During the Nintendo Direct presentation for September 2025, Nintendo had a surprising reveal that long-time Nintendo fans did not expect to see. The library of Virtual Boy games is being added to the Switch Online service as Virtual Boy Classics that can be played on the Nintendo Switch 2. In addition, an accessory that recreates the experience of playing Virtual Boy titles is being released in conjunction with the games being added to the service. For many people, the Virtual Boy was one of the few major failures for the company back in 1995. Although support for the system came to an abrupt end in 1996, it has become part of the company’s legacy in various ways over the years.
Many people have a strong sense of nostalgia about the games that were released for the Virtual Boy. And while the list of titles for the system isn’t very big, there are a few solid games that were limited in their release by being locked onto the system. But not every Virtual Boy title was made equally, as most of the game’s library isn’t as fondly remembered by gamers who were around during the system’s release. Here are the only Virtual Boy games that you’ll need to play once the Virtual Boy Classics are live for Nintendo Switch 2.
Mario Clash
3D reimagining of a classic
Most people don’t always remember that Mario had appeared in multiple games prior to the release of Super Mario Bros. for the NES. One such title was the original Mario Bros. from 1983 made for arcades, which had Mario and Luigi battling turtles coming out of pipes in the sewers. The game was also brought to the Famicom/NES and became a hit for Nintendo, despite Super Mario Bros. being the more well-known game that brought the series to new heights. Mario Clash is a re-imagining of that original game that tries to take advantage of the 3D theme for the Virtual Boy, adding in new elements to the original game to make it feel fresh and a little different.
Instead of raised platforms to jump on, Mario can jump in and out of space to different platforms to avoid and take down enemies. The Virtual Boy’s parallax optical tricks let the action seem as if it’s going deeper into 3D space, which makes this version of Mario Bros. look and feel different from the original. The gameplay is very much the same, despite the few changes to the Virtual Boy version. Knocking down all the enemies that appear is the objective, which can keep players going for higher scores. Unfortunately, there is no two-player mode like the original game, so there’s no Luigi appearance. It’s only Mario vs the Koopa Troopers. Although the Virtual Boy did have some multiplayer capabilities to connect two systems for multiplayer games, Mario Clash was never meant to include any two-player modes like the original Mario Bros. arcade game.
Teleroboxer
The sweet science on Virtual Boy
Boxing games and Nintendo have a real deep history. One of the most famous boxing-related games to come out for a Nintendo platform was Punch-Out for the NES. But the company had a number of other boxing titles that had varying degrees of success over the years. One unique boxing game that was on the Virtual Boy was Teleroboxer, a title released for the system in 1995. The game has players fighting against robot boxers in a setting where robot fights have become very popular. Like other Virtual Boy games, it uses parallax scrolling to give the illusion of 3D visuals, which makes the action a lot more dynamic.
With the Virtual Boy accessory coming out for the Nintendo Switch 2, Teleroboxer may be one of the few games from the titles being added to Switch Online that justifies using it. The original release of the game took advantage of the first-person perspective more than most other Virtual Boy titles, so looking through the system made a lot of sense. Whether people decide to get the cardboard version or the full plastic unit, playing Teleroboxer may feel like the closest type of experience to what it was like using the Virtual Boy back in the mid-90s. The game may not have been as popular as Punch-Out back in the day, but Teleroboxer was definitely trying something different and interesting for boxing games.
Mario’s Tennis
Retro 3D sports action
The Mario Tennis series has grown into a big part of Nintendo’s library of Mario-related titles. And while a new Mario Tennis is coming out for the Nintendo Switch 2, as Mario Tennis Fever in 2026, Nintendo fans will also be able to go back to a classic entry in the series that was a pack-in title for the Virtual Boy. Mario’s Tennis is the first installment of the series to put Mario on the tennis court with many of his friends. The game has multiple modes that can be played, including variations of singles and doubles tennis matches. Originally, Mario’s Tennis was going to have a two-player mode that could see two Virtual Boy systems connected for multiplayer gameplay, but it was never implemented by the time the game was out, since the cable required to connect the systems was never officially released by Nintendo.
Gameplay in Mario’s Tennis is the foundation that the rest of the series was built upon. There are seven playable characters in the game besides Mario and Luigi, including characters like Yoshi, Princess Peach, and Toad. But in addition to them, the game also includes a Koopa Trooper and Donkey Kong Jr. on the roster. Every character has differences in stats like power and speed, which affect the way they move on the court and hit the tennis ball at opponents. Aspects of this would be expanded upon in future sequels, as well as increasing the roster of playable characters from throughout the Super Mario series.
Virtual Boy Wario Land
Getting greedy in 3D
The offshoots of the Super Mario series have led to multiple franchises that went on to be classics in their own right. One series that is beloved by Nintendo fans, but doesn’t always get the credit its due, are the Wario Land games. Originally part of the Super Mario Land series on the Game Boy, Wario Land eventually spun out into its own with many misadventures of Mario’s greedy mirrored nemesis. But while the Game Boy games that featured Wario went on to great success, one entry on the Virtual Boy is often forgotten. Virtual Boy Wario Land was released for the system in 1995, and was developed by many of the original R&D1 team that created multiple classics for the Game Boy. It was also the final project for famed music and sound effect designer Kazumi Totaka, whose projects include the famous easter egg “Totaka’s Song” track that appears in multiple Nintendo games.
The gameplay of Virtual Boy Wario Land is very similar to Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 for the Game Boy. However, the plot and context of events in the game is very different, making it its own entry in Wario’s legacy of titles. The story finds Wario taking a vacation in the Awazon, where he encounters strange creatures entering a cave behind a waterfall. He follows them and discovers treasures that he wants to claim, but a collapse of the cave sends him underground, forcing him to find a way back to the surface while gathering more treasure. It’s a very goofy story that fits right in line with the rest of the series, and is consistent with what would be a trademark of the character going forward.
Like the original Wario Land game, Wario can use different hats he picks up to gain new abilities, which can take out enemies or break down obstacles in his way. While the game has three different hats he can pick up, there are some differences from the previous game, but their functions are very similar. There are 14 floors that Wario needs to explore and traverse to get back to the surface, with boss battles that appear every few floors. These boss fights take advantage of the Virtual Boy’s 3D gimmick and make the battles look and feel more action-packed. Like in other Wario Land titles, there’s also a ton of treasures to discover by exploring each floor, which can pile up into a massive amount of loot by the end. And like in the original game, the ending can change depending on how many treasures and loot that Wario gathers during his adventure.
Playing the classics on Virtual Boy