Nintendo Switch Online Adds First Third-Party Game Boy Advance Titles from Namco This September

Nintendo is adding two third-party Game Boy Advance titles to the Switch Online retro library, ending the run of only first-party releases. Starting September 25, Expansion Pack subscribers can play Namco classics Klonoa: Empire of Dreams, a side-scrolling adventure, and puzzle title Mr. Driller 2. This marks a shift as third-party GBA games join the lineup. Notably, Bandai Namco has been actively revisiting its retro catalogue, with remasters like Mr. Driller Drill Land and Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series already on Switch, and more classics headed to Atari 50 later this year.

Nintendo Switch Online Gets First Third-Party GBA Titles from Namco in September

Nintendo confirmed in a YouTube trailer on Wednesday night that Klonoa: Empire of Dreams and Mr. Driller 2 were joining the Game Boy Advance – Nintendo Classics collection. Both games will be available through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription on Switch and Switch 2.

Klonoa: Empire of Dreams is a spin-off of Namco's early 2000s PlayStation 2.5D platformer series. While some GBA spin-offs of console games felt very different, this title stands out by closely replicating the experience of its console originals.

Meanwhile, Mr. Driller 2 is a port of a classic Namco arcade game in which players dig downward through blocks of different colours while keeping track of their air supply. Though a spiritual successor to Dig Dug, it never achieved the same level of fame. Neither Mr. Driller 2 nor Klonoa: Empire of Dreams is new to re-releases, as both were previously available on the Wii U's Virtual Console.

This news arrives less than a week after Nintendo's recent Direct, which unveiled surprising updates for Nintendo Classics: Virtual Boy titles are set to be added to the service. All 14 games in the Virtual Boy lineup will launch on February 17, 2026, and will require a specific accessory to play.