what made the game so good. It still has the magic Rare added during development, and the 3D sprites look just as good on the Game Boy screen. Donkey Kong rarely gets much love nowadays outside of Mario spin-offs, so it’s great to go back to some of his best appearances and this is certainly a highlight.

Golden Sun

Nintendo

As we jump over to the Game Boy Advance, we start out with one of the console’s best RPGs, but one that has fallen out of favour with Nintendo. Golden Sun is a delightful adventure with all the traditional beats of a good vs evil storyline accompanied by some of the most wonderful pixel graphics you’ll ever see. It may feel a little archaic compared to modern RPGs but there’s no denying the power of a good tale and Golden Sun spins one of those beautifully. The ability to use Djinn to control your character class was a nice touch as it opened up more options than others from the genre at the time. To see everything the story has to tell, you’ll need to follow this with the sequel which is also available on the Switch.

F-Zero: Maximum Velocity

Nintendo

I’m a sucker for F-Zero, especially in an age where Nintendo has seemingly forgotten the franchise exists. F-Zero: Maximum Velocity is a fast-paced racer that never lets up and provides a high level of difficulty for willing players. While the Game Boy Advance couldn’t deliver 3D visuals for these hover cars, there’s a charm behind seeing them rendered in pixels instead. The bright colours, engaging racing, and stellar course design makes up for the lack of more modern sensibilities.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Nintendo

Everything is better when a character gets shrunken in size to see the familiar world from a new angle, and that’s exactly what Capcom did with The Minish Cap. There is something special about handheld Zelda games that makes them feel more like fairy tales than their home console counterparts. This gorgeous RPG really leans into the more surreal nature of Link’s world with its bright colours, oversized sprites, and wonderful cast of characters. This is one of the more accessible Zelda games in the canon and simply delights throughout.

Metroid Fusion

Nintendo

While I’ve not dabbled in the Metroid series enough to love one more than the others, Metroid Fusion often comes up as a stand-out title for players. Whether that’s because of the simple graphics bringing the world to life, the abilities Samus takes on, or the fact that it feels like the darkest and most spooky of the entries. In fact, my colleague Ewan Moore wrote a lovely piece about the survival horror aspects of this game that might tempt you into playing.

Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2

Nintendo

What better way to experience Mario in handheld form than in his finest 2D outing to date. Nintendo wanted to take advantage of their back catalogue by re-releasing Mario’s older adventures for the GBA, and so brought Super Mario World to their handheld. It retains the brilliance of the original game and allowed players to experience the best Mario game to date all over again. The simplicity, along with the iconic items, characters, and mechanics, of this game allow it to thrive as much today as it did on release. It’s still one of the best ways to experience Mario’s platforming perfection.

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