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Nintendo Launching Arcade Archives On Switch
Nintendo didn’t reveal any Virtual Console on Switch news during its latest Direct, but the company did highlight a way that Switch players will be able to access a variety of retro games. It’s launching a new line of downloads called Arcade Archives later this month, starting with Mario Bros.
Starting Sept. 27, Switch owners can download and play a variety of familiar games, with one notable twist: Unlike the earlier releases of these games, which were available on the Wii and Wii U’s Virtual Console, these are straight from the arcades rather than their NES counterparts.
The first game in the Arcade Archives series is Mario Bros., and it features animations and gameplay elements (like falling icicles) that players who only know the game from the NES version may not have previously seen. Subsequent entries in the series may offer similar surprises, such as a handful of levels in Vs. Super Mario Bros. that were later incorporated into Super Mario Bros. 2 (aka, The Lost Levels), and the vertically oriented Punch-Out!! that doesn't feature Little Mac.
Here are the Arcade Archives games that Nintendo has announced:
- Mario Bros.
- Vs. Super Mario Bros.
- Vs. Balloon Fight
- Vs. Ice Climber
- Vs. Pinball
- Vs. Clu Clu Land
- Vs. Punch-Out!!
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