Nintendo has expanded the retro game catalog available through its Nintendo Switch Online service, adding three additional Mario titles for subscribers with the Expansion Pack tier. The update brings Mario’s Tennis and Mario Clash from the Virtual Boy library, along with Mario vs. Donkey Kong from the Game Boy Advance catalog.
The new additions continue Nintendo’s ongoing effort to grow its collection of classic games available through the Nintendo Switch Online subscription. While the base subscription provides access to libraries from older platforms such as the NES, SNES, and Game Boy, the Expansion Pack upgrade unlocks additional catalogs including the Game Boy Advance, GameCube, and Virtual Boy.
One of the more recognizable titles in the update is Mario vs. Donkey Kong, originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004. The game builds on ideas from the early Donkey Kong arcade titles, placing players in control of Mario as he pursues Donkey Kong through puzzle-heavy platforming levels. Progression requires solving environmental challenges while navigating hazards and obstacles spread across multiple stages.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong occupies a unique place in the series timeline. Rather than focusing purely on platforming action, the game blends puzzle-solving mechanics with classic Mario movement. The title later received a modern remake for the Nintendo Switch in 2024, nearly two decades after its initial Game Boy Advance release.
Two additional games arriving this month come from the Virtual Boy catalog, one of Nintendo’s more unusual console experiments from the mid-1990s. Mario’s Tennis and Mario Clash are now playable through the Nintendo Switch Online Virtual Boy app.
Mario’s Tennis is an early sports title in the broader Mario Tennis franchise. The game offers singles and doubles matches, although the original release focused on solo play against computer-controlled opponents. Despite the limitations of the Virtual Boy hardware, the game attempted to simulate depth using stereoscopic visuals.
Mario Clash takes a different approach, returning to gameplay concepts similar to the original Mario Bros. arcade game. The title features platform-based action where players defeat enemies by throwing shells and other objects between layered platforms. While simple in design, the game reflects the arcade-style gameplay structure that defined many early Mario titles.
To access the Virtual Boy games on Nintendo Switch Online, players need the Expansion Pack subscription and the dedicated Virtual Boy application available through the Nintendo Classics library. Nintendo has gradually been expanding this catalog since introducing the Virtual Boy library to the service.
The Virtual Boy app currently includes nine playable games. These range from puzzle titles such as 3-D Tetris to action and experimental releases like Red Alarm and Virtual Boy Wario Land. Nintendo has also confirmed that additional titles are planned for release later in 2026, including previously unreleased projects such as D-Hopper and Zero Racers.
The March update arrives as part of Nintendo’s broader Mario Day celebrations, which take place annually on March 10. The company often uses the occasion to announce new content, sales, and updates related to its flagship character.
More additions to the Nintendo Switch Online catalog are expected later in the month as well. During the recent Pokémon Day event, The Pokémon Company confirmed that Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness will arrive on the GameCube app for Nintendo Switch Online in March. The title originally launched on the GameCube as a follow-up to Pokémon Colosseum and focuses on turn-based battles set in the Orre region.
Outside of the subscription service updates, Nintendo is also running discounts on several Mario games through the Nintendo eShop until March 15. Meanwhile, new releases connected to the franchise are scheduled over the coming weeks, including the upcoming Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and the theatrical release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in early April.
