Nintendo Switch Update Revives a Classic ’90s Mario Game Boy Spin-Off

Nintendo Online members will soon have access to a classic '90s Mario franchise game on their Nintendo Switch console, according to a new press release by the company.

As part of the Nintendo Online membership, subscribers are entitled to over 150 retro games from the company's history, including popular old-school systems such as Super NES, Game Boy, and NES. Today, the company has dropped a few new classic games to the line-up, including a major early '90s Mario spin-off, originally released for Game Boy.

Yoshi, an action/puzzle game first released in 1991, is one of two titles coming to Nintendo Switch Online in the update. The Game Boy classic, first released in Japan before heading to the West the following year, sees Mario and Luigi's prehistoric pal Yoshi trapped inside an egg, with the gamer given an escape mission task.

"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," the description in the press release red "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!"

Although the game received mixed reviews, the spin-off sold a staggering 500,000 copies in Nintendo's home country on its first day of release, and revisiting Yoshi will be a major nostalgia trip for many Switch players.

Also available for Nintendo Switch Online members is Balloon Kid, a platform adventure game originally released for Game Boy in 1990. "As Alice, you must save your brother from peril. Float through eight different stages as you follow Jim's trail of balloons," Nintendo's new premise for Switch Online members states.

"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!"