Nintendo Switch Online Update Adds New Game Boy Game

Key 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, with 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 received a new game to play, as 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 came 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 platformer that took inspiration from the 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 launching in 1996 and 1997. In Donkey Kong Land, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are tasked by Cranky Kong with replenishing the Kongs’ treasured banana hoard after their longtime nemesis, King K. Rool, is goaded by Cranky into stealing the entire stock. Donkey Kong Land features 30 levels across four worlds.

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Although the Switch Online service already had an update in November, fans were given 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 manually updated by opening the Options menu, scrolling to Software Update, and selecting Update via Internet. Once the download is finished, the system will check to see if a Nintendo Switch Online subscription is active. Nintendo released a short gameplay trailer of Donkey Kong Land to give players a glimpse of how it will look in the app using 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 various environments that Donkey and Diddy will travel through, including some that will require riding animals 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 slew of games developed by Rare for Nintendo’s older platforms. Between the release of Banjo-Tooie and Perfect Dark on the Nintendo 64 app, gamers have seen some of Rare’s work return to Nintendo 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 out 2024.

Between the release of Donkey Kong Land on the Game Boy app, and the January release of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, fans of Nintendo’s monkey mascot have plenty of reason to celebrate. Only time will tell what the future holds for the Donkey Kong series.