NES and Game Boy libraries expand with four classics on NSO

Table of Content

Nintendo has rolled out a new wave of titles for its Nintendo Classics collections, dated November 25, 2025. The update spans both the NES and Game Boy apps, bringing four well-known retro releases to current players. On NES, fans get Battletoads and Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos. The Game Boy lineup adds Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters and Bionic Commando. Access to these apps requires an active Nintendo Switch Online membership.

What’s new on NES – two action heavyweights

The NES library grows with a pair of action staples that defined late‑era 8‑bit challenge. Both are playable within the NES – Nintendo Classics app for members.

• Battletoads – A hybrid of beat ’em up, platforming and obstacle gauntlets known for its high difficulty and varied level types. Expect multi‑phase stages that alternate between hand‑to‑hand combat and precision traversal.
• Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos – A side‑scrolling action platformer featuring fast combat, cinematic storytelling between stages and platforming set‑pieces. Series hallmarks like tight controls and relentless enemy patterns are intact.

Game Boy additions – side‑scrolling classics with distinct hooks

The Game Boy app also receives two titles that lean into traversal and verticality. Both releases slot into the handheld library within Nintendo Classics for members.

• Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters – A platformer that mixes side‑scrolling and vertical climbing, with light adventure elements and a mythic setting centered on mobility and power‑ups.
• Bionic Commando – An action platformer built around its trademark grappling arm, prioritizing momentum and swing mechanics over traditional jumps for navigation and combat.

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At a glance – where each game lands

Table — New additions to Nintendo Classics (Nov. 25, 2025). The breakdown below shows which app to open and what arrived with this update.

Availability and access

All four games are available through the respective NES and Game Boy Classics apps and require any Nintendo Switch Online membership. The update was posted on November 25, 2025.

Official trailer

Watch the announcement video here: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/6wZZI8a4uDI

Final checkpoint – why it matters

This drop adds variety across both 8‑bit console and handheld libraries, mixing combat‑focused action with traversal‑driven platforming. For players maintaining their retro rotation, four recognizable classics arriving in one update means more options to sample – or to finally finish – with modern conveniences like suspend and resume inside the Classics apps.