Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers can now delve into the world of Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age. These iconic GBA RPGs are the latest arrivals to the service, following the surprise addition of three N64 games in December, namely Jet Force Gemini, 1080 Snowboarding, and Harvest Moon 64.
Nintendo has been consistently updating the NSO catalog roughly once a month since the launch of its subscription offering in September 2018. However, the revision of individual platform libraries, especially for titles from classic consoles like the Game Boy Advance exclusive to the Expansion Pack tier, occurs less frequently. For instance, the last GBA update for the platform took place in late September 2023, when Kirby and the Amazing Mirror was added to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack.
Fast forward three and a half months, and the subscription catalog has expanded to include two beloved GBA RPGs: Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Unlike previous surprise NSO title additions, the arrival of these classic GBA RPGs was confirmed last week.
Latest Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Games in January 2024
- Golden Sun
- Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Both games were developed by Camelot Software Planning, a Japanese studio best known today for its development of various sports-themed Mario titles, including those from the Mario Golf and Mario Tennis series. However, in the early 2000s, the company brought the GBA two Golden Sun RPGs, with the first being hailed as one of the handheld console's best games. Both games were praised for pushing the limits of GBA hardware and for their fast-paced gameplay and deliberate world design, representing the pinnacle of turn-based JRPGs at the time.
Two-Thirds of the Golden Sun Franchise Are Now Available on Nintendo Switch
While the 2002 sequel did little to enhance the original's formula, it garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews and is often considered essential for JRPG enthusiasts. Following these mid-January additions to the Nintendo Switch Online library, Camelot's iconic RPG series has only one other game currently unavailable on the hybrid console, the 2010 DS exclusive Golden Sun: Dark Dawn.
The likelihood of Dark Dawn being added to the Switch is slim, primarily because NSO does not support DS games. Nevertheless, some fans are hopeful that the January update to Nintendo Switch Online could potentially pave the way for the revival of Camelot's dormant franchise or at least mark the beginning of another fantastic year for Switch JRPGs.