Nintendo has revealed the next two retro games it’s adding to the classic game catalog for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. In this case, they are titles originally released by Namco for the Game Boy Advance in the early 2000s, arriving on September 25.
They’re from the more cult classic Namco series Mr. Driller and Klonoa, and are being re-released for the first time thanks to Nintendo Switch Online. They are the kind of funky additions to the service’s classics lineup that I like the most, as they reintroduce some more obscure games to a whole new generation of players.
What are the next GBA games coming to Nintendo Switch Online
Both will be added on September 25
A trailer posted to Nintendo’s YouTube channel on Wednesday night confirmed that Klonoa: Empire of Dreams and Mr. Driller 2 are both coming to the Game Boy Advance – Nintendo Classics catalog, which is part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription service for Switch and Switch 2.
Klonoa: Empire of Dreams is a spin-off of a PlayStation series of 2.5 platformers that Namco released in the early 2000s. While the GBA spin-offs for some series felt radically different than their console versions, this game is actually pretty impressive and emulates the feel of its console counterparts closely.
Meanwhile, Mr. Driller 2 is actually a port of an arcade game that Namco had released, where the goal is to dig downwards through different-colored blocks without running out of air. It’s a spiritual successor to Dig Dug, but it didn’t become nearly as iconic as that arcade game did.
Both Klonoa: Empire of Dreams and Mr. Driller 2 are pretty obscure GBA games, and probably weren’t at the top of anyone’s list of games they wanted to see added to the Nintendo Switch Online classics catalog. Still, they are the type of retro games I like seeing added the most.
While the most popular games are often the first to be remastered or remade, the more obscure titles deserve to be preserved, too. That’s why I enjoy it when less well-known games get to shine alongside certified classics in retro game lineups like this. It’s also why I was particularly excited by the Virtual Boy Classics announcement in the latest Nintendo Direct.
Bandai Namco has seemed more interested in highlighting Namco’s retro classics recently. The remasters Mr. Driller Drill Land and Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series are both also on Nintendo Switch, while Atari 50 is getting a lot of classic Namco games later this year.
