Nintendo has added three more titles to the Game Boy Advance catalog on Nintendo Switch Online. And this time there’s nothing here but three absolute bangers that we can only describe as cult classics. Because we’re talking about Monster Rancher Advance, Metal Slug Advance and Kururin Paradise.
Cult classics for everyone
Monster Rancher Advance is a Tecmo title, based on a transmedia IP of the same name that began as an anime and a game on the first PlayStation in 1997, about breeding and battling monsters. Published in 2001 in Japan and the United States, it’s not the best of the Monster Rancher games, but it’s a fantastic game for anyone who wants an alternative to the Pokémon games that’s more focused on raising monsters.
Metal Slug Advance is a game developed by Noise Factory, published in 2004, a team made up of Atlus veterans coming off Princess Crown, who gave this Nazca classic an intriguing twist. Intense and vibrant, it’s perfect if you want a good handheld run & gun. And Kururin Paradise is a game developed by Eighting that would never leave Japan, published in 2002, where you guide a constantly spinning ship through tight mazes without touching the walls in this excellent puzzle game.
With the three games now available, this is possibly the best selection of games Nintendo has offered for the service so far. That said, to play the Game Boy Advance catalog you’ll need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. But if you have it, these three games are essential.