Every game you can play on Nintendo Switch classic consoles

Updated 5/5/2023

I get it — there are emulators, handhelds, and all kinds of other ways you can play classic console games these days.

But they can be buggy and unpredictable. Nintendo made a really savvy move, at least for consumers like me, when they essentially built their own emulators and started releasing classic games that you can play right on your own damn Nintendo Switch.

All you need is a Nintendo Switch Online membership, and ideally the expansion pack add-on.

Using the Switch's built-in apps, instead of third-party emulators, makes things a lot more stable, requires no technical knowledge, and allows you to take advantage of bonus features like being able to save and rewind your game — critical for those insanely hard games we couldn't beat as kids.

Here are all the classic consoles and classic games you can play on Nintendo Switch right now. We'll update this list as new games come out.

NES

• ADVENTURES OF LOLO
• Balloon Fight™
• Baseball
• Blaster Master
• City Connection
• Clu Clu Land™
• Crystalis
• DAIVA STORY 6 IMPERIAL OF NIRSARTIA
• DIG DUG II™
• Donkey Kong
• Donkey Kong 3
• Donkey Kong Jr.™
• Double Dragon
• Double Dragon II: The Revenge
• Dr. Mario™
• EarthBound™ Beginnings
• Eliminator Boat Duel
• Excitebike™
• Fire ’n Ice
• Ghosts'n Goblins™
• Gradius
• Ice Climber™
• Ice Hockey
• JOURNEY TO SILIUS
• Kid Icarus
• Kirby's Adventure
• Kung-Fu Heroes
• MAPPY-LAND
• Mario Bros.™
• Metroid
• Mighty Bomb Jack
• NES™ Open Tournament Golf
• Nightshade
• Ninja Gaiden
• Ninja JaJaMaru-kun
• Pinball
• Pro Wrestling
• Punch-Out!!™ Featuring Mr. Dream
• River City Ransom
• Rygar
• S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team
• Shadow of the Ninja
• Soccer
• Solomon's Key
• Star Soldier
• StarTropics™
• Super Dodge Ball
• Super Mario Bros.
• Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
• Super Mario Bros 2
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Tecmo Bowl
• Tennis
• The Immortal
• The Legend of Zelda
• TwinBee
• Vice: Project Doom
• Volleyball
• VS. Excitebike™
• Wario's Woods™
• Wrecking Crew
• XEVIOUS
• Yoshi™
• Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

SNES

• Bombuzal
• Breath Of Fire
• Breath of Fire II
• BRAWL BROTHERS
• Caveman Ninja (also known as Joe & Mac)
• Claymates
• Congo's Caper
• Demon's Crest
• Donkey Kong Country
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong-Quest
• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
• DOOMSDAY WARRIOR
• EarthBound™
• Earthworm Jim™ 2
• Fighter's History
• F-ZERO™
• Jelly Boy
• Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
• Kirby Super Star™
• Kirby's Avalanche™
• Kirby's Dream Course™
• Kirby's Dream Land™ 3
• Magical Drop2
• Mario's Super Picross
• Natsume Championship Wrestling
• Operation Logic Bomb
• Panel de Pon
• Pilotwings™
• Pop'n TwinBee
• Prehistorik Man
• Psycho Dream
• Rival Turf!
• SIDE POCKET
• Smash Tennis™
• Spanky’s™ Quest
• Star Fox™
• Star Fox™ 2
• Stunt Race FX™
• Super Baseball Simulator 1,000
• SUPER E.D.F. EARTH DEFENSE FORCE
• Super Ghouls'n Ghosts™
• Super Punch-Out!!™
• Super Puyo Puyo 2
• Super Mario All-Stars
• Super Mario Kart™
• Super Mario World™
• Super Mario World™ 2: Yoshi's Island
• Super Metroid™
• Super Soccer
• Super Tennis
• Super Valis IV
• The Ignition Factor
• The Legend of Zelda™: A Link to the Past
• The Peace Keepers
• Tuff E Nuff
• Wild Guns

Nintendo 64

• Banjo Kazooie™
• Dr. Mario 64
• F-Zero X
• GoldenEye 007
• Kirby 64™: The Crystal Shards
• Mario Golf
• Mario Kart 64
• Mario Party™
• Mario Party™ 2
• Mario Tennis
• Paper Mario
• Pilotwings™ 64
• Pokémon™ Puzzle League
• Pokémon Snap™
• Sin & Punishment
• Star Fox 64
• Super Mario 64
• The Legend of Zelda™: Majora's Mask™
• The Legend of Zelda™: Ocarina of Time™
• Wave Race™ 64
• WIN BACK: COVERT OPERATIONS
• Yoshi’s Story

Game Boy

• Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare
• BurgerTime Deluxe
• Game & Watch™ Gallery 3
• GARGOYLE'S QUEST
• Kirby's Dream Land™
• Kirby’s Dream Land™ 2
• Metroid™ II - Return of Samus™
• Super Mario Land™ 2 - 6 Golden Coins™
• Tetris
• The Legend of Zelda™: Link's Awakening DX™
• Wario Land™ 3

Game Boy Advance

• Kuru Kuru Kururin™
• Mario & Luigi™: Superstar Saga
• Mario Kart™: Super Circuit™
• Metroid™ Fusion
• Super Mario™ Advance 4: Super Mario Bros.™ 3
• The Legend of Zelda™: The Minish Cap
• WarioWare™, Inc.: Mega Microgame$

Sega Genesis

• Alien Soldier
• Alien Storm
• ALISIA DRAGOON
• Altered Beast
• Beyond Oasis
• Castlevania: BLOODLINES
• Columns
• Comix Zone
• Contra: Hard Corps
• Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
• Dynamite Headdy
• Earthworm Jim
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Golden Axe
• Golden Axe II
• Gunstar Heroes
• Light Crusader
• MEGA MAN: THE WILY WARS
• M.U.S.H.A.
• Phantasy Star IV
• Ristar
• Shining Force
• Shining Force II
• Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
• Sonic The Hedgehog 2
• Sonic The Hedgehog Spinball
• Space Harrier II
• Streets of Rage 2
• STRIDER
• Super Fantasy Zone
• Sword of Vermillon
• Target Earth
• Thunder Force II
• ToeJam & Earl
• Virtua Fighter 2
• Zero Wing

I mean, this is an insane value if you really think about it. Now to get to playing each and every single one of these...