Nintendo Switch: Game Boy and GBA emulators coming soon

For several months now, various leaks have suggested that Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will soon have access to games originally released on the Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. It seems that the arrival of such an emulator has now been confirmed as it was spotted before its official launch.

Indeed, four files were leaked on 4chan, according to Twitter user @Trashbandatcoot. A Game Boy emulator codenamed “Hiyoko” and a GBA emulator codenamed “Sloop”. The emulators were created by NERD, short for Nintendo European Research & Development, a team that manages other emulators used on the Switch.

Nintendo Switch will receive Game Boy and Game Boy Advance emulators

The new Game Boy and GBA emulators will therefore join other emulators already available on the Nintendo Switch console. After the NES and SNES emulators, players who subscribed to the new “Online Pass + Add-on Pack” subscription were able to discover a wide catalog of N64 and Megadrive games.

Looks like a number of games have already been tested on new emulators, and the full list has already been shared on Twitter by @Mondo_Mega. The list includes Golden Sun, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Metroid Fusion, Metroid: Zero Mission, Mario etc. Some famous games such as Donkey Kong, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon and many more.

Pokemon fans will clearly notice Absence of Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. Don’t panic, although not mentioned Nintendo seems to be testing them, especially for patch cord emulation, which specifically allows shopping for Pokémon. Nintendo hasn’t made a statement about these leaks, but it’s a safe bet that the company could make the project official during the Nintendo Direct in June or September.