Nintendo Switch Online Gave Us Some Handheld Fun – NSO Roundup July 2026
Nintendo Switch Online and Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack users got a taste of handheld goodness in July of 2026. Not only did they add three Game Boy games for base users, but users who have the Expansion Pack could also enjoy a Game Boy Advance collection of two classic puzzle games. Let’s take a look at what Nintendo Switch Online added to its retro collections in July of 2026.
Nintendo Switch Online July 2026 Additions
Fortified Zone
The little-known Game Boy title, Fortified Zone, has you picking between one of two soldiers and going behind enemy lines. Utilizing an overhead perspective, this game feels a lot like the original Metal Gear game on MSX and NES, so if you’ve played the original Metal Gear, you’ll feel right at home. At first, I thought Fortified Zone was a little monotonous just going from screen to screen and shooting enemies, but the more I played, the more I got into it, especially when I reached the boss sections where you take out the enemy weapons. Give this one a try.
The Sword of Hope II
The first Sword of Hope game was added to Nintendo Switch Online some time ago. This Game Boy sequel takes place five years later. Like the first game, this game utilizes a first-person perspective and plays like a combination between an RPG and a point-and-click adventure. There are turn-based battles, but you also use menu commands outside of battle such as “move,” “look,” “item,” and “open.” If you found the first game’s interface clunky (as I did), this game won’t change your mind, but if you enjoyed the first game, you should enjoy the sequel.
Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
At long last, we have the original Game Boy Wario Land on Nintendo Switch Online. Wario was the villain in Super Mario Land 2, but now he takes the spotlight on a quest for gold, treasure, and more gold. Wario can jump, ram, and collect hats that grant him wacky powerups. Like all Wario games, this game has plenty of personality, and it’s lots of fun to forget Mario’s nobility and just be greedy. If you enjoy the other Wario games, you owe it to yourself to play this game. I love Wario games (especially the WarioWare series), and as such I love this game. I’d say it’s one of the best games that the Game Boy has to offer.
Dr. Mario and Puzzle League
This Game Boy Advance game combines two classic puzzle games, while adding some new features to each game. The original versions of Dr. Mario and Panel de Pon (later retitled Puzzle League) are already available in the Nintendo Switch Online NES and SNES libraries, respectively, so let’s look at whether or not this game offers anything different.
Dr. Mario is a simple, appealing game where Mario (who has somehow become a doctor) drops colorful pills to cure cute viruses. Match four pill sections of a single color and they disappear, and if said group contains a virus, the virus is cured. It’s super addictive no matter which version you’re playing. The Game Boy Advance version has some new music tracks. You can play single player, two-player, two-player against the computer, or a new “Flash” mode, where you compete with the computer to cure flashing viruses. I found the Flash mode pretty difficult, but still fun.
Puzzle League is one of the best retro puzzle games ever. Swap ever-rising colorful blocks to match three in a row. It’s simple, but you can make chains and combos, making it incredibly exciting. The Game Boy Advance version comes with a bunch of different modes. You can play single player, two-player, against the CPU, timed mode, a mode where you clear level-by-level, a mode where garbage blocks appear, and a puzzle mode where you have to clear the stage in a certain number of moves. All of these are super fun, with great music to boot.
What’s Next for Nintendo Switch Online?
August already promises to be an exciting month for the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. On August 3rd, two previously unreleased Virtual Boy games will be released on Nintendo Switch Online. Then on August 13th, Super Mario Sunshine will finally be added to the Switch 2’s GameCube collection. This means that there will be plenty of fun to be had if you have the Expansion Pack. Hopefully Nintendo will offer something for people with the base subscription as well.
