Summary
Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Packmembers can playGolden SunandGolden Sun: The Lost Ageas of today. These iconic GBA RPGs are the first new arrivals to the service since December, whenNintendo Switch Online surprised fans with three N64 games:Jet Force Gemini,1080 Snowboarding, andHarvest Moon 64.
Nintendo has been updating the NSO catalog roughly once per month since first launching its subscription offering in September 2018. However, individual platform libraries are revised less frequently, especially when it comes to titles from classic consoles such as the Game Boy Advance that are exclusive to the Expansion Pack tier of the service. For example, the platform’s last GBA update happened in late September 2023, whenNintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack addedKirby and the Amazing Mirror.
Three and a half months later, Nintendo’s subscription catalog expanded to include two beloved GBA RPGs:Golden SunandGolden Sun: The Lost Age. While the Switch maker routinely adds NSO titles out of the blue, that wasn’t the case this time around, as these classicGBA RPGs were already confirmed to be coming to Nintendo Switch Onlinelast week.
New Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Games in January 2024
Both games were developed by Camelot Software Planning, a Japanese studio that’s nowadays best known as the developer of various sports-themedMariotitles, including those from theMario GolfandMario Tennisseries. However, back in the early aughts, the company also treated the GBA to twoGolden SunRPGs, the first of which is still touted as one of the best games ever made for the handheld console. Both were lauded for pushing the limits of the GBA hardware, in addition to receiving widespread praise for their fast-paced gameplay and deliberate world design that represented the pinnacle of what turn-based JRPGs had to offer at the time.
Two-Thirds of the Golden Sun Franchise Are Now Available on Nintendo Switch
While the 2002 sequel did little to improve on the original’s formula, it still received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and is frequently described as the equivalent of required reading for JRPG aficionados. Following these mid-January additions to theNintendo Switch Onlinelibrary, Camelot’s iconic RPG series has but one other game that is currently unavailable on the hit hybrid console, the 2010 DS exclusiveGolden Sun: Dark Dawn.
The likelihood ofDark Dawnmaking its way to the Switch is slim, not least because NSO doesn’t support DS games. That notwithstanding, some fans are hoping that thisJanuary update to Nintendo Switch Online will kick off a chain reactionand possibly serve as a precursor for the revival of Camelot’s long-dormant franchise, or at the very least mark the start of another great year for Switch JRPGs.
Nintendo Switch OLED
Nintendo’s newest system features a vibrant 7-inch OLED screen, a wide adjustable stand, a dock with a wired LAN port, 64 GB of internal storage, and enhanced audio. Improvements to visuals, audio, and connectivity make a strong impact on highly detailed gameplay and setup is extremely easy.
