Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers can now play three Game Boy Advance titles on Nintendo Switch and its successor. The 14 October additions are Monster Rancher Advance, Metal Slug Advance and Kururin Paradise.
Three very different GBA games arrive in October
The latest update covers monster breeding, run-and-gun action and precision puzzle solving. Access requires the Game Boy Advance app, which is available exclusively to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers.
For players choosing where to begin, the three releases offer distinctly different ways to spend a short gaming session: raise a team, blaze through a stage or navigate a maze.
Monster Rancher Advance
Originally released in 2001, Monster Rancher Advance puts players in charge of breeding, training and preparing monsters for battle. More than 400 monsters can be collected, with special codes used to obtain them.
Each monster has its own skills, moves, strengths and weaknesses. Success therefore depends on building a strategy around the creature available rather than relying on one universal approach. Its collecting and training structure shares some similarities with Pokémon, while remaining a different experience. It is also a suitable roughly 20-hour game for anyone looking for something to play before the Mega Dimension DLC for Pokémon Z-A arrives.
Fans interested in creating a dedicated gaming space can browse RETROCADE’s arcade news and gaming coverage or compare options in the arcade machine buying guide.
Metal Slug Advance
Metal Slug Advance is the action-focused option, delivering fast side-scrolling combat in a compact format. A complete playthrough can take only an hour or two, making it particularly easy to replay.
The timing also suits players waiting for the Mega Slug Ultimate Collection, planned for next year as part of the franchise’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Although Metal Slug Advance is included in that collection, its short length makes it an approachable game to revisit ahead of the larger release.
Its arcade-style shooting makes it a natural fit for players exploring RETROCADE’s arcade shooting-game hardware and full-size arcade machines.
Kururin Paradise
The most unusual addition is Kururin Paradise, a puzzle sequel to Kuru Kuru Kururin. The game was shown at E3 2002 and was expected to receive a US release later that year, but it never reached the region.
More than two decades later, players in the United States can finally experience Kururin Paradise through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. Its arrival gives puzzle fans a previously unavailable Game Boy Advance title alongside two more familiar names.
Which game should you try first?
- Choose Monster Rancher Advance for collecting, training and longer-term monster development.
- Choose Metal Slug Advance for brisk side-scrolling action that can be completed in one or two hours.
- Choose Kururin Paradise for a puzzle game finally making its US debut more than 20 years after its planned release.
Together, the three games make a varied October update for Expansion Pack members, with one release suited to extended progression and two designed for shorter, focused sessions.
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