Nintendo Switch Online Update adds new Game Boy games

Important takeaways

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can now enjoy the classic 1995 Game Boy title, Donkey Kong Land on the service.
Donkey Kong Land is a beloved 2D platformer inspired by the Donkey Kong Country trilogy, featuring 30 levels across four worlds.
Players can update the Game Boy app to access Donkey Kong Land and use Game Boy filters for a nostalgic experience.

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers just got a new game to play, like the 1995 Game Boy title Donkey Kong Land is now available on the service. The release of Donkey Kong Land on the Nintendo Switch Online service arrived just days after the SNES classic Donkey Kong Country celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Originally released by Nintendo and Rare in June 1995, Donkey Kong Land is a 2D platform game inspired by Donkey Kong Country trilogy. Considered one of the best titles in the Donkey Kong series, Donkey Kong Land also spawned a trilogy of its own, with two sequels launched in 1996 and 1997. Donkey Kong LandDonkey Kong and Diddy Kong are assigned by Cranky Kong to replenish Kong's prized supply of bananas after their long-time enemy, King K. Rool, is prompted by Cranky to steal the entire supply. Donkey Kong Land has 30 levels in four worlds.

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Although the Switch Online service had an update back in November, fans got even more content to enjoy. Donkey Kong Land is now available on the Game Boy app for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers to download. Users must connect their Switch consoles to the Internet and the Game Boy app should update automatically. Alternatively, the app can be updated manually by opening the Options menu, scrolling to Software Update and selecting Update via Internet. Once the download is complete, the system will check if a Nintendo Switch Online subscription is active. Nintendo released a short gameplay trailer of Donkey Kong Land to give players a glimpse of what it will look like in the app with the classic Game Boy filter. The Game Boy Pocket and Game Boy Color filters can also be used to play Donkey Kong Land. The trailer showed different environments that Donkey and Diddy will travel through, including some that will require mounts to get through.

Nintendo Switch Online adds Donkey Kong Land to the Game Boy roster

The arrival of Donkey Kong Land is just the latest in a series of games developed by Rare for Nintendo's older platforms. Between the release of Banjo-Tooie and Perfectly dark on the Nintendo 64 app, players have seen some of Rare's work return to Nintendo's platforms via the Switch's subscription service. Although other titles like Donkey Kong 64 remain elusive at the time of writing, it remains to be seen how the Switch Online service will close in 2024.

Between the release of Donkey Kong Land on the Game Boy app and the January release of Donkey Kong Country Returns HDfans of Nintendo's monkey mascot have plenty of reason to celebrate. Only time will tell what the future has to offer Donkey Kong series.